The race is defined by three massive climbs. I cleared Sunnegga feeling surprisingly fresh. But it was the second climb to Gornergrat, the highest point at 3,150m, that changed me.

Climbing as a party of three, we roped up and started chipping away at the ridge. The altitude began to show. My fingers and toes were freezing. It was colder than expected for mid-July. Gusts reached up to 60 km/h, and with windchill, it felt like -20°C.

And just like that, I was leading my first alpine pitch in the high Alps. That moment—being completely absorbed in the movement, the exposure, the focus of setting gear and pulling over rock—is something I’ll carry with me for a long time. You don’t think about anything else. Just the next hold, the next breath, the next step.

Shaken but unharmed, I got up and continued. A mellow section of the slope allowed me to link turns and enjoy the ride, but the steep sections ahead and worsening snow conditions—what skiers call “rotten snow”—proved challenging for a beginner like me.

The final climb to the col was as rewarding as it was challenging. At 3,250 meters, the air was thin, with only 14% oxygen compared to sea level. Like many others coming from lower altitudes, I struggled to maintain a steady pace. A group of cheerful Spanish runners helped lift everyone’s spirits, cheering loudly as we all trudged upward.

Being hours away from any modern civilization, kilometres deep into the jungle and hundreds of meters down in an unknown valley away from cell towers and worries of modern life. It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life.

I came across Rysy on my first visit to High Tatras back in 2017. Back then, I was just getting exposed to the outdoor world and was not capable enough to climb it 6 years later I found myself in the foothills of the highest peak of Poland once again in the town of Zakopane.

As I ventured along the trail, I came across everything from crowded beaches and sea-side resorts to sea caves and secluded coves that were only accessible on foot, adding to the allure of the coastal walk.

Standing on the summit of Naafkopf, with panoramic views of the surrounding peaks and valleys, was a feeling like no other. As I gazed out at the majestic beauty of the Bernina Range on one side and the dramatic rock formations of Saxer Lucke on the other, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder.

Three countries, 165 km, 10,000 M of elevation, wrapped up seven days. We were exhausted and depleted but could not have been happier or more proud of ourselves.

It was 8 in the morning, and to reach the starting point of the hike, we took the first train from Brienz to Rothorn, where the hike began. It was a cute red train powered by steam that offered majestic scenery as it went through the green pastures of the Bernese Alps, we had a view of the beautiful Brienzersee, and as the train gained altitude, the mighty Jungfrau range presented itself to us.

Eventually, we reached the end of the trail, which was supposed to be next to a pristine blue lake, but the lake was frozen. Nevertheless, the view of the mountain range from there was phenomenal.

While I was trying to get on top of my board, I spotted myself in the impact zone of another wave that was coming hard at me. I braced for impact, took one last breath and let myself be thrown around by the wave. “It’s washing machine time”, I said to myself. I was so sure that I was going to hit my head on the reef.

Abseiling down the crevasse was quite scary at first. I was dangling by a rope, repelling down this crack in the ice. Below me lay darkness, and I could hear water rushing under the glacier. It was not very comforting, to say the least. After reaching almost the bottom of the crevasse, I started using the front points of the crampons and the ice axe to climb to the top gradually.

It was so cold throughout the night that even my -2C-rated sleeping bag gave up. My watch tells me I barely got an hour of sleep, but I came all the way here not to sleep but to explore the outdoors, so I better get out of the tent and snap some good photos. The whole ground around us is wet and soggy, I chose to do this trek in my trail runners, but so far, I regret it because all the water from the soggy ground is seeping in, and my toes are freezing right now.

As the sun comes up slowly, I get to see more closely what’s around us and how high up I am. The clouds are below us, and there is this mysterious shadow of the whole mountain being cast across the landscape. This kind of shadow can only be seen from the top of the mountain. I see the whole of Bali from here, the Indian Ocean, and some neighbouring islands with peaks of their volcanoes visible as well.