Air 2 A Stunning and Thrilling Adventure Climbing and Traversing one of the most Beautiful Stretches of the Continental Divide Summiting Three 13'000ers

Karlewski · Jun 26, 2021

This has long been one of my favorite areas and the location of my fist rookie video ever, I only went a little way above the lakes that visit. . . first high altitude flight with a drone at that time.
Things have changed a bit. . . I used both a Mavic mini 2 for the lakes and Air 2 for the high altitude stuff. . . I had a GREAT time documenting the route with the drones. The climbing is some of my favorite but, I always say that till the next Great Adventure. . . two of those have happened since I shot this one. . . .Cheers Brothers!

Jack43 · Jun 27, 2021

Karlewski said:
his has long been one of my favorite areas and the location of my fist rookie video ever, I only went a little way above the lakes that visit. . . first high altitude flight with a drone at that time.
Things have changed a bit. . . I used both a Mavic mini 2 for the lakes and Air 2 for the high altitude stuff. . . I had a GREAT time documenting the route with the drones. The climbing is some of my favorite but, I always say that till the next Great Adventure. . . two of those have happened since I shot this one. . . .Cheers Brothers!

Hi Karl,
another adventure, wow! As you know, I am a loyal fan of you and your adventures and I look forward every time you post something new! I watched with great interest your climbing and thought to myself: You go up there like a chamois, as if there was nothing more normal! ? I also liked the marmot, the little guy was quite trusting!
Just fantastic what you do and I wondered if you are actually still working, or already retired? ?
Anyway, it's great fun to watch you climb and tell! Thanks for showing and continue good luck during your tours!
Stay healthy and cheerful and see you soon!

cheers Paul

Dale D · Jun 27, 2021

Karlewski said:
This has long been one of my favorite areas and the location of my fist rookie video ever, I only went a little way above the lakes that visit. . . first high altitude flight with a drone at that time.
Things have changed a bit. . . I used both a Mavic mini 2 for the lakes and Air 2 for the high altitude stuff. . . I had a GREAT time documenting the route with the drones. The climbing is some of my favorite but, I always say that till the next Great Adventure. . . two of those have happened since I shot this one. . . .Cheers Brothers!

Karl- another spectacular WINNER! Don't know where to start, but everything was amazing/ The climbing, the scenery, your excellent skills, the drone views, and the editing, music track, your unbelievable strength in mountain biking and climbing were all awesome. Thanks for making my Sunday morning!

Dale
Miami

monteolsen1 · Jun 27, 2021

Wow what great video! You must have the O2 intake of a whale! My hat's off to you a d your fellow climbers.

projectarjun · Jun 27, 2021

Ah, the versatility of the Air 2 and Mini 2

Dale D · Jun 28, 2021

monteolsen1 said:
Wow what great video! You must have the O2 intake of a whale! My hat's off to you a d your fellow climbers.

uh- I don't think there are fellow climbers

Karlewski · Jun 28, 2021

I love hearing from you guys! Thank you for the continued motivating support. I have completed 2 adventures since this one that I think you will really enjoy! My production style is evolving with more drone footage and it has been a major highlight for me. It's getting cooler than I imagined! "Thrilling art!"
These are all solo trips, it has proved to be about impossible to find another hardened mountain athlete that wants to stop every 10 minutes and play with camerasand solo easy class 5, scheduling is tough too since I am partially retired, selling roofing part time, and, I go when I need to go for it to be AWESOME, when the weather seems most cooperative, never a pre-set date, just a weather forecast. I do like the solitude and ability to make all my own decisions/route alterations as well.
I will be doing a bit more biking in the future; I have not really shown that aspect of my adventures much, technical descents and smooth fast ones with BIG jumps is a biking addition I am excited to make. I have the place all picked out! Before going mountaineering crazy, I was MTB crazy and still train that way weekly. . .
Most of the little furry guys at the summits are too friendly, the audio got wind blasted but I was saying, "that guy appears mature (smart) and well fed by hikers. . . too well fed." He was a great addition though, LOL!
I am in love with the mini 2, I only brought that drone on my last adventure and it did GREAT! A bit less picture quality VS air 2 but SOOO light, quick to deploy, and another real key is battery weight. I have 3 and am buying one more, a $39 slightly heavier Mavic mini battery is cheap and is fine for all lower altitude shots, so far, the mini 2 with the lighter batteries has been working well at just under 14'000 ft. . . so far.
I know this may be a bit on the vanity side but, my body is by far my greatest asset, I am terrified to let up training at age 50 since I'll never get it back but I'll post something that actually shows it off and you'll understand, 6', 162LBS and pure ripped muscle all over with non endurance, explosive climbing upper body strength paired with very flexible endurance trained legs. Flexibility combined with balance and training allows for very efficient climbing movement. I am far from the strongest climber out there but I likely am one of the most efficient. I'll talk more about that if you guys are interested. . .

