The Adventure Photographers

The Adventure Photographers A professional team of photographers & filmmakers specialising in remote access locations

All profits invested into environmental conservation
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[ ] 🎬 Falls of Askival 🌊 Part 2 of 2We rose early and hiked 3kms from the bothy to the canyon.It was not just a one-an...
19/10/2024

[ ] 🎬 Falls of Askival 🌊 Part 2 of 2

We rose early and hiked 3kms from the bothy to the canyon.

It was not just a one-and-done afterall.

The magical Isle of Rùm delivered. Water tumbled down the dramatic flanks of Askival - the highest mountain on the island - slipped into narrow crevices and dropped spectacularly several times to the sea.

We were stoked. Each pitch was technical, often cavernous and always interesting. This was helped by the fact we were ‘ghosting’ this one - not using any drills or bolts - leaving no trace.

There were rock chocks, squeezes, infinity pools and jumps before we even got to the final falls. When we did reach the finale, the flow funnelled and dropped 45m to the sea - 3 times higher than expected.

The only safe place to rig this pitch was in the depths of the pool before and we sent the aquatic line into a huge sea cave.

As fresh water met salt water, the cliffs soared up around us, seals watching with curiosity as we managed to breach the bluffs and scramble back on land. Mist swirled over Askival’s crumbling peak and the wind picked up as the light turned golden. Hiking back to the bothy, the storm clouds were billowing, the next lot of weather was on the way.

That night the bothy creaked in the wind and by candlelight we drew the latest topo to add to Scotland's ever growing list of canyons - the Falls of Askival.

Supported by:

Petzl
CE4Y
Seland

[ ] 🎬 The Falls of Askival 🌊 Part 1 of 2There was only one photo to go on. Taken by a passing sea kayaker 20 years ago...
18/10/2024

[ ] 🎬 The Falls of Askival 🌊 Part 1 of 2

There was only one photo to go on. Taken by a passing sea kayaker 20 years ago, this image made the dark crease on the volcanic Isle of Rùm a place we wanted to explore.

The blurry image showed what looked like a 15, maybe 20m waterfall funnelling through a deep fissure and dropping into the Sound of Rùm.

We'd had a run of sufferfests with little reward so expectations were kept low - likely just another ‘deep bimbler’ - but it had a cool finish into the sea, so we started planning.

The Scottish isles are heavily exposed to the elements. Finding a weather window proved to be tricky. We wanted to use kayaks as we weren't sure we could get back on land once we’d descended the gorge because of the island’s huge sea cliffs.

Over a year of trying, the wind and swell never matched up with our schedules, so this October we decided to shoulder our packs, take the ferry and hike in.

An 8km boggy slog later we arrived at the remote, beautifully situated bothy on the far side of the Cuillin ridge. We had three days worth of food, a bottle of rum and no idea what we would find.

Supported by:

Seland
Petzl
CE4Y

[ ] 🎬 Aurora borealis 🇬🇱 With temps pushing 30 below it was time to settle down in the tent and warm up. But then this...
14/10/2024

[ ] 🎬 Aurora borealis 🇬🇱 

With temps pushing 30 below it was time to settle down in the tent and warm up. But then this happens...

Igniting across the sky, the northern lights light up Scoresby Sund 🙌 The frozen camera was warmed up just enough to capture this before it, and filmer, retreated to the tent for one of the coldest nights on the whole expedition. 

The Split Film is in production and will be released in 2025 🍿

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[ ] 🎬 This one was far away (part 2)In winter, we attempted to recce this distant canyon tucked away in the highlands....
11/07/2024

[ ] 🎬 This one was far away (part 2)

In winter, we attempted to recce this distant canyon tucked away in the highlands.

The plan was to skitour up and over to get eyes on it but due to worsening weather, a downed drone and an impending sunset we ended up with an unplanned diversion via the valley floor.

Returning in Spring, we took advantage of the lighter evenings. This time following the valley on foot, we broke up the 12km approach with a whisky-fuelled pit-stop in a bothy

Arriving at the remote gorge the following morning, the snow-melt combined with multi pitch abseils quickly negated any aftereffects from the night before!

Was it all worth it?

Yes. Not necessarily for the canyon itself, but for the adventure.

