In September 2018, I spent two days following a valley trail through a section of the Dolomite Alps, each time beginning from San Vito di Cadore. The 11 kilometre walk northwest towards Cortina d’Ampezzo was a relaxed introduction to the landscape whilst the following day’s venture towards Domegge di Cadore was more challenging, being almost three times as far. Whereas expeditions in the south of Chile have involved sustained ascents with views looking down, these walks in the Dolomites presented 360-degree surroundings of mountains and hills from near the valley floor.

Both routes offered rapidly evolving landscapes through every path bend. This made for a highly photogenic and rewarding escapade, especially when in close proximity to the overwhelming gravitas of the sheer mountain faces. The quietness of the paths made contemplation of the vicinity especially coaxing. Again, I found myself comparing the landscapes to Chile’s: I was until this trip under the impression you had to travel 15 hours in an aeroplane to find this kind of beauty. That’s without mentioning the prosecco!

Finally, I’m often keen to use colour when depicting mountainous landscapes, but have decided for this set of images to use black and white digital processing to accentuate the command of the mountains and the aura of the human-made scenery.