About Occasional Climber
Welcome!
Kiaora … Namaste … Tashi deley … Salam
A mountain resource for outdoors people, publishers, inspiration seekers
At this site you can view and buy mountain images; read about mountain places and experiences; and perhaps even gain some inspiration from my occasional climber‘s perspective.
Who is the Occasional Climber?
I’m Peter Laurenson. Born and raised in New Plymouth in New Zealand, the eldest of three boys. I live in Richmond with my partner, with a view directly west to the Arthur Range.
Since leaving New Zealand for my OE in 1988, my cameras and I have been drawn to many mountain places, in particular in Nepal, India, Pakistan and Tibet; and back home in New Zealand’s beautiful North and South Islands; and to a few other interesting high places. My approaches to the mountains also take me though some fascinating lowland places too.
From hiking and trekking beginnings I joined the New Zealand Alpine Club (NZAC) in 2002 and have since become an occasional climber, balancing time in the mountains with work and family commitments. Since 2004 I’ve won occasional photo competition awards, and the odd contest at ViewBug. Since 2014 I’ve also had short articles featured frequently in Wilderness Magazine, NZAC publications and since 2019, articles in NZ Photographer – the magazine of the photo community Excio. I’ve had two books published – KHUMBU Pathways to kinship in 2021, and OCCASIONAL CLIMBER A journey to Mount Clarity in 2013.
Read my NZ Photographer profile, Excio Photographer profile, about my Confessions of a not so professional photographer, my views on outdoor photography, and Mirrorless magic in the mountains.