Verb – Excursion, Action
Colorado Mountains
Hi Friends,
[From June (sorry, as you can see I'm a little behind on posting on my blog!) - a brief photo montage of an excursion up Mt. Antero in Colorado.]
“Every one of us lives only to journey further and further into the mountains.” C.S. Lewis
Although I have taken this quote out of it’s context, I love the metaphorical (and literal) idea that it holds. We are all on a journey in life with peaks and valleys, challenges and joys. Mountains often leave us with more questions than answers – Why am I climbing? Can I make it? Will it ever end? Where am I? What if…? But that’s sometimes how life is. Questions like “Where am I going” ring true everyday in my life. So I challenge you to think – Where are you going? Why are you climbing?
This specific journey up Mt. Antero was long and arduous on the way up (we choose to follow the trail-less West Ridge) and worse on the way down (tough on the knees), but somehow there’s something about the mountain that keeps me coming back for more. Maybe these pictures can explain better than my words.
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Month of May
Enjoy a collection of my photos from the last few weeks. I beg you to use your imagination for the lack of theme with which these photos hang together other than the simple and boring “last month.” Climbing, Hiking, Friends, and Castles – what more could you ask for?
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Austria
A weekend visit to Bratislava, Slovakia allowed for ample time to take a day trip to a mountain range just past Vienna, Austria for some Via Ferrata climbing. Via Ferrata is a style of climbing where there are fixed steel cables on a given route which you use as protection as you ascend/descend clipping into with a harness and some carabiners on runner (or “lobster claws”). It was originally used for the military, but people use it for recreation now – to access some of the more remote areas of European mountain ranges! We set out, five of us – 3 adults, 2 youth, to practice our mountaineering skills and to enjoy the wilderness of Austria. We had a fantastic time building memories and learning about some of the basics of mountaineering (for the kids).
 Generational Alpinists - Marek and his son. Austria, 2011
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 Serious Horns
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 After ascending to this overlook from our parked car below, we stopped for a quick lunch before continuing our loop to descend again. While we were eating, a large group of rams casually strolled past...
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 Our car is parked below...way below.
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 Traverse Trail
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 Austrian Valley
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 Eerie Overlook
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 Tunnel on the Descent (approx. 15 m)
I rapped down it (hence the anchor), but it also had a ladder.
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Pow!
Mike blows through some fresh powder on a black run.
A long weekend was welcome not only for the rest and recuperation, but also for the foot of powder we got on the last day on the mountain! Enjoy some epic pictures from a day on the mountain in Kolasin, Montenegro.
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Coffee at the Top of a Mountain
It’s quite a true fact – and one that happens rather regularly:
One can get on a mountain bike, ride for 5 hours into the mountains of Albania – seemingly in the middle of nowhere – meet a friendly man walking along the road, and be invited to a nearby house/store for a Turkish coffee. These people seem to come out of the woodwork and all happen to have coffee on hand while overlooking an incredible vista in the middle of nowheres-ville, Albania. Well, I bet you didn’t guess it, but that’s exactly how this Saturday biking trip turned out!
I poke fun at the seemingly bizarre situations like this one which I find myself in, but in reality, Albanian hospitality is quite welcoming and very friendly … and besides, who wouldn’t want to know what a few weird Americans are doing in the middle of nowhere on some bikes?
Enjoy the pics of some rural Albania villages and the people along the way.
Jeff
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Snow in Voskopoje
Two days in Voskopoje, Albania with constantly changing conditions, from fog to snow to sunny. We set out to bike, regardless of the conditions. And that’s what we did.
Some strap on skis or a snowboard, well, we stick with our bikes and hit the slopes all the same. Facing new challenges like getting clipped in properly with the snow packed on the bottom of our shoes, the bitter cold icing our toes, and even the blinding brilliance of the sun reflected off the snow all proved new challenges, adding to our repertoire of mountain biking adventures.
Once again, we explore the historic city of Voskopoje with its rich religious background and ancient churches reminding passers-by of the once thriving civilization. Second only to Istanbul in size, Voskopoje (previously called Moscopole) supposedly played host to some 40,000 residents and was regarded as a cultural and commercial center for the Aromanians of the time (mid 18th century). Enjoy the mix of biking madness and historical wealth in my photos!
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Behind Every Picture, There’s a Story
Welcome to the redesigned JEFFDOKMO.com! Behind every picture, there’s a story.
Rich Carroll rides a wave in the summer of 2009.
It’s a design that will give you the latest pictures right away. A cross between blog and portfolio, I hope that it provides a presentation of my images which allows you to enter the experience. You’ll still find a minimalist’s “Photography” section (only pictures), downloads, information about myself (and my gear), etc, but you’ll also find some new categories of my blog: noun, adjective, and verb – think about it and I think you’ll find it quite fitting. This will help break down some of the archived blog posts and (hopefully) ease any browsing you may want to do.
