The fabled Sa Calobra climb

January 6, 2022

Sa Calobra The cycling community is ripe with discussions about famous mountain passes and climbs. Pretty much every athlete either dreams of conquering specific climbs or has stories of mountain passes to tell. Some climbs are (in)famous for their difficulty. Others are beloved because of their beauty. The Col dels Reis on the Spanish island of Mallorca belongs to the latter category. Better known as Sa Calobra, the road twists and turns through a rugged mountain landscape like a snake. The top features a crazy loop at the top called ‘the tie’. Riding the pass with the GoPro Hero 10 …

A postcard from a bike ride

July 8, 2017

GoPro Summer time is biking time. Just this morning, I had the opportunity to go on a relaxing ride towards the Alps. Shortly before the mid-point, I decided to stop at a path that had caught my attention on other rides. The dark colors of the tarmac provide a nice contrast to the green meadows. The lighting conditions were ok and I developed an idea for a photo. Quick stop, GoPro Hero 5 out of the jersey pocket, three different angles and that was it.

Runography Edition – Q1 2017

April 2, 2017

Runography What happens when you are a passionate photographer along with being a dedicated runner/ cyclist? Something special: an excellent opportunity to see and capture the world in a very unique way. Up until a few years ago, it was extremely cumbersome to take photos while being out and about running and biking. Cameras were just too big and heavy. The advent of action cameras such as the GoPro changed all that. It’s no longer a hassle to combine these awesome hobbies: runography. Today, you hardly ever find me on the road without my beloved GoPro Hero 5 or the …

Night running with the GoPro Hero 5

October 20, 2016

The GoPro Hero 5 As an avid runner and biker, I really love the GoPro range of products. Earlier this year, I actually wrote that the GoPro might be one of my favorite cameras. No wonder – it’s small, almost indestructible and it delivers pretty awesome image quality. I carry the GoPro on most of my runs and rides to capture beautiful scenes. If you follow me on Instagram you will see an almost daily supply of photos taken with the GoPro. Not a big surprise that I was really happy to learn about the latest release – the GoPro …

The Red Bull 400 Race

August 28, 2016

Red Bull 400 Everybody who has seen a ski jumping facility in real life would agree that it’s an intimidating sight. Standing on top of the jump is even scarier. And let’s not even talk about actually jumping down. And then there is Red Bull who had a totally crazy idea about this: why not turn the ski jump upside down? Well, not literally. Sort of. They decided to initiate a race called Red Bull 400 during which you have to run up the entire slope of the ski jump. Sounds like fun? It’s only 400 meters (one lap on the …

Scandinavian Summer Days

May 26, 2016

There is something magical about summers up North. Sunrise is bright and early (no pun intended) and the evenings never seem to end. Earlier this week, I had to head up to Copenhagen and Oslo for business meetings. It was a pretty intense and rushed affair. But summers being summers in Scandinavia, days are longer than anywhere else and you get to enjoy life in the sunshine after you are done with your chores. Likewise, days start early: the sun rises shortly after 4am in Oslo right now. Endless days The first evening, my team and I went on a …

Cycling on Mallorca

May 22, 2016

The Spanish island of Mallorca is well known not just for its famous beaches and holiday resorts but also for its exceptional cycling terrain. There is an endless network of smooth & well maintained roads that spans almost the entire island. Combine that infrastructure with beautiful views and respectful drivers and you have something that could be considered a cyclist’s paradise. It’s actually almost crazy to see just how professional the island is about its cycling community: Bike shops and rental places are abound. Most cafes & restaurants have bike stands for road bikes, routes are well marked, etc.. Well, just …

Running in San Francisco

April 10, 2016

A business trip brought me back to San Francisco last week. This is always an opportunity to experience some wonderful runs. The city itself is an ideal stomping ground for runners. Stunning scenery, challenging terrain and decent temperatures all year round make the city so unique. The Presidio especially offers a number of amazing trails with sweeping views over the Pacific Ocean and Golden Gate Bridge. Together with some of my good colleagues and customers, we logged almost 50 miles during that week. The Fuji X70 on the run Running in San Francisco calls for a camera. Instead of my GoPro, …

Tiger & Turtle – A morning run with the Fuji X70

March 18, 2016

The beauty of traveling for business is that you get to see a lot. At least I do as I am a passionate runner. I always get up really early and go running in the different places I have to travel to. Some runs are better than others. Earlier this week, I had a fantastic experience. There is a famous landmark in Germany close to Duesseldorf called “Tiger & Turtle”. Tiger & Turtle Strange name, huh? What is it then? Well, Tiger & Turtle is a rollercoaster that is situated on the top of a hill. It’s not your ordinary …

Run around Frogner Park in Oslo

October 4, 2015

Oslo is amongst the nicest cities in Europe. I am lucky that I get to go there for work frequently. One thing I particularly love about Oslo is the multitude of really awesome and beautiful runs. I usually get up very early for work and check out new parts of the city. Two weeks ago, I realized that I had missed one particularly interesting part of Oslo: Frogner Park. It’s around 1.5 miles from the city center and it contains the famous Vigeland installation. It’s basically a collection of amazingly detailed and really interesting sculptures. Rain, rain, rain When I …

Christoph Papenfuss Photography