Taking photos of steep hills

Bhima

The problem with resisting pointing the camera up or down the climb is that, if you keep it totally horizontal, you don't get any road in the shot if looking down the climb and don't get the summit of the climb, just the road if looking up the climb... At head-height, anyway... At road height, this may be different...

There may be something in the whole panorama thing... The 2nd one (sorry about the reduced quality) is a 90-degree panorama so shows both the road ahead AND the side-on shot of the road sloping down...




If I could do this on a hairpin, but keep the camera at road-level, I might get somewhere... Problem is, most hairpins have nowhere to stand on the corners as they have steep banking on the sides... :?

Le Commentateur

Hairpin corner showing both upper and lower ramps can work well...




... even when photographed from a distance, in extreme cases.

Pross

That bottom one works really well because the columns give an angle to the road.

DevUK

I found it difficult in San Francisco. Everyone knows how crazy the roads are in SF, but it's hard to photo:

oldnewbiker

ColinJ wrote:

It's an interesting question. I've taken photos on some steep hills and sometimes I can't even tell from a picture whether I was looking up a hill or down it. Sometimes the hills really don't look steep at all. I think it helps to keep the camera horizontal and avoid the temptation to point it up or down the hill.

Here's a few local hills which I've just about managed to capture the severity of...

Mytholm Steeps (Climb Church Lane from Hebden Bridge towards Blackshaw Head)


Highfield Crescent, Hebden Bridge (Well over 25% - must try and ride it some time)


Cobbled climb to Old Chamber (follow concrete road up through woods at the back of Hebden Bridge railway station. NB - dead end road)


Deanhead climb from Scammonden Water, next to M62


Thursden near Widdop on road from Colne to Hebden Bridge


Horsehold Road (cross canal by Hebden Bridge Co-op and turn right. NB - dead end road, unless you have a 4x4 or a mountain bike)

The shot of Thusden Head doesnt do it justice ,I have a score to settle with that hill :twisted:

oldnewbiker

Stick some cyclists on it and try and give an perspective on where they have come from




I was so cross with the guy in the transit van spoiling all my photos I nearly rang the company up to see if they knew he was there. :roll:

ride_whenever

Whoever said you need regular vertical elements has the nail on the head...

Look at the first vs. the second of colinj's photos!

simonaspinall

This topic is giving me the creeps - Got Cragg Vale on Sunday...Anyone got a pic of what to expect?

Ta

ColinJ

simonaspinall wrote:

This topic is giving me the creeps - Got Cragg Vale on Sunday...Anyone got a pic of what to expect?

Ta

Cragg Vale is a pussycat of a hill! It is long (for the UK)...



... but it only averages 3.3 %. It has a short steeper section halfway up which is 8% for about 250 m.

The biggest challenge is usually the wind which will normally hit you from front-right as soon as you clear the steeper part and come out onto the open moorland. Sometimes that can be a real pig. If you are lucky, there won't be much wind. I've only had a tailwind a couple of times in 20 years of riding up there, so don't count on one.

I've just checked the local forecast for Sunday - 6 mph winds from the SW, possible gusts up to 16 mph. That sounds fairly typical. I hope you don't catch the gusts!

nickwill

nasahapley wrote:

Just dug out the only pic I've got of a steep hill, no bikes in it but it's not too bad (following on from Le Comm's post, I think the trees do indeed help to show how steep it is).

Where's this then?

Park Rash?

simonaspinall

ColinJ wrote:

simonaspinall wrote:

This topic is giving me the creeps - Got Cragg Vale on Sunday...Anyone got a pic of what to expect?

Ta

Cragg Vale is a pussycat of a hill! It is long (for the UK)...



... but it only averages 3.3 %. It has a short steeper section halfway up which is 8% for about 250 m.

The biggest challenge is usually the wind which will normally hit you from front-right as soon as you clear the steeper part and come out onto the open moorland. Sometimes that can be a real pig. If you are lucky, there won't be much wind. I've only had a tailwind a couple of times in 20 years of riding up there, so don't count on one.

I've just checked the local forecast for Sunday - 6 mph winds from the SW, possible gusts up to 16 mph. That sounds fairly typical. I hope you don't catch the gusts!

I heard it's supposed to be more gentle - Did the blackhill road near eccup climb and that was horrendous! Still, glad I did and weardley bank before this one!

oldnewbiker

Me climbing up the hillout of Arncliffe into a 40mph + gale

simonaspinall

oldnewbiker wrote:

Me climbing up the hillout of Arncliffe into a 40mph + gale

*shivers* :shock:

ColinJ

Nickwill wrote:

nasahapley wrote:

Just dug out the only pic I've got of a steep hill, no bikes in it but it's not too bad (following on from Le Comm's post, I think the trees do indeed help to show how steep it is).

Where's this then?

Park Rash?

It certainly looks like the Yorkshire Dales but it doesn't look like Park Rash to me. I remember having a pee stop at the bottom by a stream before tackling the climb and that doesn't look like how I remember it.