Supported by:

Petzl
CE4Y
Seland

[ ] 🎬 The story continues...We've been in Spain this week filming for SPLIT - a film originally just about three peop...
29/06/2024

[ ] 🎬 The story continues...

We've been in Spain this week filming for SPLIT - a film originally just about three people splitboarding 220kms in remote Greenland 🇬🇱 However as good stories do, it has evolved as we learn more and more about these intriguing characters…

From the frozen arctic to the hot sun in the sight of Africa, this tale of contrasts and conundrums continues

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Petzl
River Rock Single Malt Whisky
Salomon
The Arctic Club

[ ] 🎬 Community is everythingNaturally we all seek, in one way or another, to find our people, our tribe.Canyoning is ...
06/06/2024

[ ] 🎬 Community is everything

Naturally we all seek, in one way or another, to find our people, our tribe.

Canyoning is pretty niche (to say the least) which inevitably brings together an eclectic mix of characters to share in these experiences!

Earlier in May, after filming a few of the ‘classics’ in NW Scotland, we used the opportunity to dive a little deeper in interviews.

We wanted to understand the unique paths that led them here and, importantly, what sustains this odd passion.

The answers, all beautifully varied and honest, followed a distinct theme with most seeking some sort of challenge or escapism, but instead finding community and friendship

For a sport driven by exploration, I can’t think of a better discovery

Supported by:

Petzl
Seland
CE4Y_canyoning

[ ] 🎬 This one was far away (part 1)Easy access roadside canyon exploration is largely a thing of the past in Scotland...
30/04/2024

[ ] 🎬 This one was far away (part 1)

Easy access roadside canyon exploration is largely a thing of the past in Scotland. You have to go further into the backcountry to explore the far flung nooks and crannies.

With a 12km approach, this one definitely needed a recce to decide if it was worth lugging canyon gear all that way.

There were two options - hike up the curving valley or ski tour over the top.

A surprise dump of snow to ground level in January made the decision for us - we'd skin up to the plateau, clack-clack across, then ski / snowboard to the canyon. Easy.

With the short winter days, we knew we had a chance of being benighted if things didn't go to plan. We slogged away on snow-covered heather in the ever changing light for many hours, hoping to reach the canyon before turnaround time.

With the final stretch in sight, the weather took a turn for the worse. One wind-floored drone later, we rerouted to avoid the now socked-in plateau. A painfully beautiful sunset began as we trudged out the seemingly never-ending valley.

Finally, after 24kms of touring (and about 4 turns) we dumped our bags down at the truck with only a tantalising glimpse of a canyon in our minds. We journeyed home, nursed our blisters and vowed to return in spring…

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Petzl
CE4Y
Seland

[ ] Gloomy 🌊 Stage 4 of 4 We awoke on the wild hillside just metres from the tributary we were descending - Son of Gl...
20/03/2024

[ ] Gloomy 🌊 Stage 4 of 4

We awoke on the wild hillside just metres from the tributary we were descending - Son of Gloomy. Except for the two with dry suits, the team squeezed into wet wetsuits and layered up with shield jackets as it was an order of aquatic abseils for breakfast.

Early in the morning the glacier melt was at its lowest but it didn't feel that way as we immediately descended through powerful falls.

Spirits were good today.

The effort and disappointment of yesterday - having not been able to enter Gloomy gorge and to find bolts in this hard won canyon - had softened with our dehydrated meals, hot chocolates and camp camaraderie.

This canyon, too, was becoming more encased, with more interesting rigging and bigger, narrower pitches. The biggest of which was a plummeting 60m which saw us slide down between the accelerating jet of water and a smooth curve of rock. If we had carried on yesterday, this would have been a fully aquatic and intense abseil by headtorch. As it was, it was only at the bottom of the falls we felt the full force of the water on our heads.

A few interesting drops later - one in particular taking Andrew Humphreys by surprise - we finally emerge into a blazing confluence of sun and spray.

Once again we faced Gloomy gorge, this time from the bottom as its huge volume roared into the light. Our trib looked tiny in comparison. We gazed up into the powerful and magnetic chasm, vowing that one day we will emerge from there instead.

The 17km tramp back (with heavier packs this time thanks to wet gear) gave us time to reflect. Nothing worth doing comes easy. Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. Sometimes, sh*t happens.

