Marmot Photography Awards 2021 - Category Finalists

© Hamish Frost

UKClimbing and UKHillwalking are proud to announce the category finalists for the 2021 Marmot Photography Awards.

Each of the photographs on the shortlist have been selected based on user voting throughout 2021. However, now that they are through to the finals the original votes have been wiped clean and it is up to you - and your votes - which goes on to win its respective category. Voting for Category Winners is open until 18th February.

Overall Winners - 1st, 2nd and 3rd place - will be selected by our independent judge, professional photographer Lena Drapella.

The results will be presented in our high-resolution In Focus format, which will showcase each image in all its glory.

About Lena:

Lena Drapella is a UK based climber and a photographer, specialising in outdoor adventure photography and climbing events.

Lena Drapella  © Lena Drapella/Adri Martinez
She graduated from an Academy of Fine arts, which gave her photography a distinctive feel. In her work she often focuses the attention on the subject's emotions, showcasing not only the success but also the struggle, fear, determination and joy. Lena has worked with many British and international athletes and her photos have been published worldwide.

Her passion for climbing and photography has taken her to some of the most spectacular places over the world, though it wasn't until recently that she rediscovered just how much potential there is in everyone's backyard.

Facebook: @lenadrapellaphotography
Instagram: @lenadrapella
Twitter: @LenaDrapella

How to Vote

Click on the five stars underneath each photography to vote.

You can vote for as many photos as you like, but there is a limit of one vote per person, per photograph.

Click on the photo to expand it and get a better view.

The Prizes

Our thanks go to Marmot for another year of fantastic prizes for the winner of each category and the overall winners:

1st Place

Sawtooth Sleeping Bag  © Marmot
Sawtooth Sleeping Bag
© Marmot

2nd Place

Ultra Elite 30  © Marmot
Ultra Elite 30
© Marmot

3rd Place

Trestles Elite Eco 15  © Marmot
Trestles Elite Eco 15
© Marmot

Category Winners

Small Duffel Bag  © Marmot
Small Duffel Bag
© Marmot

Please note: The order of the photographs below is randomised.

Trad Climbing

Mike on Inaccessible, Ina's Rock, on his 30th birthday.  © Chriswallis2
Mike on Inaccessible, Ina's Rock, on his 30th birthday.
© Chriswallis2, Jun 2018
Inching to the sanctuary of the crack on Smear Test, The Roaches.   © davidj
Inching to the sanctuary of the crack on Smear Test, The Roaches.
© davidj
Chasing the onsight mountain trad experience.  © Callum_Johnson
Chasing the onsight mountain trad experience.
© Callum_Johnson, Jul 2021
The classic view of the rainbow with a bit of autumnal light  © jethro kiernan
The classic view of the rainbow with a bit of autumnal light
© jethro kiernan, Oct 2021
Same route, different season. Bede giving it some on his quest to tick the Last Temptation.  © JohnHartley
Same route, different season. Bede giving it some on his quest to tick the Last Temptation.
© JohnHartley, Nov 2021

Winter Climbing

Descending number four gully  © LucaC
Descending number four gully
© LucaC, Mar 2021
Elliots Downfall 2021   © Aidanrobinson1995
Elliots Downfall 2021
© Aidanrobinson1995, Feb 2021
On the Eastern Ramparts of Beinn Eighe  © Hamish Frost
On the Eastern Ramparts of Beinn Eighe
© Hamish Frost, Mar 2020
Greg Boswell leading through steep ground during the first ascent of 'Take Me Back To The Desert'  © Hamish Frost
Greg Boswell leading through steep ground during the first ascent of 'Take Me Back To The Desert'
© Hamish Frost, Dec 2021
Mike abbing into the TD Gap  © kwoods
Mike abbing into the TD Gap
© kwoods, Feb 2020

Landscape

Sunset from Ben Macdui  © Jamie Hageman
Sunset from Ben Macdui
© Jamie Hageman, Sep 2021
Suilven, Canisp & Quinag (from Cul Mor)  © Brian Pollock
Suilven, Canisp & Quinag (from Cul Mor)
© Brian Pollock
Coigach & Assynt (from Sgùrr an Fhìdhleir)  © Brian Pollock
Coigach & Assynt (from Sgùrr an Fhìdhleir)
© Brian Pollock
Sunset on the Devil's Ridge, Mamores  © Jamie Hageman
Sunset on the Devil's Ridge, Mamores
© Jamie Hageman, Jan 2021
An Teallach on the rising tide  © Robert Durran
An Teallach on the rising tide
© Robert Durran, Aug 2021

Expedition and Alpine

Vallee Blanche  © Martyn Maltby
Vallee Blanche
© Martyn Maltby, Sep 2021
Innominata Ridge  © steve_gibbs
Innominata Ridge
© steve_gibbs, Aug 2021
Ama Dablam from Kunde  © Rick Asher
Ama Dablam from Kunde
© Rick Asher, Nov 2021
The last few moves up to the summit as the sun crests the Dom  © Charley Radcliffe
The last few moves up to the summit as the sun crests the Dom
© Charley Radcliffe, Jul 2021
The fluted snow spines of Malaphulan (6573m) in the moments after sunset  © Hamish Frost
The fluted snow spines of Malaphulan (6573m) in the moments after sunset
© Hamish Frost

