A Visual Tour of Climbing Around the World in 12 Photos
“Planet Earth, you are a crew,” astronaut (and climber) Christina Koch remarked on Saturday, April 11 after returning from the historic Artemis II moon mission. Even in times of seemingly insurmountable division, we humans are all still just passengers on the same “spaceship earth,” who must work together to care for this precious planet floating in the void.
The same can be said of climbers. A trad climber in Kazakhstan, a boulderer in Jordan, and a sport climber in Georgia might seem a world apart. But our planet’s rock unites us, no matter how we prefer to climb it, or which language we speak. And we all share the same responsibility to protect the places we climb.
So, climbers of Planet Earth, you are a crew. An “inescapably, beautifully, dutifully linked” crew, as Koch would put it. To manifest that idea in visual form, we turned to Italian photographer (and climber) Massimo Cappuccio. He has been capturing climbers through his lens for over 30 years and across 80 countries. “I have a thousand faces and a thousand different landscapes in my eyes,” he says of his work over the decades.
In honor of Earth Month, take a tour of climbing around the world through 12 of Cappuccio’s photographs. For each image, he shares a short reflection on the route and climbing area.
12 awe-inspiring photos of climbing around earth
Lofoten, Norway
Route: Skiløperen n6 (5.10a/5c) at Festvåg
Climber: Stian Bruvoll
On the granite walls of Norway’s Lofoten Islands, rising straight above the sea, climbing follows a deeply rooted ethical style. Norwegian Stian Bruvoll ascends the long crack of Skiløperen using only trad protection, leaving no trace behind. Norwegians take great pride in clean climbing, one of the purest expressions of the sport.
In places like this, how you climb becomes part of the landscape itself. The granite, shaped by wind and ocean, remains preserved thanks to ethical choices. Accustomed to living in harsh environments, Norwegians have developed a deep relationship with nature, grounded in respect and restraint.
Wadi Rum, Jordan
Route: Sharara (V5/6c+), Settore Sharara in Wadi Rum
Climber: Faisal Al Rifai
In Jordan’s Wadi Rum desert, among wind-shaped sandstone mountains, the landscape opens wide and silent. An essential, almost monochrome environment, where the light is sharp and every form seems suspended in time.
Local climber and guide Faisal Al Rifai, among the first to develop bouldering in his country, climbs the perfect line of Sharara on an isolated boulder. In this space, so closely tied to isolation and a nearly spiritual dimension, every movement becomes essential.
Yet the desert is a fragile environment. Seemingly unchanged, it requires care and respect. More than anywhere, every passage through the desert calls for a more conscious relationship with the landscape.
Sicily, Italy
Route: Baldassarre (5.11a/6b+) at Grotta del Cavallo (“Cave of the Horses”) in San Vito Lo Capo
Climber: Alessandro De Zolt
In the limestone caves of Sicily, where the sea enters the rock and light shapes natural arches, climbing brings to mind ancient architecture. Italian climber Alessandro De Zolt ascends Baldassarre, following forms carved by time, along walls resembling vaults and domes.
A land shaped by centuries of different civilizations, Sicily has built its identity through layers of cultural influence, often inspired by the landscape itself. The geometry of Baroque and Arab architecture seems to echo the geology. Nature surpasses our imagination, creating forms no human design could invent.
Southern Malta
Route: Tufa Tirtoghod (5.12c/7b+) at Garden of Eden
Climber: Sean Cassar
On the limestone cliffs of Malta, rock and sea merge seamlessly. Local gym CEO Sean Cassar climbs the roof of Tufa Tirtoghod, with the calm waters of the Mediterranean stretching below—an integral part of the experience, just as much as the rock itself.
Across this island south of Sicily, climbing unfolds in a bright, open landscape where the elements blend together. As the sun sets, it ignites the rock in warm tones, enhancing the orange hues of the limestone against the deep blue of the sea.
Lang Son Province, Vietnam
Route: Dragon Slayer (5.11b/6c) at Passe-Muraille, Hữu Lũng
Climber: Jean Verly
In northern Vietnam, among rice fields and rural villages, the landscape unfolds in soft shades of green. Herds of water buffalo move slowly through the paddies, while farmers bent over their work complete the scene of an idyllic environment, where life still follows an ancient rhythm.
In this setting, deeply rooted in Vietnamese tradition, a climbing area has developed: Hữu Lũng. Limestone towers rise abruptly like vertical islands, emerging sharply from the plains. On one of these walls, in the Passe-Muraille sector, French climber Jean Verly, founder of VietClimb gym, sends Dragon Slayer. The route follows a tufa-rich line, offering a physical and engaging style of climbing.
Brar, Albania
Route: Baccini (5.11b/6c) in Brar
Climber: Elion Cikopano
Not far from Tirana, the Brar climbing area unfolds along tall yet compact walls, marked by lines and textures that reflect the patient work of nature. Local route developer Elion Cikopano climbs Baccini, a classic 6c route on solid, high-quality rock.
