About Me Max Rive

Born and raised in the flat country of the Netherlands, Max visited the high mountains of Switzerland for the first time at the age of 5. Looking at topo maps, making hiking routes, and running in front of his parents and brother, it was immediately obvious that Max had a true and deep passion for mountains and landscapes.

Many years passed by before Max would go back to the mountains again during a last-minute planned hiking trip in the Swiss Alps. Even though Max ended up in the hospital after 3 days, he found his passion for the mountains again and returned many times to the European Alps.

As big as his passion was for mountains, photography, and other hobbies – such as motorsport and cycling – so small was his passion and motivation for the countless studies he followed. The travels he made during his study made him realize that his current path and direction were only motivated by the expectations of his surroundings. After missing a deadline for his study Max decided to end his life as a student and stepped, only weeks later, on a plane to the Himalayas of Nepal. After almost losing his life in an airplane accident, and witnessing the major earthquake in April 2015, he continued traveling around the world to Chile, Argentina, Greenland, Sweden, Scotland, Norway and New Zealand.

It was just after a storm in Greenland when Max heard the news that he won the IPA awards, one of the biggest awards in today’s Landscape Photography. It was his big dream and ambition to win this award during his stay in the Himalayas and it was a confirmation that his hard work paid off and that everything was possible.