As defined by Wikipedia:

Rock climbing is an activity in which participants climb up, down, or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling.

Here is an example of a rock climber. This is Alex Honnold, and he is climbing a 2,000 foot rock face in Yosemite … without a rope. Although this is the most extreme kind of climbing, you can get a sense of what sort of determination, agility, and connection to nature somebody who climbs must have.

Most people who rock climb do not consider themselves creating art, and they’re not. However, when they do climb, they are engaged, dynamic, and bold. Dean Fidelman, a rock climber and photographer decided to make rock climbing an art by expressing the qualities he found in this sport in an interesting way: nude pictures. He called this project: Stone Nudes.

Stone Nudes: an extract of the art of climbing. Intended to inspire and celebrate the human form. Stone Nudes draws from the community it represents. Over the last ten years, a body of over one hundred photographs drawing from three generations of climbers has evolved. (Taken from the project’s website)

Dean tries to explore the themes of nature-unrefined, pure, and organic-and the way this theme and the human spirit unite. The rock climbers are photographed climbing nude, because this coincides with the unrefined and natural essence of the landscape. These photographs give a sense of harmony between humans and our natural environment; the person in the picture isn’t separated from the rock, dirt, grass, or trees, but rather a part of it.

The website and gallery of this project is linked here. Some discretion is advised, as the pictures are of people climbing without any clothes. I hope you can see the true beauty in these pictures and this project, enjoy!