Mountain air. “I can still hardly believe it! An old friend of mine called me three weeks ago. He is the warden of an alpine hut and asked whether I could help him out during the next season. That means cooking, clearing up, getting food down in the valley and so on. I love being in the mountains and immediately agreed. Over the last 30 years, I have spent every spare moment in the mountains–I simply can’t live without them. Every year, I do a three or four thousand meter ascent. After a strenuous climb, it is an incredible feeling to stand on the summit and gaze out over the mountain peaks. You are suddenly transformed into someone completely new.”

Heating engineer, Pierre H. (58), scales new heights.