Ever since I was a small boy, I was captured by the m
ight of the mountains of Austria, the sheer majestic power of the peaks, the steep rock faces, the valleys and the waterfalls, and, both in summer and winter, I longed to climb and explore. Before ever reaching the highest peaks, I’d imagine feeling like being on top of the world, looking at the trees and villages below, and when I finally reached one of the highest summits, it was infinitely more breath-taking than I could ever have envisaged.
It can be a daunting prospect, taking on one of these enormously high peaks, but if you gather up all your courage and strength and that determination becomes the fuel that brings you to the top, you feel like you have not only won a million minor battles but the entire war, all by yourself, you, the mountain, one-on-one – and you literally came out on top.
And it was not just the mountains themselves that infinitely fascinated me, I was just as much taken with the immense abundance of flowers, plants and animals, free to roam where few humans dared to tread.
There is a freedom, a clarity and a might only mountains provide, it is magnetic and irresistible to all those of us who dare to explore. The passion for the mountains, instilled in me by my family throughout my childhood, took root, and when I was a student, I was privileged enough to share it with friends and discover the sense of camaraderie one experiences when hiking or climbing in groups. One has to rely on one another, help, adjust one’s pace to each other’s and take on the majestic might of the mountains together. Friendships were formed and deepened, lifelong friendships, born out of joint mountain experiences.
My Work
The spell cast by the mountains never waned and ultimately, I had to give in and follow my call and I am now lucky enough to be working at the Zillertal High Mountain Park. I love everything about my job and I want everyone to know about the breathtaking mountainscape, the biodiversity, the deep gorges and high peaks, the side valleys with the grazing areas and the rugged high mountains, glaciers and summits. More often than not, I take pictures, just to show as many people as possible, just why visiting Zillertal High Mountain Park must be on their bucket list, just why it is one of the must-see places before you die.
I learn something new every day, from the mountains, the flowers and fauna, the capricorns and waterfalls, and whatever I discover I long to share, just for the sheer beauty of it. Moreover, I have experienced so many things while in the mountains, I have learned how to master the toughest hikes and most dangerous climbs, I learned to be patient in bad weather, dare to soldier on when hikes get tough and support and be supported by others on my way.
If you love the mountains at home, you will soon want to explore elsewhere and again, I have been privileged enough to be in a position to explore other mountain ranges through my work and learn even more along the way.
My Mission
It’s long been my goal, ambition, dream and wish to preserve and publicize all at once, to tell the world about the majestic mountains while gently treading and preserving their biodiversity and ensure its survival for generations to come. My photography is meant to give you a glimpse of the depth of beauty, the abundance of species and share my passion for both, to educate, inform and enthrall. My dream is to find others who share my passion and collaborate in the joint endeavor of serving the mountain and the people and bring them together.