Dear Friends
I greet you from Yosemite
Galen Rowell and Yosemite were a perfect fit….just like his love of both mountaineering and photography. In 1990, I attended a special presentation in Yosemite Valley by Galen who showed his beautiful photographs as a slide show. His photographs showed his love of nature and adventure. They showed his love of climbing the mountains as both a mountaineer and as a technical rock climber. His photographs and words showed that Yosemite was sacred to him.
He loved adventure photography and headed for the mountains…leaving his job in the Bay Area at age 30. He soon got an assignment of a life-time from National Geographic…. which lead him to his beloved Yosemite to photograph the first clean climb of Half Dome in 1973. He also wrote the JUNE 1974 cover story for National Geographic, entitled, “Climbing Half Dome the Hard Way.”
He loved taking pictures while technical rock climbing; and an element of danger was always present.
His photographs were always wonderfully composed. Galen enjoyed over thirty years of expeditions, climbs, and over 100 first ascents all over the world…documenting all with his poetic photography. His adventure photographs show the height of beauty at heights most of us will never climb. His landscape photographs are wonderful as well, showing beautiful color and light. In 2001, Galen wrote, “I’ve known all along that more of what I am seeking in the wilds is right here in my home state of California than anywhere else on earth.” Yosemite is in California!!!
Galen and his wife Barbara, died in a twin-engine plane crash in California, on August 11, 2002. Environmentalist and mountaineer David Brower’s son, Ken wrote, “If my theory about heaven is correct, climbers are not allowed to bring a lot of technical hardware along with them. The ascents are pure, the way Rowell and my dad liked it, and those two are now busy bouldering there.” Galen Rowell and Yosemite were a perfect fit. Yosemite offers the best opportunities for both photography and technical rock climbing. Galen enjoyed both. When you visit Yosemite, Scenic Wonders invites you to stay in a beautiful vacation home or condominium in Yosemite West.
Another terrific day in Yosemite
Bye for now, Laura
photo by rock climber….Ron Caulk
bye for now,
Laura
bye for now,
Laura