Volcán de Fuego is not a backdrop. It is an active, unpredictable system in constant motion, and working near it demands preparation, tolerance for failure and a willingness to return empty-handed. For photographer and explorer Anton Werner, that uncertainty is not a drawback. It is the reason he keeps coming back.

On a clear morning in Alberta, a small group of women gather at a trailhead. Some of them have hiked for years. Others are here for the first time, unsure of their pace, their footing or their place. What brings them together is not distance or elevation. It is the simple promise of not being alone.

Two hikers set out to walk from Mexico to Canada. What carried them wasn’t an achievement mark, but the discipline of showing up, day after day. Ali and Noah set foot on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in the spring of 2025 with a simple goal: walk to Canada. They didn't carry an elaborate vision of the finish. Instead, they focused on what it would take to keep moving. Once they told friends and family they were going, the decision hardened.