I bought a GoPro last summer for a specific project. It has been rarely used since. Nothing against the GoPro – it’s a tremendous camera – but using it changes the context of things.

Climbing is one of a vanishing number of modern situations where you can feel free of cameras and expectations. Your buddy might bust out the phone for a quick photo at the belay, but in general the nature of the activity prevents obsessive documentation. All the really great climbing photos are taken by a third party, usually planned well in advance.

We brought the GoPro out on a recent outing in RMNP thinking we might capture some really badass mountaineering footage.

We uh…. did not succeed. Didn’t even turn the camera on until after the crux.

Is there a point to all this? Not really, I guess.

Spray less & don’t forget to have fun?

These moments are much better than the ice picks going in.

Hope your own camera roll contains some similar things.

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And as always — make sure to thank your climbing partners!