Tongariro Fern
The western slopes of New Zealand’s Togariro volcanoes receive abundant humidity by orographic induced clouds. This is not sufficient for a closed vegetation cover due to intense wind and frost erosion of the ejected tephra in the steep terrain. However, in sheltered places ferns can grow in this rough climate.
March 2002
Pentax K2, Pentax 50mm, f/22, 4sec, Kodak Ektachrome E6, ISO 100, tripod