The Andes

A lavish tour of the Andes traces the photographer's quest for identity in the wake of geographic extremes and diverse cultures, in a volume complemented by a lyrical tribute to the mountains as seen by someone who grew up near them.

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Andes is introduced with a personal essay by renowned Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa. Vargas Llosa grew up in these mountains and knows them intimately. His reminiscences and insights for Andes are inspired by the powerful photography of the gifted Pablo Corral Vega. Corral Vega began his mountain journey on January 1, 1995 planning to travel the cordillera from south to north in order to experience in all its dimensions the childhood companion that had kindled his imagination. More than a journey undertaken for adventure, his was a quest for identity. Through his photography Corral Vega presents the Andes and South America as a continent of geographic extremes and he introduces the reader to the diverse peoples who live by the grace of, or despite, the mountain ranges that make up the Andes chain. Throughout the book personal journal entries by Corral Vega enlarge the meaning of his photographs.