One of the most profound facets of the human condition involves the act of pushing oneself beyond the boundaries of comfort. Delving into the outermost limits of what an individual may consider possible offers opportunities for gaining insights, enhancing mental and physical strength, and even experiencing spiritual epiphanies.

Feeling called to examine this transformative process, Spanish photographer Carlos Blanchard employed the traditional medium of film to document friends Verena Hennes, Mary Irrasch, Eva Danner, and Maria Frykman-Grant on a trip in the Ötztal Alps near the border of Austria and Italy. The resulting images—some of which were shot as multiple exposures—immortalize the journey of four individuals as they challenged their thresholds for discomfort amidst rugged terrain. Blanchard’s gallery, accompanied by diary-like entries from each of the women, mixes moments of reflection with the hardship of ascending mountain passes and taking on treacherous descents. At the end of the trip, the photographer found himself moved.

“As a group, and each of them as individuals, had the courage to not only offer help to others when they needed it, but to open up with their thoughts and fears throughout the route,” Blanchard said. “It’s an interesting exercise that could teach us something about how to lose the fear of accepting our weaknesses and vulnerabilities to others.”