The ALPINISTS Series

The alarm goes off at 2 am. You crawl out of your sleeping bag and get ready to head out into a dark and cold, sometimes even life-denying world.
This is usually the time when you ask yourself: Why do I climb, why do I do this to myself?
And the next time that question crosses your mind is typically when exhaustion, hunger or cold get to you but at the same time you feel that energy deep within that is pushing you forward, towards the end of a hike, the top of a route or the summit of a mountain. It is probably that very sensation that we enjoy and that we keep coming back for. It is about touching our own mental and physical limits, about experiencing a mind that is for once clear and fully focused with no room for the sorrows and the clutter of everyday life.

We need this intensity to feel alive and we need to leave our comfort zones to re-adjust our perspectives on life. The reasons to go into the mountains are as plentiful as the people we encounter up there with their very own histories and motivations. And with every story told and every experience shared we feel that mountain climbing is better described as an attitude towards life than as a sport, as a mental and physical challenge rather than a mere exercise in order to stay fit and healthy. The happiness and satisfaction we draw from it does not simply depend on the difficulty of our ventures but comes from the time spent in nature, the moments shared with friends and from our very own personal achievements. 

Trusting another person with your life, overcoming fear and witnessing the power of nature are just a few aspects of being in the mountains. They all change you as a person, shape your character and as you go you evolve. Some come to the mountains knowingly looking for this change. Some are more focused on pushing their limits and only notice it as a side effect over time. But even if you never gave any thought to any of that and only climb mountains because you somehow like it: what you will find sooner or later is your self.

The series is shot from a helicopter and elevated viewpoints on the mountains around Mt. Blanc.