I have just come back from the USA after filming a 5 day trek following a group of young adults with Type 1 diabetes. Their goal was to reach the top of Mount Langley, a 4211m peak in the Sierra Nevada mountain range California.
The goal.
From a technical point of view I needed to choose kit that was small enough to carry for five days but still gives top quality. Altitude is the issue on these type of jobs. The higher you go the less oxygen there is. Above 4000m there is only 63% of the oxygen available at sea level, so even walking without equipment is hard work.
I decided to use the Sony FS7. It is light enough to carry on your shoulder and produces fantastic images. Coupled with a Canon 24-105mm lens, it covered what I needed for about 90% of the shots. I also had a 70-200mm lens and a DJI Osmo which was great for getting moving shots along tight trail paths.
Keeping it light....ish
We had some great guides courtesy of www.whitneybasecamp.com. The scenery was stunning. We started off in picturesque meadows and trekked along amazing lakes and through beautiful forest.
Summit day was a cold early start. Up at 0230 to ensure we made it to the top before the rain was due to arrive. (It never did!) However I am glad we did start then. We arrived at the peak just after sunrise and were greeted with breathtaking views bathed in lovely soft light.
The view from the top of Mount Langley
Me and Director Wes at the summit. Not sure why we are both holding onto the tripod. A bit light headed maybe....
I didn't know much about diabetes before the trip, but after spending time with the group I learnt a lot. They were an amazing bunch of young people who coped as well as anyone with the heat, altitude and physical exertion, as well as having to mange their glucose levels throughout the day. Everyone made it to the top without incident, proving that that you can achieve anything despite diabetes.
The gang.