Speedland is an American running brand that obsesses over performance details in a way most brands don't bother. The RX:LDVL is their newest shoe and an interesting one. For the Chinese market launch, they needed imagery that put the shoe in the right context. So we escaped the icy grey of Shenyang and headed to Yunnan, where the mountains and forests already had perfect trail running conditions in early March.

An brief encounter in West-China and a portrait of one of Italy’s most versatile mountain athletes.

I first met William Boffelli in a park in Chengdu, three days before we headed into the higher mountains of Sichuan Province. He looked weary, weighed down by jet lag and the unfamiliar chaos of a megacity. Chengdu was not the type of place where William seemed at ease. Interested, curious, but also overwhelmed.

In April last year I had the opportunity of photographing Sunmaya Budha, the remarkable Nepali trail runner, during the Fuga Athlete Training Camp in Italy. What was meant to be a short photoshoot on a rocky trail above the Amalfi Coast turned into something unforgettable when weather decided otherwise. Heavy rain and strong gusts swept over the ridge, and yet Sunmaya never complained. Even as the rain hit her face sideways, she kept the famous smile she is known for in the international trail running community — warm and inspiring.

Three days between jobs in Italy. I could think of worse scenarios. Especially when a rocky mountain range appears on the left side of the window while driving down the freeway, looking for a pizza place near Pisa.

On quite short notice I got the go, to fly to Chengdu, to follow the international Kailas Fuga Team on their China adventures. The small group of runners from Italy and Spain came to west China to participate in the legendary Four Sisters Ultra Trail. The race is famous for its high altitude and the stunning 6,000-meter peaks that surround the valleys. The nature was just spectacular: golden trees, snow-covered peaks, trails on all sides of the mountains.

With my camera, I followed the athletes on their training runs, races and ambassador duties.

Luke’s story is wild: a lifelong athlete, stage four cancer survivor in his early 20s, cycled from Bristol to Beijing during a pandemic on a tandem (almost made it), and now a trail running pro with a UTMB index of 878. Wow.

A small group of the international Kailas Fuga Trail Running Team visited a new Kailas store in Chengdu as part of their trip to China.

Sometimes, all you need is a little time alone. No signal, no noise. Just a pair of trail shoes, a map, and the promise of three days somewhere high above everything else. That was the idea behind this trip: crossing the Pfunderer Höhenweg from St. Georgen to Sterzing in two and a half days, running against the usual direction, chasing something I couldn’t quite name.