Gravity games

Photographer KEITH LADZINSKI accompanies the world’s top climbers as they attempt their daring feats. Here, he tells us the stories behind his shots, from a remote iceberg in Greenland to a surreal lunar landscape in China

As told to DAVID MAYER

Greek odyssey

Alex Honnold, USA. One of the world’s most audacious and accomplished free soloists. Kalymnos, Greece

“Unique limestone formations, stunning views and all the sunshine you could ask for... The island of Kalymnos, off the southwest coast of Turkey, is a total paradise for rock climbers. Alex and I discovered this spot while exploring the area on scooters.”

Keith Ladzinski

Aiming High

“For a great photo, you need to capture two things at the same time: the right moment and the right light,” says US photographer Keith Ladzinski, 47, of his craft. And over the years he’s spent following the climbing elite to the world’s most inaccessible spots – Ladzinski estimates he spends about 60 hours a year in trees, waiting for that right moment – it’s fair to say he’s mastered both. The lifelong skater and climber lives in New York, but grew up in the climbing mecca of Colorado. He now travels the globe for renowned clients including Apple, National Geographic and The New York Times, capturing incredible moments from the natural world, on subjects ranging from climate change to action sports. “Around 85 per cent of our efforts go on location scouting,” Ladzinski says. “We’ve often been on the road for more than 30 days before someone gets to climb. It’s crazy!”

Travel with the photographer at ladzinski.com

Rock hard

Arjan de Kock, South Africa. Sport climber, boulderer and action-sports junkie. Waterval Boven, South Africa

“It doesn’t get much harder for climbers than here in the northeast of South Africa. That applies both to the routes, which are often overhanging, and to the rock itself. It’s made of extremely hard quartzite, and it takes Arjan – and his shoulders especially – to the limit.”

Getting a grip

Dave Graham, USA. Elite sport climber known for his nextlevel bouldering skills. Grampians National Park, Australia

“The Wheel of Life, one of the world’s toughest boulder passages, lies in Australia’s largest mountain range, the Great Dividing Range, in the southeast of the country. Climbers need more than 60 moves to conquer it. I was fascinated by how easy Dave made it look.”

Lunar landscape

Emily Harrington, USA. Champion climber with a love of big mountains. Yangshuo, China

“These almost unreal limestone karst landscapes in southern China formed about 500 million years ago. They remind me of the Asian-inspired natural worlds in the Super Mario games. Here, we see Emily taking a short break on Moon Hill before continuing on her intrepid way.”

Dry run

Mike Brumbaugh, USA. Trad climber and adventure entrepreneur.

Great Basin, Nevada, USA

“The Nevada desert is a treasure trove of sandstone climbing routes that no one has ever mastered. Here, Mike tries his hand at a first ascent of a rock face that’s as steep as it is immaculate.”

Walking on clouds

Caio Afeto, Brazil. Climber, extreme highliner, skydiver and wingsuit flyer.

Keith Ladzinski

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

For our cover shot, Ladzinski captures the extreme highliner as he passes between two cliffs off the coast of Brazil, minutes before a storm engulfs the summit of the nearby Pedra da Gávea mountain. Afeto described this shot as “the best gift of my life”.

Hanging out

Joe Kinder, USA.

Professional climber. Mojave Desert, Utah, USA

“Climbing photography is about capturing key moments. This is Joe tackling a particularly finicky and therefore decisive point of the steep Visitor Q route high above the Mojave Desert in southwestern Utah. He’s climbing here for the very first time and seems literally stuck to the rock.”

Keith Ladzinski

Into the blue

Erik Leidecker, USA. Adventure climber and mountain guide. Southern Iceland

“Iceland is a living, somewhat enchanted island. Professional climbers looking for a real thrill make their way down into the ice caves. Here, we see Erik setting off on a day trip into the deep blue underworld.”

Let there be light

Jonathan Siegrist, USA.

One of the world’s most prolific and technical climbers.

Estes Park, Colorado, USA

“Sometimes a beam of light is enough to give a climbing route a completely new gloss. That day, the sun happened to hit the Grand Ol’ Opry in Estes Park exactly as Jonathan climbed the rock. The route takes him over uneven, slightly overhanging granite. A really major effort.”

Moving mountains

Mike Libecki and Ethan Pringle, USA. Adventure climber; champion climber known for his diversity. Greenland

“Mike and Ethan didn’t get seasick on our 11-day boat trip through the pristine expanses of Greenland. But when our search for icebergs they could scale came to nothing, they were overcome by a rabid climbing fever. We provided them some relief by stopping off at this iceberg.”