Unpacked, Five Questions: A Ski Photographer's Love Letter to the Balkans

Welcome to Unpacked: Five Questions. In honor of our latest issue of ⁠Afar magazine⁠, which focuses on epic trips—the kind of adventures that change your world—we're hearing from the writers and photographers who chronicled and captured those trips.

In the first episode of the series, host and Afar executive editor Katherine La Grave speaks with photographer Kari Medig. Kari has spent 15 years traveling the world documenting ski culture—from Austria's iconic Hahnenkamm downhill to landlocked Lesotho. But one region has captivated him above all others: the Balkans.

Kari shares his journey through Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo, revealing why these mountains—many higher than the Swiss Alps—offer something beyond world-class skiing. He discusses the unbelievable hospitality that keeps bringing him back, his unique analog photography approach using a Hasselblad film camera, and why he seeks out parking lot encounters as much as pristine powder.

From a chance morning photo of a ski rental owner in her bathrobe to reconnecting with a Bulgarian café owner a decade later, Kari's stories illuminate how skiing becomes a lens for experiencing culture in its most authentic form.

On this episode you'll learn:

Why the Balkans' mountains are higher than many expect—and vastly underdeveloped for skiing

How "Midwest Kind" isn't the only form of extraordinary hospitality—the Balkans surprised Kari with their warmth

Why Kari shot his Balkan trips on film with a single Hasselblad camera instead of modern digital equipment

How parking lots and ski rental shops become unexpected locations for the most meaningful photographs

What makes skiing a unique way to participate in—not just observe—a culture

Don't miss these moments:

[02:00] Kari's first trip to Bulgaria in 2004 and his amazement at the scope of the mountains

[03:00] The café owner who Kari reconnected with a decade later

[05:00] Why Kari uses a Hasselblad film camera for his nostalgic, muted aesthetic

[08:00] The ski hill in Bulgaria and why parking lots are Kari's favorite shooting locations

[10:00] The last-morning photo of a ski rental owner in her bathrobe that captured the entire trip

[12:00] Why people always ask Kari—who grew up skiing in Canada—"Why are you here? You have the best skiing in the world"

Resources

Explore Kari's complete Afar photo essay about skiing in the Balkans

Follow Kari Medig for more ski culture photography

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Explore our other podcasts, View From Afar, about the people and companies shaping the future of travel, and ⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠⁠, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.

Unpacked by Afar is part of ⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices