Scaling New Heights -Feature story
Photos by Sgt. Gregory Muenchow A soldier's journey documenting military training in the Andes
FORT MEADE, Md. –Amid the thin air and rugged beauty of the Chilean Andes, Army Staff Sgt. Gregory Muenchow found himself in a place where his skills as a public affairs specialist and love for the outdoors collided.
Muenchow was tasked with documenting a historic training exercise for the 10th Mountain Division. He had to navigate treacherous terrain and extreme weather to capture the story of the soldiers pushing their limits in one of the most challenging environments on Earth.
Muenchow was driven by his passion for the outdoors and his love for capturing compelling stories, making him the perfect choice to cover an unprecedented exercise. This tested not only the soldiers’ endurance, but also his own ability to document their journey through some of the world’s most unforgiving terrain.
Muenchow was covering Exercise Southern Vanguard, a grueling school in which instructors at the Chilean Army Mountain School taught mountain warfare, survival, movement and combat, while hiking, skiing and repelling up and down the mountains.
Growing up in Ohio, Muenchow always felt a pull toward the wilderness. He spent summers hiking the Appalachian Trail where he learned the basics of backpacking and survival. He spent the winters skiing the Rockies where he discovered the thrill of navigating the slopes. This love for the mountains stayed with him throughout his life and guided his career choices in the Army.
After joining the military, Muenchow sought out opportunities that allowed him to blend that personal interest with his professional role as a public affairs specialist. So, when he learned that the 10th Mountain Division was planning to send the largest element in history to the Chilean Mountain Warfare School, he knew he had to be part of it. Covering a group of soldiers of this size engaging in rigorous mountain training in the Andes was a rare opportunity that required not only public affairs expertise, but also the ability to handle the physical and environmental challenges of the mission.
“The 10th Mountain Division was going to conduct the training, it was the first time an element that size had gone to do it,” Muenchow explained. “Historically, we sent one or two soldiers occasionally, just when people could go and could speak Spanish. But this was the first time the unit had sent an element of about 120 people.”
The 10th Mountain Division is a light infantry division of the Army, which resides at Fort Drum, near the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York. They are one of the only units in the military to receive specialized training for fighting in mountainous terrain. While the division is well versed for cold conditions, the Chilean Mountain Warfare School required a level of skill that tested the soldiers at every turn.
The moment Muenchow arrived at the base camp, set over 9,500 feet above sea level, he was struck by the imposing beauty of the Andes. The air was thin and cold, making every movement feel like a monumental effort. The base camp was surrounded by jagged peaks that seemed to touch the sky, their snow-capped summits gleaming in the sunlight. Even the simplest tasks, like climbing a few steps, left many soldiers gasping for breath as they struggled to acclimate to the high altitude.
“There’s nothing quite like it,” Muenchow recalled. “You’re at such high elevation, and it’s exhausting just to walk up a flight of stairs. On the other hand, it’s the most gorgeous view you can imagine—rocky snow-capped peaks completely surrounding you.”
For Muenchow, documenting the mission meant being in the right place at the right time, often in difficult and dangerous conditions. This was a landscape where the beauty of the surroundings could easily lull one into a false sense of security, only to be reminded of its harshness with a sudden drop in temperature or a surprise snowstorm.
One of the biggest challenges Muenchow faced was the constant battle against the elements. The temperature often plummeted well below freezing, and sudden snow storms could turn a clear day into a whiteout in minutes. For Muenchow, who needed his hands free to operate his camera, managing his body temperature was a constant struggle.
“While you’re climbing, your body temperature is so high that you’re going to be sweating, and you need to be dropping layers,” he said. “Then as soon as you stop to take a photo, your body temperature plummets because it’s very cold around you, and you have to juggle that safely while still getting the photos.”
Muenchow managed these extremes with careful preparation. He wore a thick outer glove for warmth and a thin inner glove for dexterity, allowing him to operate his camera without exposing his bare skin to the freezing air. But even with this preparation, capturing each photo felt like a battle against the elements. The mountains were steep, the snow deep and the paths narrow. Every shot with his camera required careful planning—not just in terms of framing but also in ensuring he could safely maneuver around the soldiers without putting himself or others at risk.
Despite these challenges, Muenchow thrived. He skied down slopes, camera in hand, capturing images of soldiers maneuvering through the snow, their breath visible in the cold air. He navigated treacherous paths, documenting the camaraderie and resilience of the soldiers as they trained. The images he produced were not just snapshots; they were visual stories that conveyed the essence of the exercise and the strength of the U.S.-Chilean military partnership.
“Being able to record stable video while you’re skiing down a mountain, photographing soldiers skiing as well—there’s not that many people that can do that,” Muenchow reflected. “It was very rewarding to be able to fill that gap and to have all the things I love to do in my personal life come together with what I do professionally.”
The culmination of the training was a grueling three-day exercise that included two night movements through the mountains. The temperature plummeted, and the already challenging terrain became even more treacherous under the cover of darkness. Soldiers dug snow caves for shelter, relying on each other to stay warm and motivated. For Muenchow, it was an opportunity to capture the intensity and perseverance of the team.
“We were sleeping outside in the mountains, and it was extremely rough,” he recalled. “People were feeling pretty confident during the day, but as soon as they started moving at night, the conditions changed drastically.”
Muenchow captured some of his most striking images during this time: soldiers silhouetted against a starlit sky, their breath misting in the frigid air as they dug into the snow, preparing for the long night ahead. These images would later be shared across social media, showcasing the grit and determination of the 10th Mountain Division.
When the exercise ended and the soldiers descended from the mountains, Muenchow felt a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. He had pushed himself to the limit, not just physically but also creatively. Reviewing his footage and images back at base camp, he knew he had captured something special. These were not just pictures of a training exercise; they were a testament to human endurance, to the bond between soldiers, and to the beauty and brutality of the Andes that had tested them all, he said.
The return to Fort Drum was bittersweet.
Muenchow was glad to be back, but found himself missing the raw, wild beauty of the Andes. He was also eager to share the story he had worked so hard to document. After his return, Muenchow began releasing his content—images and videos that told a story of strength and cooperation forged in the harshest of environments.
For Muenchow, the mission in Chile was more than just a professional achievement. It was the culmination of years spent honing his personal skills in the mountains and professional skills behind the lens. It was a chance to bring together his passion for the outdoors and his role as a storyteller, showing the world what it means to overcome the odds in a place where the air is thin and the stakes are high.
The lessons he learned on those snow-covered peaks will stay with him for a lifetime. Whether it’s the importance of preparation, the value of persistence, or the simple joy of being in a place that challenges you in every way, the Andes have left their mark on him, just as he has left his own on the story of the 10th Mountain Division.
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