TRACES OF ICE, TRACES OF YOU
Assan Sowe
Words by Chanel Liang. Mountain Rookie Club brings people together in the Swiss Alps — to move through landscape, to find connection in nature, and to rediscover what it means to belong outdoors. Each edition follows a different path, a different theme. This time, in the International Year of Glaciers, we walked to listen — to the mountains, to one another, and to the quiet language of change carried in the alpine air.
Our route led us from the Sidelenhütte toward the Albert-Heim-Hütte, through ridges shaped by ice and time. Along the way, Simon Jung, a doctoral researcher in the Glaciology Group at the Laboratory of Hydraulics, Hydrology and Glaciology (VAW) at ETH Zurich, shared voice messages about the glaciers surrounding us. His words guided our steps — reminders that glaciers are more than ice: they are memory made visible, slow-moving witnesses to transformation. Standing before the Rhone Glacier, we felt that truth most clearly — a vast, breathing archive holding centuries of snow, silence, and story.
With Haus Gawaling, representing the Tibetan community, the journey deepened into reflection. Walking a section known as the Nepal Highway, we spoke about friendship, belonging, and what it means to build and maintain paths — not only across mountains, but between people and cultures. The trail itself became a metaphor for connection: fragile, necessary, continually renewed through movement and care.
At the Albert-Heim-Hütte, the day closed in warmth and light. Inside, hikers and mountaineers gathered over shared meals, laughter, and quiet thought — strangers no longer, but a community formed through altitude and openness.
For many, it was a first time in such high terrain — a reminder that everyone deserves a place in the mountains, regardless of background or means. This is what the Mountain Rookie Club stands for: accessibility, curiosity, and the courage to meet the world with awareness.
Because awareness begins in motion — one step, one conversation, one shared horizon at a time.
Assan Sowe
Assan Sowe is a photographer and art director based in Switzerland. He began his creative career in 2021 as a model, which provided him with early exposure to the industry and a unique perspective on visual storytelling. Although Assan’s practice is primarily rooted in fashion and editorial photography, his work also incorporates elements of storytelling, documentary, and lifestyle. He strives to create meaningful art that resonates not with the masses, but with individuals who truly appreciate the act of looking at images. His journey is one of continual exploration, seeking to connect personal vision with authentic visual narratives.
