Eiger Mittellegi – Steph Davis & Caro North – 2017
The Eiger – a mountain legend, a myth, a place of longing. Its north face: one of the most famous rock faces in the world, certainly the most notorious in the Alps. Its eastern ridge „Mittellegi“ is an icon in itself and probably one of the most beautiful mountain tours in the world.
The photos were taken during a shoot with the two athletes Caro North and Steph Davis. An unusual rope team: Caro, a young German alpinist and prospective mountain guide; cheeky, unconventional, full of ambition. Steph Davis, the American Free Solo and Basejump icon; really fascinating, experienced and far beyond all norms.
They were accompanied by cameraman Thomas Senf and mountain guide Jürg Ruf. I had the privilege to document the group from the air. Thanks to the different weather and light situations, as well as the varied terrain, very different picture worlds developed in the course of the ascent. While in the lower part rocky cliffs contrast with the green landscape in the valley, in the upper part the already razor-sharp ridge gains even more drama through the clouds in the south wall.
The image top left is finalist at the Red Bull Illume Image Quest 2019, the world’s greatest adventure and action sports imagery contest.
