C Freeride above Klostertal, Arlberg (c) Sepp Mallaun / Vorarlberg Tourismus
My favorite place
Sepp Mallaun about the best spots in winter
Natural beauty spots on the Arlberg
Sepp Mallaun is a ski instructor, a ski guide – and one of the best sports photographers in the Alps. His homeland, on the Vorarlberg side of the Arlberg, is also home to many unique natural beauty spots which he loves to photograph, especially in the winter. He presents one such spot here.
TEXT: STEFAN HERBKE
You can sit up here for an hour and just watch the light changing, watch one ridge of snow disappear in the shade and watch another one appear. You forget all about the cold and marvel at the miracle of Mother Nature. My favourite place is above the Flexenpassstraße, between Himmelegg and Ochsenboden, and it combines all the assets of the perfect photo spot. The hollow, approximately a hectare in size, is beautiful, if offers a great deal of different scenes, special atmospheres and, in the form of the Rätikon, a bizarre background. In the evening, once the skiers have left and the mist starts to settle in the Klostertal, I frequently await the evening light here.
A favourite place may be changeable, may at times lie in the mist.
Sometimes the mist rises too high and things get uncomfortable. To me, this is the proof that a good photo spot can also be changeable. On the other hand, I am rarely disappointed. I actually always go home with a good haul of photos. A great many fantastic photos, lovely experiences with friends and good memories – that is what I associate with this place I love returning to over and again.”
