Timo Balk, Serra Range Sunrise (PLACES WILDERNESS)

This morning I started my solo hike at 4:45 am. The forest is pitch black, without any moonlight and there are a million stars above. Armed with a bright torch I set off on the trail. My intention is to reach the summit of Mount Abrupt, located on the southern end of the Grampians National Park in Victoria. For an unknown reason, I took a wrong turn and ended up on Signal Peak, a mountain next door! I was in absolute disbelief. Upon arrival, I sit down for a rest and wait for the sky to get a bit brighter. My mood is slowly improving when spectacular vistas to the north unfold in front of me. All of this awe-inspiring scenery must be captured in one photograph! The composition is better than I could’ve wished for. The rugged mountains of the Serra Range curve like a spine towards Mount William in the distance. Beyond that, the remote Victoria Range and Mount Difficult Range create a nice layer in the background of this landscape. As the sun comes up, the light creates stunning light beams, streaking over the hills onto the eastern slopes of the Serra Range. Using my telephoto lens, I shoot nine frames which I stitched together in Photoshop. Hiking up to the wrong mountain turned out the best thing that I could’ve done after all!

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.