Curves magazine's Stefan Bogner pairs images of mountain passes with a road-movie story

The 46-year-old designer launched the magazine in 2009, as he believed there was a gap in the travel market for those who drive or cycle and long for the adventure of the open road

Bogner shot this image in October 2010 at the Stelvio Pass in northern Italy near the Swiss border, the highest paved pass in the eastern Alps - picked by the Top Gear team in 2007 as one of the nicest roads to drive on in the world (Stefan Bogner)

A skier from the age of three, Stefan Bogner grew up and lives only an hour's drive from the Alps in Munich, and describes the mountains as his second home.

The 46-year-old designer launched the magazine Curves – Soulful Driving in 2009, as he believed there was a gap in the travel market for those who drive or cycle and long for the adventure of the open road. Each issue focuses on a single country or area, and pairs images of mountain passes and bends with a five-day road-movie story.

When asked what keeps him peak-chasing, Bogner points to a quote attributed to Albert Camus: "The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

Bogner shot the image above in October 2010 at the Stelvio Pass in northern Italy near the Swiss border, the highest paved pass in the eastern Alps – picked by the Top Gear team in 2007 as one of the nicest roads to drive on in the world.

Although Bogner sometimes uses a helicopter to capture the images, he took this particular shot from the side of the road. He has so far put out magazine issues that focus on Switzerland, France, northern Italy, Austria and the Pyrenees. Next up is a trip to Scotland in the New Year.

So what is it that makes the mountains so special?

"They change every day," he says. "The roughness, the landscape, the weather – I like the bad weather, actually, not the good weather. The freshness of the air. And just that feeling of being alone that you get when you're up high."

To see more of Stefan Bogner's work: curves-magazin.com