Revelling in nature with Europe’s naked hikers

Nacktwanderers — In his new book, photographer Roshan Adhihetty travels across Germany, Switzerland and Austria with a group of naturists, in an effort to capture the ‘beauty in the unadorned.’

For the last few years, Roshan Adhihetty has been travelling across Europe with a group of naked men and women. Hoping to capture a little-seen side of a little-known world, the Swiss photographer joined the hikers’ journey as an observer, following them through the verdant pastures of Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

The project eventually turned into a book called Nacktwander (or ‘nude hiker’ in German). Published by Sturm and Drang, it contains a series of tastefully taken shots from Adhihetty’s travels. The naturists – balls out and boots on – are seen casually surveying some of continent’s most breathtaking landscapes, wandering undisturbed across forests, mountains and rolling hills.

Nacktwander is accompanied by a statement from filmmaker Ulrich Seidl, who praises the photos for their “genuinely impressive” composition and storytelling. “(These are) images that speak of humankind, of our great yearning to be at one with nature; but at the same time of our vulnerability when faced with the might and majesty of that nature,” he enthuses.

“Despite his many years involved with the subject, and despite his many years spent accompanying the naked hikers, Roshan Adhihetty didn’t become one. What he has succeeded in doing with these photographs, however, is as exceptional as it is evident: he has managed to find beauty in the unadorned.”