Most of my photos are taken in harsh light conditions, the climber is usually in shadow with a very bright background. Curse of a sunny region I guess.
as to ways to soften that flash?
Loads of ways. Get a flashgun you can vary the power on
That photo at the top would not have been saved by flash, what would have saved it is stepping left, going tighter and getting that sunlit earth out of the shot.
sometimes theres only so much you can do by recomposing, and if you've got a flash you've got the option to use it or not use it, if you havent got one you have no such option
Are first snows really forecast already? Significant amounts?