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Alpinist shows true metal

skier climbing a ladder on a snowy rock face
PatitucciPhoto

When must a skier throw all his gear on his back and climb a rock face? If his bed for the night is at the top of the ladder, explains Swiss photographer, Dan Patitucci.

It was day six on the Berner Ski Tour and we had yet to see the sun, or anything much beyond the tips of our skis. 

Our last night was at the Oberaarjoch Hut where we were met by gale force winds that actually blew us all to the ground, scattering us like dominoes. 

With each lull in the wind, one of us would charge up the ladder to the hut door. 

The stories that come from ski touring in the Alps can be about so much more than skiing.

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At work and play

We are fortunate to call the mountains our workplace and still marvel at what we get to do on any given work day, be it in the Alps or Himalaya. 

After all these years, the passion we have for life as mountain sport athletes and photographers hasn’t faded. Experiencing the Alps on so many levels keeps us motivated for what comes next.

Grandiose landscapes

Since December, swissinfo.ch has been publishing a series of Dan and Janine Patitucci’s pictures: images of unexpected encounters and grandiose landscapes that put us humans in our very small place.

Portrait of Dan and Janine Patitucci
Dan and Janine Patitucci are professional photographers and mountain sport athletes who work in the global outdoor industry. Based in Interlaken, they’re more likely to be found at high altitude – running, skiing or climbing, and always with camera at hand. PatitucciPhoto

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SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR