The desert is an indescribable state of mind. Even photographs struggle to convey what this kind of vastness actually feels like. Mile after mile, you move along a narrow strip of civilization: a road barely wider than necessary, so straight that the occasional dip into a drainage channel becomes an event in itself. On either side: nothing. Just endless wilderness.

As a European, you have to travel deep into Spain or Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to get a sense of this kind of space. And even then, it is hard to prepare yourself for what awaits in the American West.

This oversized landscape burns itself into your retina. Joshua Tree, the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon — places that seem larger than anything you could have imagined a landscape to be. Words and photographs try to capture them, but inevitably fall a little short.

The daily rhythm is demanding. There are plenty of miles to cover each day, and the distances are immense. Yet at some point, even the changing colours of the rock become fascinating. And every single mile is worth it.

Fancy a trip through the national parks of the American West? Get in touch.