The mountain.. an endless source of energy, transformed into a lifestyle for those who have come to know its secrets; on the other hand a substantial source of risks that many are not willing to assume and for good reasons; dangers lurk at every corner and feed with our lack of attention, just waiting for us to make a small mistake, in order to show us that the mountain is not just a goal to be ticked in a notebook; the mountain and the nature in general, is not a place where you come to get away from everyday worries, but to realize how small and insignificant you are.. just another animal on this planet, as vulnerable and exposed as every other creature around you. The photo below is hiding a huge emotional charge for me.. It is a living proof that the human is no different and no more special than other creatures, and subjects itself to the same "game" rules. The image was captured in one of my hikes in Bucegi massif, where despite my burning desire to reach and set camp on Omu peak (2505m), it seems that the beautiful blanket of snow that was covering the mountain did not share my enthusiasm; half way to Bucsoiu peak (waypoint to Omu peak), a slab of snow had dislodged and carried me about 30 meters down the abrupt valley; with a backpack of almost 18kg, and with a stretch of ligaments on my right foot as a result of the fall, I eventually managed (with great difficulty) to get out of this mess and resume my route. Unfortunately I only managed to reach Bucsoiu peak (2492m), from where there was less than an hour to my final destination, Omu peak, who was standing so close to me that almost seemed to defy me; tired and injured, but at the same time glad that I got away without any serious injuries, I emptied all the emotions that followed me throughout the hike, into this seemingly plain photo, which for me is full of meaning. Sometimes images hide more than they show at the surface; criticisms that comes so easily, often ignores important aspects such as the conditions in which it was captured, the environmental elements that had to be faced in order to make it happen, and the general effort spent to get a frame that apparently is so simple to the point that many people would classify it as a "snapshot".
