There’s something in the air during these deep winter weeks. It’s a collective calling, a magnetism that shifts our gaze from the plains toward the heights, toward those jagged lines drawing the northern horizon. Everyone is talking about the mountains; everyone is watching the snow. You don’t need to cite major sporting events or international competitions to realize that high altitude, today, is no longer just a geographical location: it’s a state of mind, a desire for escape, for silence, and for that thin air that clears the thoughts.
In this context, within this zeitgeist made of ice and granite, Apple transformed its Piazza Liberty amphitheater in Milan into an ideal base camp. Last Wednesday, descending those stairs that have become part of the city’s emotional architecture, you weren’t just entering a store; you were entering a hub where technology stripped away its coldness to become a tool for connecting with nature.
Apple’s initiative is interesting for this very reason: it doesn’t celebrate the device itself, but what the device allows you to do. It demonstrates a mature integration between the brand’s spirit—always leaning toward exploration and creativity—and outdoor activity. The iPhone or Apple Watch are not intruders breaking the magic of the woods, but silent companions that make it safer, more understandable, and, if you will, more shareable.
Liquid Morphologies: Listening to the Invisible
The journey began by closing one’s eyes. Even before seeing the mountain, you must know how to listen to it. Tudor Laurini, known as Klaus, brought a sonic work to the square that is a small masterpiece of synesthesia: “Liquid Morphologies.” It is a soundscape that uses Spatial Audio to immerse the listener in a transition.
Klaus described this work as “a slow journey toward the mountain, attempting to let its sonic identity emerge without defining it.” And that is exactly what you feel: the rhythmic, metallic noises of the city unravel, lose substance, and indeed become liquid, until they transform into the rustle of wind through conifers, the crackle of snow, and a silence that is never an absence of sound, but a presence of space. Listening to “Liquid Morphologies” (available on Apple Music) is an exercise in attention: it reminds us that the mountain begins when we stop hearing the background noise of our daily lives and start tuning into more ancient frequencies.
PeakVisor: Augmented Reality as a Sixth Sense
If Klaus taught us how to listen, Yulia Sidorova and Denis Bulichenko taught us how to see. They are the souls behind PeakVisor, an app that is far more than just a “navigator.” It was born from a simple, almost romantic need on the shores of Lake Como: to put a name to the peaks standing against the sky. From that curiosity came a tool that now boasts 3 million downloads and supports hundreds of thousands of excursions.
The PeakVisor demonstration provided tangible proof of how Augmented Reality (AR) can be used intelligently. By framing the horizon with an iPhone, the screen populates with data: peak names, altitude, and trails. It isn’t technology obscuring nature; it’s a layer of knowledge resting upon it. In Italy alone, PeakVisor maps over 44,000 peaks and nearly 50,000 miles (80,000 km) of trails. What’s truly striking is the precision: the 3D maps allow you to evaluate slopes and exposures before you even lace up your boots. It’s a tool for situational awareness. Knowing where you are, what you’re looking at, and what awaits you on the path is the first step to experiencing the mountains safely. Yulia (who rightly calls herself “Chief Mountain Officer”) and Denis have transformed code into a pocket-sized alpine guide, reliable enough to be used by mountain rescue teams.
Skialper: The Aesthetics of Lightness
The heart of the event, however, beat strongest when the team from Skialper took the stage. Sincere praise is due to Davide Marta and Michele Guarneri: since 1997, Skialper hasn’t just been a magazine; it’s a cultural outpost. They have mastered mountain storytelling by moving away from “heroism at all costs” rhetoric, embracing instead a spirit of discovery, clean aesthetics, and deep respect for the environment.
They presented “gateAway,” a video project created in collaboration with Workless Collective, filmed entirely on iPhone (yes, the famous #shotoniPhone). The concept is powerful in its simplicity: escape (get-away) through a portal (gateway). They used public transportation from Milan to go ski touring, transforming the train and bus trip from “dead time” into an integral part of the experience. No traffic stress—just the landscape changing through the window.
The choice to use only the iPhone for filming wasn’t a gimmick; it was a statement of intent. “Having a tool this light, yet with such high quality, radically changed how we tell the story of the adventure,” they explained. The iPhone allowed them to be invisible, capturing the intimacy of a bivouac or the grind of a climb without the intrusion of bulky gear. The result is a visual narrative of crystalline beauty that restores the pure emotion of backcountry skiing: snowy peaks, starry skies, and that “musical silence” Klaus evoked with his sounds. It’s proof that the best technology doesn’t weigh down your pack; it lightens your storytelling.
The Digital Sherpa: Tips & Tricks for Adventure
Leaving the event, the lasting impression was that the Apple ecosystem has become a sort of “Digital Sherpa.” It doesn’t carry the physical weight for us, but it lightens the cognitive and organizational load. Here is a curated selection of how these tools can concretely improve your high-altitude experience, broken down by phase.
The Dream Phase (Planning)
Even before you leave, AI becomes a travel assistant. Integrating Apple Intelligence with ChatGPT allows you to ask for advice on itineraries or ski resorts. But the real pro tip is using Guides in Maps: downloading offline areas is essential. The mountains are unpredictable and cell coverage isn’t guaranteed, but the iPhone’s (and Apple Watch’s) GPS always works. Having an offline map means always knowing where you are. Furthermore, sharing calendars and notes with travel companions via iCloud eliminates those endless group chats for logistics.
In Motion (Safety and Health)
This is where the Apple Watch comes in, specifically the Ultra model. In addition to tracking activity—whether it’s skiing, snowboarding, or hiking—the Backtrack function on the compass is a lifesaver in case of sudden fog or disorientation. But the true silent revolution is safety: the Emergency SOS via satellite function (on iPhone 14 and later) is the technology you hope you never have to use, but it changes how you experience isolation. Knowing you can call for help even without a cell signal provides priceless peace of mind. And for your health? Keeping an eye on vital signs and sleep quality after a day of exertion helps you decide if the next day is for pushing hard or active recovery.
The Narrative (Memory)
As Skialper showed us, the iPhone is a pocket-sized cinematic camera. But the practical advice here involves managing memories. Use the Journal app to log not just photos, but feelings, weather, and thoughts at the end of a day in the snow, creating a priceless emotional archive. And for group travel: the iCloud Shared Photo Library gives everyone access to the best shots without losing quality over messaging apps.
Ultimately, the mountain teaches us the essentials. It teaches us that every ounce in the pack must have a purpose, and every step must be measured. Apple’s technology, viewed through the lens of this Milanese event, seems to have learned that same lesson. It doesn’t add noise to the silence of the peaks; it provides discrete, powerful tools to explore them. Whether it’s identifying a summit with PeakVisor, capturing unrepeatable light with the Skialper crew, or simply getting lost in a liquid soundscape by Klaus, the message is clear: technology is the means, wonder is the end.