But what we were sure of was that we were going to drink beer and eat pizza that night and cheers over a shared epic experience in the land of the long white cloud.

We will come back to Aotearoa. Not only for a reattempt at the elusive Gloomy, but for a bigger project that encompasses it. Mystery still remains, pouring out of cliffs and into other deep arteries of the mountains, and it pulls us in like never before.

Supported by:
Petzl
CE4Y
Seland

[ ] Gloomy 🌊 Stage 3 of 4 Usually, water sounds louder in the dark. But at 5am the flow we slept next to had dropped ...
18/03/2024

[ ] Gloomy 🌊 Stage 3 of 4

Usually, water sounds louder in the dark. But at 5am the flow we slept next to had dropped by 10cms. Serious conversations began. Was it low enough?

Our original plan to descend in two full days was out - could we do it in three? If we only descended in the morning hours, we could hold up somewhere as high as possible in the gorge as the afternoon glacier meltwater pumped through. It was risky, theoretically possible, but left us with no redundancy day. There would be no room for error, the rain was coming. Was it worth the risk?

As we contemplated this heavy decision, we scrambled down from camp to check out the entrance rappel again by torchlight. Water was still pumping over our indicator rock. Still too high.

Gutted. We packed camp away and lifted our chins up and to a new objective. A tributary of the gorge - Son of Gloomy.

It was another 5 hours away of backcountry travel, 3 of which were the most hellacious bushwhack any of us had experienced. We ascended 400m vert to reach the alpine and eventually begin this long 800m descent, consoling that we had at least a first descent on our hands...

The views of the mountains and glaciers were incredible. Not long after we started the descent, news from Andrew leading the way came back - there are bolts. Very old, very French bolts. There is no beta of this canyon, but from the age and style of the bolting it appears the team that had opened Gloomy 11 years ago had also visited this trib. The pure exploration and problem solving of a first descent was stripped away from our objective. Our packs felt heavier than ever.

As light faded, the canyon started to narrow up and drop more adamantly. We were still 400m from the valley floor. Fortunately we found the only place to climb out and set up a bivouac in the woods. Exhausted, sleep came easy as we all slipped slowly downhill off our thermarests.

Supported by:

Petzl
CE4Y
Seland

[ ] Gloomy 🌊 Stage 2 of 4 Weather window - Go time!This season, rain has fallen over Gloomy every 4 or so days keepin...
15/03/2024

[ ] Gloomy 🌊 Stage 2 of 4

Weather window - Go time!

This season, rain has fallen over Gloomy every 4 or so days keeping levels dangerously high. We needed at least 3 after a rain for the level to drop and then 4 of stable weather to make the descent. Preferably with redundancy days in case we ran into trouble.

A bridge of high pressure built over the area Gloomy resides - Mt Aspiring National Park. It was a weak bridge with rain on the long range charts, but it was the best we had so far. We loaded 23kg packs on our back - the equivalent of a fully laden suitcase - and tramped 17kms down the Matukituki valley under a blazing sun.
Sweating, the first sight of the deep dark gorge in the mountain side was a welcome but formidable one. The Maud Francis glacier shone above, looking just as sweaty as us.

Studying the levels of the river in the valley, exped leader Andrew Humphreys gave us a 50% chance that we might be on for the descent.

We preferred (and perhaps needed) the optimistic view as we climbed steeply on the final approach up the French Ridge; the last hour was a dense, scratchy bushwhack.

Emerging from the vegetation, we set a line from a tree and landed on the river bed. The canyon rumbled below. The plan was to suit up and descend the entrance rappel this evening. We would camp on a final small beach before dropping into the chasm proper by head torch the following morning.

We clambered down through house size boulders to see the first rappel. What greeted us was a scene of white fury. Pulling up reference photos we saw our intended line down was getting smashed with white water. It was too high.

The heat of the day meant the glacier melt was thundering into the gorge at a high rate. Our hearts fell. We set up camp where we landed and talked through our options.

The glacier would freeze overnight, we would rise at 5am and look again. In our bivvies, we closed our eyes and wished for a cold night.

Supported by:
Petzl
CE4Y
Seland

[ ] Gloomy 🌊 Stage 1 of 4 🇳🇿Arguably one of the hardest canyons in the world, Gloomy Gorge (V6A6VI) is a mythical beas...
14/03/2024

[ ] Gloomy 🌊 Stage 1 of 4 🇳🇿

Arguably one of the hardest canyons in the world, Gloomy Gorge (V6A6VI) is a mythical beast that roars deep in the Aotearoa bedrock.