I'm searching my maps every steep climb in the Dales now to see if I can spot it!

nasahapley

ColinJ wrote:

Nickwill wrote:

nasahapley wrote:

Just dug out the only pic I've got of a steep hill, no bikes in it but it's not too bad (following on from Le Comm's post, I think the trees do indeed help to show how steep it is).

Where's this then?

Park Rash?

It certainly looks like the Yorkshire Dales but it doesn't look like Park Rash to me. I remember having a pee stop at the bottom by a stream before tackling the climb and that doesn't look like how I remember it.

I'm searching my maps every steep climb in the Dales now to see if I can spot it!

'Fraid it is Park Rash Colin! Well spotted Nickwill. Pic was taken from across the valley and not from the road; the bit coming up from the bottom left is the steepest bit but it doesn't really look like it from that angle; there's a concrete hut at the bottom of the climb which is just out of shot.

ColinJ

nasahapley wrote:

'Fraid it is Park Rash Colin! Well spotted Nickwill. Pic was taken from across the valley and not from the road; the bit coming up from the bottom left is the steepest bit but it doesn't really look like it from that angle; there's a concrete hut at the bottom of the climb which is just out of shot.

Ah, that's what caught me out - I assumed that you were further up the climb on the road and that there was a right-angled bend out of shot to get you up there!

I suppose this supports what was said earlier - I thought the picture was taken looking down at the descent, not looking down at the climb.

In that case, there must be a car park just out of shot to the right, on the left hand side of the road. When I did the climb some families ran to the side of the road and gave me a round of applause as I grovelled my way up past them!

The_Special_One

Buckled_Rims

Just noticed this photo and thought of this thread...

http://www.trentobike.org/Countries/Europe/Tour_Reports/Tour_of_the_Alps/Gallery/Gnarly_Stelvio.jpg

and

http://www.trentobike.org/Countries/Europe/Tour_Reports/Tour_of_the_Alps/Gallery/Stelvio_WOW.JPG

Pross

Those are fantastic, would love to ride that one day.

DavidBelcher

simonaspinall wrote:

I heard it's supposed to be more gentle - Did the blackhill road near eccup climb and that was horrendous! Still, glad I did and weardley bank before this one!

Some real killers in that part of Wharfedale - the road that climbs (and climbs....and climbs) out of Otley past the hospital and over to Blubberhouses sticks in the memory, unpleasant stuff when combined with a headwind!

David

FCE2007

Woolacombe to Mortehoe, North Devon.

mididoctors3

disgruntledgoat wrote:

The daddy of them all!



And that's me on a 39x25 fact fans

ouch hurts my knees thinking about it ... you look pretty comfortably there... it takes a 29 and a lot of swearing for me to get over that

MattC59

The_Special_One wrote:

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Been down here on an MTB....... FOOK it's quick !!!

Anonymous

mididoctors3 wrote:

disgruntledgoat wrote:

The daddy of them all!



And that's me on a 39x25 fact fans

ouch hurts my knees thinking about it ... you look pretty comfortably there... it takes a 29 and a lot of swearing for me to get over that

OOhhh that has got to hurt.
I went up a 25% climb that wasn't on The Forest of Dean Spring Classic route card, just after the 2 nd feed stop. Had to stay in the saddle due to massive cramps, this photo looks worse! :shock:

freehub

Is there any hills around 40-50% in the UK?

ColinJ

freehub wrote:

Is there any hills around 40-50% in the UK?

Loads - they just don't have roads going straight up 'em!

Take a look at Baldwin Street and you'll see why...

Mark Alexander

ColinJ wrote:

It's an interesting question. I've taken photos on some steep hills and sometimes I can't even tell from a picture whether I was looking up a hill or down it. Sometimes the hills really don't look steep at all. I think it helps to keep the camera horizontal and avoid the temptation to point it up or down the hill.

Here's a few local hills which I've just about managed to capture the severity of...

Mytholm Steeps (Climb Church Lane from Hebden Bridge towards Blackshaw Head)


Highfield Crescent, Hebden Bridge (Well over 25% - must try and ride it some time)


Cobbled climb to Old Chamber (follow concrete road up through woods at the back of Hebden Bridge railway station. NB - dead end road)


Deanhead climb from Scammonden Water, next to M62


Thursden near Widdop on road from Colne to Hebden Bridge


Horsehold Road (cross canal by Hebden Bridge Co-op and turn right. NB - dead end road, unless you have a 4x4 or a mountain bike)

The trick is to have a point of reference to show perspective. I chose these examples because in them there are houses which are level.... hopefully, posts and trees at the side of the road. We know these things should be relatively upright.

Just don't take them on a Friday night, upright is a rarity then.

Mark Alexander

The_Special_One wrote:

That last one is Alpe D'Huez. I can feel the pain now.

Bhima

freehub wrote:

Is there any hills around 40-50% in the UK?

There is one road in Wales - the road sign says 1:2.5, which is 40%

No idea where though, just seen a photo of it.

Stellite