Bouldering

Josie rocks over her high heel for the start of Abdolobotomy at Franchard Isatis, Fontainebleau  © veronicamelkonian
Josie rocks over her high heel for the start of Abdolobotomy at Franchard Isatis, Fontainebleau
© veronicamelkonian, Sep 2021
It's a Rough life  © Tom Last
It's a Rough life
© Tom Last
Beautiful evening light on 'The Cairn'  © Jordan Buys
Beautiful evening light on 'The Cairn'
© Jordan Buys, Nov 2021
A change of perspective on the Pokey  © Harry William Brook
A change of perspective on the Pokey
© Harry William Brook, Sep 2020
Coastal crimping on Path of Daggers  © brbushell
Coastal crimping on Path of Daggers
© brbushell, Sep 2021

Sport Climbing

Catching the light  © jethro kiernan
Catching the light
© jethro kiernan, Sep 2021
Johnny playing on Heading the shot, taking footwork and balance to the next level.  © jethro kiernan
Johnny playing on Heading the shot, taking footwork and balance to the next level.
© jethro kiernan, Jun 2021
Grotta Diving. Descending from the classic DNA (7a) route in the Grande Grotta in Kalymnos.  © Polina Brodowski
Grotta Diving. Descending from the classic DNA (7a) route in the Grande Grotta in Kalymnos.
© Polina Brodowski, Oct 2021
Adam trying a bit on 'I got horribly sober'.  © Tom McNally
Adam trying a bit on 'I got horribly sober'.
© Tom McNally, Mar 2021
This Photo was taken when Dennis kwok climbing on " Poison Ivy" 8b+ at Central Crag, Hong Kong  © Tony Cheung
This Photo was taken when Dennis kwok climbing on " Poison Ivy" 8b+ at Central Crag, Hong Kong
© Tony Cheung, Sep 2021

Hillwalking

The Cuillin at sunrise from Garbh Bheinn.  © Robert Durran
The Cuillin at sunrise from Garbh Bheinn.
© Robert Durran, Dec 2021
Looking out over the Llyn Peninsula as the sun sets on Yr Wyddfa  © jethro kiernan
Looking out over the Llyn Peninsula as the sun sets on Yr Wyddfa
© jethro kiernan, Jan 2021
Sunrise on Sgùrr Alasdair  © Hamish Frost
Sunrise on Sgùrr Alasdair
© Hamish Frost
Walking in to Black Hill   © Mark Bullock
Walking in to Black Hill
© Mark Bullock, Dec 2021
Daughter heading into the spindrift and sunset  © jethro kiernan
Daughter heading into the spindrift and sunset
© jethro kiernan, Jan 2021

Scrambling

Sunrise on Bristly Ridge  © jethro kiernan
Sunrise on Bristly Ridge
© jethro kiernan, Apr 2021
First rays of sunshine on Yr Wyddfa and Crib Goch  © jethro kiernan
First rays of sunshine on Yr Wyddfa and Crib Goch
© jethro kiernan, Jan 2021
Sunset views over Assynt from Pinnacle Ridge  © Hamish Frost
Sunset views over Assynt from Pinnacle Ridge
© Hamish Frost, Sep 2020
Too busy looking where to put your feet to admire the amazing view behind.  © Jake Webb
Too busy looking where to put your feet to admire the amazing view behind.
© Jake Webb
Clach Glas Traverse  © atrendall
Clach Glas Traverse
© atrendall, Aug 2020





18 Jan, 2022

Any chance the images can all be the same size? Having just skimmed through the article I reached the end and realised that my favourite in pretty much every category was the last photo, which also happens to be about twice the size of the others. It seems a bit too much of a coincidence, so I suspect it's that most images work better when they are bigger! It may just be me, but if not, then it's a bit unfair!

18 Jan, 2022

Hi Tom, there's a little message at the start of photos noting that the order is randomised - I'll make that more obvious. Unfortunately, due to the different sizes of the photos and the layout, there's no way of making all the images the same size without cropping them.

I'd suggest clicking on them and making them all fullscreen.

Thanks,

Nick

18 Jan, 2022

Fair enough -I did notice the randomiser thing when I went back through the article.

And once I'd realised that I was being biased by the image size I did go through them all enlarged. But if I had been voting as I went through the article first time round it would have been too late to change my votes by the time I'd realised that I was being biased by the size (and I did totally change my favourites in all but one class when all of the pictures were a similar size!)

I know you can't make the images exactly the same size, but stopping the fifth image of each class being approximately twice the size of the previous four should be possible?

It might just be me though, so feel free to ignore!

18 Jan, 2022

Also, thanks for the quick response.

18 Jan, 2022

Our techies have had a little look and the fifth photo should be a similar size now.

Cheers!

Nick

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