20 October 2022

Lake Alta

Reunited in the mountains. On peaks, in valleys, across frozen lakes. At dawn, dusk, in the dead of night. We made every moment count. Here’s to the memories made this winter.

Produced by Roland Morley-Brown
Directed by Heath Patterson

Words by Roland Morley-Brown
Photos by Vaughan Brookfield

After spending time hiking around the Lake Alta chutes at The Remarkables ski area in 2021, I was keen to step things up for the 2022 season. The idea of riding that area under moonlight was at the top of my list. I have been captivated by the idea of filming skiing and snowboarding at night for some time now, and when I heard The North Face campout on Lake Alta was going ahead, I figured it was the perfect occasion to gather the crew and get up there.

I enlisted my long-time friend (and cinematographer extraordinaire) Heath Patterson. The two of us put our heads together and developed a rough plan for the shoot. Once we’d locked in a crew of athletes and creatives, the project was on.

The conditions leading up to the campout were poor, so I was sceptical about what might be achievable, but there was an incredibly well-timed snowfall just before nightfall, which was exactly what we needed. It also happened to be a full moon. The combination of this freak snowfall, the skies clearing, and the full moon rising for us, was so much more than we could have ever planned.

The crew was frothing. Immersed by the spectacular surroundings of Lake Alta, with far better conditions than we had expected — it was time to hit it.

On paper, the execution of this project seemed like a walk in the park, but in reality, shooting on the mountain at night comes with some logistical hurdles. Heath and Vaughan have plenty of experience shooting at night with previous projects — their knowledge and guidance was invaluable. Their expertise took the pressure off us as athletes to perform in this semi-foreign environment.

Lugging and hiking lights, generators, and camera equipment, in snow, at night, is no easy feat. Having the squad there and having everyone on the same vibe made for a fun and enjoyable evening out. It was a team effort. I have to give a huge shout-out to all the key players that made this evening an unforgettable experience; Alex, Gus, Lindsay, Patto, and Jacob. The amazingly talented TNF team athletes; Hamish, Jessie, Hank, and Ben. Our production crew; Heath, Nick, Jeremy, Morgan, and Vaughan. And of course, an extra huge thank you to the team at The Remarkables marketing and management; Michel, Rosie, Sophie, and Alex. Without your support and belief in the project this would never have happened. Thank you so much!

I can't wait to do it even bigger next year!

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