Ten Unforgettable OTTER MOMENTS
Photo Feature –Tsitsikamma MTB Challenge
The OTTER African Trail Run – presented by Salomon and GU Energy, and organised by the incomparable MAGNETIC SOUTH – is without a doubt South Africa’s premier trail run. These are just a few of the life-time memories captured along the breathtaking route.
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XM MAGAZINE JULY 2014 STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS JACQUES MARAIS
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Ten
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n Unforgettable
TER MOMENTS
There may be longer or tougher or more remote runs, but nowhere else in the world will you find a run quite like ‘The Otter’. This classical (and classy) 42.2km marathon distance route - with its relentless ups and downs and constantly changing terrain – undeniably makes it South Africa’s premier off-road running event. Think heart-stopping cliff edges, slippery tree roots, knife-edged rock ledges, ankle-snapping boulder fields, deserted beaches, treacherous tides surging up a handful of river crossings, and more than 7 000 steps … nowhere else on the planet will you find so much natural beauty distilled into a single day out on the trail. As Mark Collins - one of the passionate organisers from event coordinators Magnetic South – says: “It is a place where you can release your soul to dance free within one of the most beautiful natural spaces on Planet Earth”. But, packaged with all of this ecstasy comes a heavy hit of agony, so make sure you come prepared if you want to take on the #GrailofTrail
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The JOY
“It is the people that makes this event a cut above the rest … Everyone, from the organisers Magnetic South and sponsors Salomon and GU, to every single crew member, marshal and athlete, exhibit so much unbridled joy in being here, that you cannot help but to plug into your own bit of Otter Bliss.”
THE SHOT I got Colin Andrew Wylie to pull off one of his trademark stunts, shooting it with a single-off camera flash and a slow shutter speed to combine blur and freeze focus.
THE SPECS 1/20th sec @ f2.8; SONY A99-SLT + 16mm Fish-eye; ISO 250; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (-1); Flash (WiFi)
MORE INFO www.magneticsouth.net
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The Perfec “Sometimes in life, a flawless sunrise happens, and if you’re fortunate enough, you are there to capture it on camera. Even better, at ‘The Otter’ you get to share it with like-minded trail enthusiasts, while anticipation skitters like an electric eel within the pit of your stomach.”
THE SHOT A touching moment between two trail heroes – husband and wife Christiaan and Roelande Greyling – as they watch the sunrise a few minutes before Race Start.
THE SPECS 1/50th sec @ f2.8; SONY A99-SLT + 16mm Fish-eye; ISO 50; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (-1); Flash (WiFi)
MORE INFO www.salomon.co.za
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ct Dawn
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The Starting Blo
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ocks …
“No other event I’ve ever shot can boast as scenic a start as this beautiful beach at Nature’s Valley. With the resplendent yellow-and-black livery of ‘The Otter’ flags flying in the wind, and the chute leading into the sunrise, it is a scene to make your heart race, and your soul soar.”
THE SHOT A slightly elevated angle from the rocks allowed me to grab a slowshutter shot using my 3-legged Thing mono-pod and the kick-ass full-frame A7R mirrorless Sony.
THE SPECS 1/30th sec @ f5.6; SONY A7R + LA-EA4 Converter + 16mm Fish-eye; ISO 50; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (0); Flash (None)
MORE INFO www.sony.co.za za
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“Much of the running along the iconic Otter Hiking Trail is amidst rugged – and sometimes quite surreal – rock outcrops. This shot of one of the Challenge runners near to The Waterfall reminds me of a puny human about to be pounced on by an alien rock fish … Who knows, maybe I just smoked too much GU...”
THE SHOT The new SONY Alpha Mirrorless series of cameras have made adventure shooting an absolute pleasure – full frame, 37MP and weighing less than half a regular SLR; #priceless!