In case you were wondering, the big photos at the top of the home page are the 5 latest blog posts. So you’ll always be up-to-date right away when entering my website.
-Jeff
P.S. If you have an opinion (good or bad) about the new design don’t hesitate to let me know!
More Photos From Summer of 2009:
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Winter in Tirana
Genti carries his bike through the muck of the Tirana hills.
This is Genti. He’s been riding with our crew for quite a while now…it’s great to have him aboard. As you can see in this shot, there are times when we need to carry our bikes. This happens more often in the winter months when the track gets downright nasty with thick clay-like mud. When it gets its worst we sometimes do some more training-esque rides up a gorge that doesn’t jam our brakes and gears with mud.
Happy Winter,
Jeff
Voskopoje
Four guys, four bikes, four hour drive.
One day, one Volkswagen Golf, one mission: Ride the trails around this pristine mountain town in Southern Albania.
Fantastic terrain ranging from mud to dust, single track to dirt road, 25 degree climbs to rocky downhills…the verdict? AWESOME.
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Cheers,
Jeff
Wakeboarding
Gent went wakeboarding (and I went waterskiing) on a lake in Farka, Albania just on the outskirts of Tirana. It was about a 15 minute drive and it was a bit chilly as the sun poked in and out of the light cloud cover, but the water was perfect and for late October, it doesn’t get much better than this!
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Cheers,
Jeff
Dajti Mountain Ride
A fun ride last weekend as we took the teleferik up to Mt. Dajti with our bikes and cruized down the hill under our own power.
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Thanks for a great ride Gary, Graham, Gent, and Genti!
Cheers,
(Geo)ff
Lucky Ascent of “Floater”
Picture by David Rau
I got lucky. After a few warm-up climbs, I set out to try a route I had been eyeing; a short (4 move), but difficult (V5) boulder problem found in Ute Valley, CO called “Floater.” It has an inverted orientation and sets up on two sloping holds (seen in the picture) before moving on to an awkward right-hand crack hold before hitting the top knob for a finish. It was a hugely fun route that I am stoked to have the chance to finish, let alone jump on during my short stay in Colorado.
I spent this last weekend in Fort Collins visiting some great friends from summer camp and climbing some fun routes both at “The Palace” and at “Horsetooth Resevoir” – What a blessing to see old friends, climb some ‘sick’ routes, and enjoy root beer floats in the perfect fall weather. God is good!
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-Jeff
Oregon Trail Riding
Remember that old computer game named “the Oregon Trail” where your oxen would die crossing the river and you would run out of water while your child caught hay fever? Yeah, well this is nothing like that…except the part where they forded the river…
So here’s to fording rivers… safely. And to old broken down ‘Mercs’ that were probably used after the oxen died.
Seen in the photos: Mike Low and Gary Anderson
-Jeff
Colorado Springs
Climber: Jeff Dokmo. Photographer: Jamie LeTourneau. Route: Crescent Corner (5.9)
As you may or may not know, I have returned to Colorado Springs, but only tentatively…. I am back to get some training, raise some funds, and prepare to head back to Albania as soon as possible (targeting end of July for departure).
In the meanwhile, I am hanging out, slacklining, climbing, eating fatty American foods, and enjoying the company of many good friends.
I have the pleasure of residing at Glen Eyrie – headquarters of The Navigators whom is my sending organization – helping me get back to the field in Albania. It is a glorious place with a legendary castle and incredible rocks similar to the one I’m climbing in the picture to the left…praise God for his wonderful creation and how it echoes his glory! And for the blessing that we have to be able to enjoy it by climbing on it… 
If you are interested in what I’m doing, or feel inspired to support me as I head back to Albania, let me know and I’d love to share more about my situation and the needs to fill before I go!
Blessings,
Jeff
A grueling blast of a bike ride…
This picture best describes what climbing 1000m is like on a bicycle, I believe. Check out some of my other pictures of the 2 day bike ride through part of Albania and Macedonia…it was a great weekend and we saw some very scenic places.
Check out the BiA facebook page for more details and pictures from the trip: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Braking-in-Albania/67696485800
The riders: Gent Drita, Mike Low, Gary Anderson, Graham McBain, and myself, Jeff Dokmo
Distance: 210km
Top Speed (recorded by Gent): 67 km/h
Largest Climb: 1000m
We stayed at some pretty iffy hotels and ran into some funny people along the way (Anastasia helped find us a ‘hotel’ one night, he was an interesting fellow who had lived in New York and had a bad experience, yet still liked Americans), all part of the Balkan experience, I suppose.
Photo by Mike Low
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