Kylie Fly was born and raised in wild Idaho, scaling mountains and navigating rivers, so when she eventually picked up a camera, it made total sense that she would use it to document her adventures. Since becoming an adventure-travel photographer, she’s done everything from creep deep into the bayou to plummet out of the sky. She has had a lot of thrills over the course of her career, but here are her nine most epic moments to date — in her own words — and the images she made from them.
A via-ferrata, which is Italian for “iron path,” is a protected route for mountain climbing. The climber attaches to a steel cable which is also anchored into the rock at intervals, preventing any big falls. The climber also (usually) gets iron rungs, making the ascent more approachable. This is a rad introduction to mountaineering, though even with the safety measures in place it’s not for the faint of heart. The routes can still get quite steep, and if you’re not used to heights and feeling unattached (even though you are), it can be quite the adrenaline rush.