Mountaineering comes with a lot of preconceptions: that it’s elite, that it’s solitary, that it’s a pursuit for people who’d rather be alone with a summit than with other people.<\/p>\n
Salewa would beg to differ. If you’re keen on mountainous activities, chances are you’ve come across the brand. It\u2019s been around since 1935, and is by now synonymous with alpine performance\u2014the representation of mountaineering culture in the Dolomites. But for those who lean more lifestyle and fashion in their approach to mountain gear, you might not yet be familiar. For this is no showy, gorpcore outfit. This is for real climbers, real hikers, real skiers\u2014and anyone ready to start their mountain journey.<\/p>\n
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It makes sense, then, that a recent trip organized by the brand to test out its new FW26\/27 collection, entitled \u2018Ortles\u2019, didn’t mess around. Salewa invited a select group of influencers and mountaineers to the Zillertal Alps to scale the Schwarzenstein peak\u2014both a test of personal mettle and of serious gear.<\/p>\n
Dani Monteiro, a Portuguese-born, London-based music and sports photographer (and general nature enthusiast), went along, camera in hand. What we got back was a mix of intensity and introspection: both pushing through altitude and exhaustion, as well quieter moments that stuck long with her after coming back down.<\/p>\n
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“This was a pretty difficult mountaineering route with 2000m of elevation,” Dani tells us. On top of the trail itself, photography in the mountains brings its own challenges\u2014summiting these peaks is hard enough without hauling a cart-load of equipment the entire way. But there are payoffs to that extremity: the magnificence of the landscapes, the fickleness of the weather. One of Dani’s favorite photos ever taken was shot after a storm in the mountains. <\/p>\n
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Then there\u2019s the summit. “Being so high in the Dolomites was magical,\u201d Dani says. \u201cYou feel on top of the world, you feel pride, and amazing sportsmanship with the people you achieved that with.”<\/p>\n
It’s this feeling that Salewa is trying to bottle: that climbing mountains doesn’t have to be solitary, that it can also be a space for expression, creativity, and community. And it isn’t only the summit that brings those feelings on\u2014the journey does too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One moment Dani won’t forget is the full moon. “I was struggling to fall asleep due to the high altitude. I was waking up every 30 minutes with my heart at 95bpm with shortness of breath, and I thought it was daytime and we were late\u2014the moonlight of that full moon was so intense. I hope everyone gets to witness a full moon at the Sasso Nero hut once in their lives.”<\/p>\n
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The expedition was full of such moments: not only of endurance and technical achievement, but also of aesthetic appreciation and introspection. From the hut, to the landscapes, to the design of its products, Salewa paid tribute to the beauty of the mountains\u2014and it did not go unnoticed. \u201cBoth as a team and their product surpassed my expectations,\u201d Dani tells us. \u201cAs a brand that pretty much represents the Dolomites in the mountaineering world, they\u2019re the best to ever do it.\u201d Combining technicality and aesthetics, it\u2019s the perfect brand for a new generation of mountain enthusiasts like her.<\/p>\n
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For Dani, the trip with Salewa was a reminder of why she loves the mountains so much. “This year has been particularly hard for me for many reasons,” she concludes, “so I haven’t found time to do my yearly solo trip, where I go to the Mountain West side of the US and just hike and road trip on my own to reconnect with myself and reset from the city life and friends. This was an amazing reminder of why I do it. It’s such a special, fulfilling trip, and I really treasure it.”<\/p>\n