Opened by a French team, it has only been descended top to bottom twice before: 11 years ago by a Kiwi team and 6 years ago by a Japanese/Taiwanese team. It is fed by the Maud Francis glacier that clings to Mount Avalanche, releasing huge amounts of meltwater and occasionally seracs into the basin below and Gloomy Gorge.

The canyon requires full commitment - there are no escapes and there is no chance of rescue. Once you’re in, you’re in.

Multiple overnight bivvies next to the raging torrent, “must-make” swims, technical rigging and ropework is what's needed to make it through.

Our team of six is led by Andrew Humphreys. Years of meticulous planning, he brought together this crew - three from Scotland, three from the USA. Finally together, we had a lot to prepare.

Training with big overnight packs in NZ’s classic aquatic canyons, dialling in our ropework in the trees, studying canyon beta, refining our strategy and debating the best snacks were all crucial preparation. Now all we had to wait for was our weather window… 🌦️👀

Supported by:
Petzl
CE4Y
Seland

[ ] New Zealand 🇳🇿 A playful day out in Robinsons with a couple of the canyoning locals! Dan Clearwater is creator of ...
04/03/2024

[ ] New Zealand 🇳🇿

A playful day out in Robinsons with a couple of the canyoning locals! Dan Clearwater is creator of kiwicanyons.org - a great resource for canyoners exploring NZ 🤟💦 Robinsons is one of the classics, and we were treated with some magical light in there ✨

www.theadventurephotographers.com

[ ] New Zealand, new project 🇳🇿This first week in NZ has been pretty epic. We’re here filming for a new project with l...
02/03/2024

[ ] New Zealand, new project 🇳🇿

This first week in NZ has been pretty epic. We’re here filming for a new project with large and challenging objectives (if the weather plays ball!) So a warm up was definitely needed.

Arriving straight into a drier period, we started with a morning blast through aquatic Ore Stream (v4a5IV) then made our way up to camp at the top of The General (v5a3VI) for an early start the next day.

Not a bad way to start the trip👌🏼 more to come!

Supported by:

Petzl
CE4Y
Seland

[ ] 🎬 Find Mòr: Canyoning in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Frozen pools make long swims even longer!It's all good training as we als...
20/01/2024

[ ] 🎬 Find Mòr: Canyoning in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Frozen pools make long swims even longer!

It's all good training as we also prepare to start a new project in the glacier-fed canyons of NZ next month 🎥 🇳🇿

Very glad to have the support of CE4Y 🙏🏼

The shield jackets are a game changer!



theadventurephotographers.com

[ ] RIC Mexico 2024 🇲🇽 We travelled a lot last year, and one of the highlights has to be the international canyoning m...
15/01/2024

[ ] RIC Mexico 2024 🇲🇽

We travelled a lot last year, and one of the highlights has to be the international canyoning meet in Cataluña.

This year, in November, we'll be heading out to Mexico to experience a new culture, meet new friends, explore new canyons and hopefully have some new films to share by then🤞🏼

Registration opens today 🙌🏼 check out for all the info

Hasta pronto! 🇲🇽

[ ] Find Mòr 🎞️ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Short days, early starts, big hikes, long cycles, heavy packs, wet camps, frozen kit, numb finger...
14/01/2024

[ ] Find Mòr 🎞️ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Short days, early starts, big hikes, long cycles, heavy packs, wet camps, frozen kit, numb fingers and all the brain freeze!

But the past few months filming far flung recces and distant descents for have been a (type 2) blast 🤙🏼

And the temps continue to drop... 👀

Supported by Seland and CE4Y

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The Adventure Photographers

The Adventure Photographers (TAP) was established in Spring 2019 by Charlotte Workman & Steve Small shortly after returning from the mountains of Japan.

Both having spent many years working in the adventure industry as photographers & guides we have made great friends in wild places and already work with an increasing number of activity providers in Scotland.

We believe adventures in wild places are important.

Exploring and enjoying these incredible places of nature needs encouraged, preserved and celebrated. Then we can work from a place of deeper understanding when we protect it.