Between Sky and Stone | Poster

Captured by Santiago Canales during a New Year expedition to Cerro El Plomo in the summer of 2018–2019, this photograph was taken from Campamento Federación, the traditional high camp where mountaineers spend the night before attempting the summit.

The image brings together several layers of the central Andes. In the foreground, silhouettes of climbers stand along the ridge, sharing the landscape with mountaineers from other expeditions. During the summer season, Federación becomes a temporary mountain community—a place of conversation, anticipation, photography, and reflection before summit day.

Beyond them unfolds one of the most iconic mountain panoramas in Chile. The skyline of the Cajón del Maipo rises across the horizon, including legendary peaks such as Marmolejo, Volcán San José, Cerro El Plomo, and El Morado. Together they form the mountain backdrop that has shaped generations of Chilean alpinists and dominates the eastern horizon of Santiago.

For centuries, El Plomo has held a unique place in the history of the valley. Its glaciers feed the waters that descend toward the city, while its summit served as a sacred high-altitude sanctuary for the pre-Columbian peoples who inhabited the region.

Presented in black and white as part of the Monochrome Collection, the photograph strips the landscape down to form, light, scale, and contrast. The result is an image that emphasizes the relationship between human presence and the overwhelming immensity of the Andes.

Ideal for:

Its restrained monochrome palette allows the image to create impact through composition and scale rather than color, making it particularly suitable for refined modern interiors.