THE SPECS 1/640th sec @ f2.8; SONY A7R + LA-EA4 Adaptor + 16mm Fish-eye; ISO 160; WB Setting (Cloudy); AE Setting (0); Flash (None)
MORE INFO www.theotter.co.za
The Roc
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ck Gauntlet ‌
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The Super
THE ACTION “Bloukrans is frigging cold, especially if you end up spending a good hour in the water, but the shots of the new Bayport Slide made it all worthwhile. Athletes did not have to brave slippery rocks this year, and instead could slip-slide straight into the surging swell.�
THE SHOT This is where kit items such as the rubberised OUTEX Housing is a must; it allows you to immerse your camera while shooting naturally, and with access to basic functions.
THE SPECS 1/1500th sec @ f4; SONY a6000 + 11-18mm wide-angle; ISO 800; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (0); Flash (None)
MORE INFO www.photogadgets.co.za
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r-Tubing Slide ‌
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The Bloukran “Once you’ve passed The Beast, aka Ruan Luckhoff, things get very real as you plunge into the surge of Bloukrans. This is never a straightforward crossing, with tidal waves, a razor-edged entrance and mosscovered boulders strewn along the exit section. This is certainly one of the defining moments of this amazing race”.
THE SHOT I frame-grabbed Thabang Madiba charging through in third place, using the fast-focusing a6000 Mirrorless Sony, the smallest camera in my arsenal.
THE SPECS : 1/1200th sec @ f4; SONY a6000 + 55-210mm zoom; ISO 800; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (0); Flash (None)
MORE INFO www.exposuregallery.co.za
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ns Crossing ‌
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The Ultimate Test of Trail … “Ancient montane forest, plunging sea cliffs, boulder-strewn beaches, hidden bays, coastal promontories and fynbos ridges combine along this legendary trail. If you don’t watch out, though, the rocks will eat you for breakfast”.
THE SHOT I grabbed this shot on the section of the route towards Lottering River, showing the extent of the gnarl the runners had to deal with. My Mindshift Gear #rotation180 pack got me there comfortably.
THE SPECS 1/400th sec @ f2.8; SONY A99-SLT + 16mm Fish-eye; ISO 50; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (0); Flash (None)
MORE INFO www.mindshiftgear.com
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The Feeling of Freedom … “And sometimes, for a glorious kilometre or two, the trail would open up ahead of you, as if to invite you to turn up the throttle and feel the wind in your hair. Love and hate, agony and ecstasy, pain and glory … welcome to the dichotomy of ‘The Otter’”.
THE SHOT A scramble onto a high rocky point gave me this seductive view of the Otter Trail in all its awe-inspiring glory as you look back towards Oakhurst Hut.
THE SPECS 1/500th sec @ f4; SONY A7R + LA-EA4 Converter + 16mm Fish-eye; ISO 50; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (0); Flash (None)
MORE INFO www.sanparks.org.za
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The Don, Undaunted
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“Some athletes are evergreen, and The Don is one of them. Unassuming, big-hearted and with an unbending will of pure titanium, he is the holder of multiple OTTER and RETTO titles. This year, he came from well behind to demolish Thabang Madiba’s lead as they hit the technical rocks over the last few kays, and claimed a deserved victory.”
THE SHOT The RETTO finish in all its glory, and the victor claiming his spoils – well done, Iain Don-Wauchope!
THE SPECS 1/250th sec @ f10; SONY A99-SLT + 16mm Fish-eye; ISO 50; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (-1); Flash (WiFi)
MORE INFO www.thenorthface.com
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The of Tr
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Queen rail … “Landie Greyling has competed against some of the world’s top athletes along the Otter Trail before, and always had to walk away from the event without a win. This year, our local Queen of Trail’ ran an immaculate race to, as she put it, ‘unfinished business, finished business’. And she did it with a smile, as usual”.
THE SHOT A low angle and a big smile, painted upon the canvas of a wide, blue sky; a fitting end to one of my best days on a trail, ever.
THE SPECS 1/250th sec @ f8; SONY A99-SLT + 16mm Fish-eye; ISO 50; WB Setting (Auto); AE Setting (-1); Flash (WiFi)
MORE INFO www.salomon.co.za
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“ Release your soul to dance free within one of the most beautiful natural spaces on Planet Earth”!
PH
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