In this part of the Balkans—one of Europe’s most undeveloped, pristine regions—nature still expresses itself with great strength. The landscape retains a wild character, reminiscent of what the Alps and many other mountain ranges may have looked like not so long ago. It is a balance still largely intact, inviting reflection on the importance of preserving these environments and maintaining their authenticity as much as possible.
Sintra, Portugal
Route: Jumping Jack Flash (V5/6C) in Sintra
Climber: Diogo Digas Oliveira
Not far from the ocean, among dense forests and filtered light, climbing quietly reveals itself in Sintra. Granite boulders emerge among the trees without warning, like forgotten objects hidden in the woods.
Diogo Digas Oliveira, the owner of a bouldering shop here, climbs Jumping Jack Flash on a large, smooth, and compact block, where every movement demands balance and precision. But here, it’s not just about the line—it’s about the search. You walk, observe, lose yourself along the trails, then suddenly, a perfect boulder appears.
Sintra is like this. A place where climbing doesn’t present itself openly, but is discovered little by little.
Zaghouan, Tunisia
Route: La Mouïette (5.11+/7a) at Marseille in Zaghouan
Climber: Selina Adler
Not far from Tunisia’s capital, the Zaghouan massif rises as an unexpected presence. Far from the usual imagery of dunes and desert, this isolated mountain stands with steep walls. Selina Adler climbs La Mouette on compact, richly textured limestone, where the rock—rough and sculpted—offers precise and technical climbing.
Zaghouan is the country’s main climbing area, still infrequently visited. The few local climbers are proud of it and warmly welcome those who come from abroad, sharing a place that still holds the spirit of early exploration.
Denali, Alaska
Route: West Buttress, Mt. Denali (Alaska Grade II)
Climber: Massimo Cappuccio
On the West Buttress ridge of Denali, at around 5,000 meters, each step becomes slow and heavy, marked by breath and the sharp crunch of crampons on hard snow. The irresistible appeal of Denali, the highest peak in North America, draws climbers from all over the planet.
It was here that I began to develop a deeper awareness of extreme environments. During briefings with park rangers, attention to human impact was concrete and rigorous. You must carry every piece of waste down, and a sense of responsibility guides every action. In that context, I truly understood how fragile these places are—and how they can be preserved through simple, shared actions.
Katshki, Georgia
Route: Tsunami (5.11c/6c+) in Katskhi
Climber: Guga Dabrunda
In the heart of Georgia, not far from the Caucasus range, the Katskhi area stands as one of the most active centers of sport climbing in the country. Perched monasteries, small villages, and dark abandoned mines dot the limestone landscape. On this wall resembling a frozen wave, local pioneer and guide Guga Dabrunda climbs Tsunami, a steep and athletic line on good holds.
In a country where rural areas are rapidly depopulating, the small community of local climbers represents a countercurrent presence, bringing life, social connection, and attention back to these inland regions.
Kotor Bay, Montenegro
Route: Bat Shit Crazy (5.13a/7c+) at Labud’s Cave in Skaljari
Climber: Ilija Gračanin
Above the Bay of Kotor, the Skaljari wall rises steeply over one of the most striking coastal landscapes of the Adriatic. Local Ilija Gračanin climbs Bat Shit Crazy, a short but demanding, nearly horizontal roof with powerful moves, set in an environment where sea and mountains meet in a dramatic way.
Montenegro, a small country still largely unexplored from a climbing perspective, retains an authentic and partly pioneering atmosphere. The walls are rarely visited, so the experience holds onto a sense of discovery that is becoming increasingly rare.
It is precisely this dimension that reflects a deeper idea of sustainability: leaving space for the unknown, preserving places that remain untouched, and allowing future generations to experience the same sense of wonder.
Bektau, Kazakhstan
Route: Windy Corner (5.11c/6c+) in Bektau-Ata
Climber: Aleksey Golovchenko
In the heart of the Kazakh steppe, the Bektau massif rises in isolation from a vast, uniform landscape, like an unexpected apparition. From a distance, the entire massif resembles something otherworldly, like a spacecraft set down in the steppe. In this space, suspended between reality and imagination, the climber moves through the rock feeling, for a moment, part of another planet.
Windy Corner is a beautiful crack protected exclusively with removable gear. A clean climbing ethic exists across the entire area to protect an environment as unique as it is fragile.
About the photographer
Massimo Cappuccio is an Italian photographer and writer specializing in climbing, trekking, and remote travel. A climber for over 30 years, his work comes from direct experience on rock and in the mountains, where movement, landscape, and people naturally come together.
Cappuccio is the author of the Sicily climbing guidebook Di roccia di Sole, now in its fifth edition, a long-term project documenting the evolution of climbing across the island.
Throughout his travels to more than 80 countries, Cappuccio has documented climbing cultures and wild environments from the Mediterranean and Central Asia, to the deserts of Africa. His work has been published internationally in over 80 articles across 16 countries, with a strong focus on narrative-driven storytelling.
For him, every place visited is another knot in the network of the global climbing community—an ever-growing web of connections, stories, and shared lines. His photography explores the relationship between people and the environments they move through—often fragile, always powerful—seeking a balance between action, place, and atmosphere. You can learn more about Cappuccio’s work here.
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