Michaël Bortoluzzi is our Featured Photographer for the August/September 2021 edition of Common Climber. Thank you Michael for sharing your photos and story with us!
-- Stef
Editor-in-Chief
-- Stef
Editor-in-Chief
Your Instagram says you are British and French currently exploring Western Australia. Tell us more about where you are from (your background), where you are currently traveling, and how long you've been in Australia.
I was born in France to an English mother and a French father. Though I spent a lot of time in the UK as a kid, I lived in France until I finished studying at the age of 24. I’m a dual citizen and speak both languages as a result. After graduating I moved to the UK for an engineering job. This is also when I started climbing (ironically I studied in Grenoble in the french Alps yet never climbed there). After a few years I quit my job and started working in the climbing industry full time. Two years ago my partner got a position in Western Australia (WA) and we moved here at the end of 2019. My plan is currently to stay here until early 2023, when my VISA runs out. Then I’ll have to figure out what the next step is!
I was born in France to an English mother and a French father. Though I spent a lot of time in the UK as a kid, I lived in France until I finished studying at the age of 24. I’m a dual citizen and speak both languages as a result. After graduating I moved to the UK for an engineering job. This is also when I started climbing (ironically I studied in Grenoble in the french Alps yet never climbed there). After a few years I quit my job and started working in the climbing industry full time. Two years ago my partner got a position in Western Australia (WA) and we moved here at the end of 2019. My plan is currently to stay here until early 2023, when my VISA runs out. Then I’ll have to figure out what the next step is!
Climber Mike Oldroyd (IG: @mikejjo) is on "Traverse on Huecos" at
Contos Beach, Margaret River, Western Australia. Michaël shares that one thing you can rely on in Margaret River is some quality beach bouldering and amazing sunsets. (Photo Credit: Michaël Bortoluzzi)
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What do you think of Australia?
I love it. I feel like there is more opportunity and freedom to do things here. Climbing-wise people often expect me to be disappointed with what is available, particularly in WA, but what I’ve lost in well-established climbing areas I’ve made up with unexplored climbing. Almost every crag has unrepeated lines or blank sections, guidebooks are outdated and to learn about the history of a crag or climb you usually have to do a lot of digging (I love documenting climbing, taking photos and video, adding or updating topos, writing destination articles, etc.). Have you been on the road long (beyond Australia)?
Throughout my adult life I’ve moved around every few years, often to different countries. I’ve lived in Brittany (France), the Alps for 2-3 years, Brasil for 8 months, the United Kingdom for 3 years, Australia for 2 years. On top of that I’ve travelled extensively for climbing, whether for 1-2 week trips (Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Morocco, Taiwan, Switzerland, Sweden, etc.) or for longer trips in my van through Europe. |
Michelle Lim (IG: @ellemishlim) is on "Sweet Pea" at Mountain Quarry, Perth, Western Australia. "This is one of the first photos I took after I got to Perth. I remember thinking that there were a lot more women in the climbing scene than there were back home, a lot of which were super strong." (Photo Credit: Michaël Bortoluzzi)
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Evan Gaudet (IG: @evangaudet)
is on "Sports Climbing Ethics" (a trad climb) in Z Bend, Kalbarri, Western Australia. "Kalbarri gets a lot of attention in WA due mainly to its softly graded sport climbs, but for me it’s the adventure trad climbing to be had there that really makes it!" (Photo Credit: Michaël Bortoluzzi)
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Where have you gone climbing and are there any standouts? (In Australia and/or elsewhere)
A two-week trip to the Moroccan Anti-Atlas still stands out as one of my favourite climbing trips ever, probably because it combined great climbing with a great cultural experience. The North coast of Morocco is pretty touristy, but further south where we were most of the locals were oblivious to our presence, which probably provided us with a more authentic experience. Climbing wise another stand out was a big walling trip to Val di Mello in Italy. This was my first time big wall climbing, and doing it in such a splendid setting was very special. My recent trip to Tasmania was no doubt the highlight of my Australian climbing so far and also one of my fondest climbing memories all round. The Totem Pole, though we got rained off, lived up to expectations and Cape Raoul has got to be one of the best day-long adventures I’ve ever had! Give us a run down on your climbing history. When did you begin and do you have a favorite style of climbing?
I started climbing 8 years ago. For the first few years I spent my time between very easy trad and bouldering. After about 3 years, around the time I started working in the industry, I started taking sport climbing seriously, which then lead me to start pushing my trad climbing and in turn exploring other climbing disciplines. In the last 3-4 years I’ve delved into mixed and ice climbing, aid climbing, big walling, dry-tooling, basically any form of climbing - the more adventurous the better. Although bouldering is my favourite form of indoor climbing and training, I consider myself more of a rope climber and particularly a trad climber. Given the choice I’m most likely to choose trad climbing and I definitely remember trad climbs over any sport climb or boulder! |
Gabe Pare (IG: @onetwoboi) is on "Body Battle" at the Winjan Boulders in Perth, Western Australia. "One of the best boulders in Perth, we spent a few sessions out there. I’d take photos, go home and sort through them and decide on ways I could have made the shots better. Next sessions I’d take the lessons on board, take more shots, and start again. It felt like I was projecting the boulder and the photos of the boulder. I learnt a lot as a photographer." (Photo Credit: Michaël Bortoluzzi)
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Logan Barber (IG: @Loganclimbsrocks) on "Expendable Youth" at Paradiso, Mt. Brown, Tasmania (Photo Credit: Michaël Bortoluzzi)
Tell us about your photography background - how long you've been taking photos and how you approach climbing photography.