Dale D · Jun 28, 2021

Karlewski said:
I love hearing from you guys! Thank you for the continued motivating support. I have completed 2 adventures since this one that I think you will really enjoy! My production style is evolving with more drone footage and it has been a major highlight for me. It's getting cooler than I imagined! "Thrilling art!"
These are all solo trips, it has proved to be about impossible to find another hardened mountain athlete that wants to stop every 10 minutes and play with camerasand solo easy class 5, scheduling is tough too since I am partially retired, selling roofing part time, and, I go when I need to go for it to be AWESOME, when the weather seems most cooperative, never a pre-set date, just a weather forecast. I do like the solitude and ability to make all my own decisions/route alterations as well.
I will be doing a bit more biking in the future; I have not really shown that aspect of my adventures much, technical descents and smooth fast ones with BIG jumps is a biking addition I am excited to make. I have the place all picked out! Before going mountaineering crazy, I was MTB crazy and still train that way weekly. . .
Most of the little furry guys at the summits are too friendly, the audio got wind blasted but I was saying, "that guy appears mature (smart) and well fed by hikers. . . too well fed." He was a great addition though, LOL!
I am in love with the mini 2, I only brought that drone on my last adventure and it did GREAT! A bit less picture quality VS air 2 but SOOO light, quick to deploy, and another real key is battery weight. I have 3 and am buying one more, a $39 slightly heavier Mavic mini battery is cheap and is fine for all lower altitude shots, so far, the mini 2 with the lighter batteries has been working well at just under 14'000 ft. . . so far.
I know this may be a bit on the vanity side but, my body is by far my greatest asset, I am terrified to let up training at age 50 since I'll never get it back but I'll post something that actually shows it off and you'll understand, 6', 162LBS and pure ripped muscle all over with non endurance, explosive climbing upper body strength paired with very flexible endurance trained legs. Flexibility combined with balance and training allows for very efficient climbing movement. I am far from the strongest climber out there but I likely am one of the most efficient. I'll talk more about that if you guys are interested. . .

Thanks for the thorough description and you deserve all of the motivational support we can give. When I discover one of your videos on the forum, I cannot wait to enjoy it, from the comfort of my nice chair and and big Apple screen. The videos are a real treat, and as I have repeatedly said, they give me a vicarious enjoyment of your climbing, your athleticism, and your passion. Some of the footage gets me on the edge of my chair. I certainly hope you are not taking higher risks because you want to get more of the "wow" factor for our benefit.

I really had to laugh when a post to this forum mentioned "your fellow climbers." It certainly appears that someone else is photographing you when, in fact, you are doing repeated interruptions of your hike with selfies that force you to go ahead and climb, then, double back for your camera. It is like doing parts of the climb over and over.

I, myself, finally succumbed to buying the Mini 2. Just received it this past week and am putting it through some trials, in preparation for my stealth sneaking into my bag for an upcoming African safari. It is so tiny compared to my Mavic 2 pro that it's like a toy and I am continuously amazed by the stuff it puts out as shown on this forum. I have totally struck out getting permits from these stupid officials despite trials since January!

There is no need to go into details regarding the physical conditioning required for those amazing hiking and climbing feats. They are quite apparent. You probably have legs of iron and a huge lung capacity.

Keep it all up, and above all, be careful.

Dale
Miami

rgb30b · Jun 28, 2021

Karlewski said:
This has long been one of my favorite areas and the location of my fist rookie video ever, I only went a little way above the lakes that visit. . . first high altitude flight with a drone at that time.
Things have changed a bit. . . I used both a Mavic mini 2 for the lakes and Air 2 for the high altitude stuff. . . I had a GREAT time documenting the route with the drones. The climbing is some of my favorite but, I always say that till the next Great Adventure. . . two of those have happened since I shot this one. . . .Cheers Brothers!

Great video. Thankx for sharing ....

Karlewski · Jun 29, 2021

Always my pleasure to show off the natural splendor of our natural world, I hope it increases fond awareness and conservation efforts, I should do more on that front.
Thanks Dale, that pic is cool!
I will not push harder to get more exciting videos, I've been at this level for a long time and I know increasing risk does not make for better shots. Being thoughtfully, in control and relaxed is the only way for me to be at my best with a camera and climbing, fear and indecision is the enemy.
You'll love your mini 2! I think the best thing about it is whipping it out of your front mounted fanny pack and easily grabbing a dronie or helix type of shot to reveal your position and scale. Then use a big gun for Big Shots with lots of detail like broad landscapes. . . . Cheers Big Daddy, LOL

B52-D · Jul 24, 2021

Karlewski said:
This has long been one of my favorite areas and the location of my fist rookie video ever, I only went a little way above the lakes that visit. . . first high altitude flight with a drone at that time.
Things have changed a bit. . . I used both a Mavic mini 2 for the lakes and Air 2 for the high altitude stuff. . . I had a GREAT time documenting the route with the drones. The climbing is some of my favorite but, I always say that till the next Great Adventure. . . two of those have happened since I shot this one. . . .Cheers Brothers!