For someone who has lived solely on the relatively flat land that is southern Ontario, mountains have always had a magical appeal.

Wagrain is an alpine town situated in the Austrian Alps. As one would expect, mountains surround the town, reaching up to the sky. The town itself has all the history and charm expected of an Austrian mountain village and a more than ample supply of the amenities required of a year round outdoor recreation centre. The skiing in the winter and the alpine hiking in the summer are both spectacular.

While I could and did spend a good deal of time exploring the town of Wagrain and the floor of the valley that it sits in, it is what is above the town that called to me. Over and over, day after day, I would take a cable car, either the Grafenberg Express or the Flying Mozart from Wagrain up through the clouds to the summertime mountain pastures and the tops of the ski runs and spend time there. I could not get enough of that experience.

The views, everywhere I looked, amazing; the mountains, the valleys, the clouds below. It was almost overwhelming. I could not decide where to look next. There was the smell and taste of the crisp mountain air and its touch on my skin. And the absolute silence, broken occasionally by the sound of distant cow bells. It was like being in a trance. For me, “Above” was the place to be.

This series of photographs was taken in 2011.
Images from the series (click to view): Above #2, Above #3, Above #6.
There are other images in this series that are not on this website. If you are interested in more information about them, please leave a message below or email me.