Photography came pretty naturally as an extension to my climbing, a way to spend rest days and a great way to try and capture some of the memorable aspects of climbing experiences.
I have to admit I love documenting and organising things, so having a camera around always made sense. I wouldn’t consider myself an especially creative person so photography is also a way for me to step outside of my comfort zone.
Back home the amount of photos, films, books, articles, etc. around the climbing and its history is immense and I used to draw a lot of my climbing psyche from this. In Western Australia there’s obviously a lot less to go from and I really felt it when I first got here. Trying to capture the Western Australian outdoor climbing scene, the classic climbs, the stories and the community has added a new dimension to my climbing photography.
Photography came pretty naturally as an extension to my climbing, a way to spend rest days and a great way to try and capture some of the memorable aspects of climbing experiences.
I have to admit I love documenting and organising things, so having a camera around always made sense. I wouldn’t consider myself an especially creative person so photography is also a way for me to step outside of my comfort zone.
Back home the amount of photos, films, books, articles, etc. around the climbing and its history is immense and I used to draw a lot of my climbing psyche from this. In Western Australia there’s obviously a lot less to go from and I really felt it when I first got here. Trying to capture the Western Australian outdoor climbing scene, the classic climbs, the stories and the community has added a new dimension to my climbing photography.
Ben Camer-Pesci (IG: @bencamerpesci) slotting his piece on "Slot Machine" at Darlington, Perth, Western Australia. "A local trad test-piece, 'Slot Machine' isn’t particularly hard, but requires some good skills to protect it as cams tend not to agree with this climb too much." (Photo Credit: Michaël Bortoluzzi)
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Ben Camer-Pesci (IG: @bencamerpesci) on "Moan" at Toodyay, Perth, Western Australia. "Most crack climbs in Perth don’t require actual jamming, so it’s nice to have some easy climbs that do!"
(Photo Credit: Michaël Bortoluzzi)
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How do you pay the bills?
Mostly by working as a coach and facility manager in a climbing gym, though I’ve supplemented with all sorts of climbing related jobs over the last few years, writing articles, selling climbing equipment, route-setting, etc.
Mostly by working as a coach and facility manager in a climbing gym, though I’ve supplemented with all sorts of climbing related jobs over the last few years, writing articles, selling climbing equipment, route-setting, etc.
Izzy Burgogne (IG: @izzyjean_) on "Running With The Bulls" at Mountain Quarry, Perth, Western Australia. "The classic of the grade in Perth and in Mountain Quarry (24/5.11c), the crag that every climber in Perth hates to love or loves to hate, I’m not sure. (Photo Credit: Michaël Bortoluzzi)
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What is driving you right now? What are your hopes, dreams, and visions?
Exploring Western Australia and the rest of Australia. There’s a good chance I’ll be moving away in a couple of years so I’m just trying to get around the place as much as possible, climbing established climbs as well as new crags and areas. Finish this sentence, "I wish..."
… borders could open. One of the things that excited me when I moved to Australia was the idea I’d be just a few hours flight away from southeast Asia, as well as New Zealand. These are regions and countries I’d normally only have a chance to visit every few years. Obviously that’s a bit more complicated right now with COVID, and although I’ve been lucky to be able to keep climbing through most of the last 18 months, unlike my friends in Europe, there’s still a part of me that longs to go to Asia for some sport climbing and deep water soling! What music is playing in your ear at the moment?
I’m not huge on music to be honest. I bounce between many genres and styles but have never had much of a musical identity. I did go through a bit of a Pogues phase recently though, not sure what that was about... |
Evan Gaudet (IG: @evangaudet) on "Body Jammer" at Avon Valley National Park, Perth, Western Australia. (Photo Credit: Michaël Bortoluzzi)
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Evan Gaudet (IG: @evangaudet) on "Fist in the Face" at Kalamunda, Perth, Western Australia.
(Photo Credit: Michaël Bortoluzzi)
Any last words for our readers?
Step off the hamster wheel. Wherever I go climbers always seem to gravitate towards the same climbs, the same crags and the same areas, including myself. Esoteric routes, less repeated lines and random crags can often deliver the best climbing experiences.
Step off the hamster wheel. Wherever I go climbers always seem to gravitate towards the same climbs, the same crags and the same areas, including myself. Esoteric routes, less repeated lines and random crags can often deliver the best climbing experiences.
Seb Fuller (IG: @sebastian.fuller.10) on "The Free Route" on the Totem Pole in Tasmania. "Seb set off on this first as I was planning to have a good crack at flashing this iconic route. It turns out the rain and this being our 6th day climbing meant I wouldn’t even come close. It’s always useful to have your ego crushed every now and then." (Photo Credit: Michaël Bortoluzzi)
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Logan Barber (IG: @Loganclimbsrocks) on "Juno" at Sand River, Tasmania. (Photo Credit: Michaël Bortoluzzi)
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Follow Michaël Bortoluzzi at:
Instagram: @michaelbortoluzzi
Facebook: Michael Bortoluzzi
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyOgVHQzjXdMxIhs-jDyH3w
Instagram: @michaelbortoluzzi
Facebook: Michael Bortoluzzi
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyOgVHQzjXdMxIhs-jDyH3w