The inaccessible North Face

If the Matterhorn is king of the Alps, the Aiguille Verte is queen. Culminating at 4122 meters in the Mont-Blanc massif, this pyramid of rock and ice dominates the horizon, inaccessible and vertiginous. This vertical black-and-white photograph highlights the mountain's north face, which rises above the Argentière basin. At the bottom of its hanging glacier, the Grands Montets ridge links the small Aiguille Verte to its summit. To the left, the Jardin ridge leads to the Grande Rocheuse, which rises to 4102 metres. On the right, the arête sans Nom joins pointe Croux and its two characteristic peaks. The Aiguille Verte has always been a source of inspiration for the inhabitants of Chamonix as well as for great travellers. Edward Whymper was the first to climb it, and left his name to the Whymper couloir, the easiest route to his summit.

In taking this photograph, I wanted to highlight the prodigious charisma of this mountain, which is only accessible when snow conditions are optimal. I chose to show the Aiguille Verte from a lesser-known, wilder and rougher angle. Adorned with a magnificent hanging glacier, this face is for me the most beautiful. The work testifies to the verticality of the Couturier couloir, which runs up the north face to summit . This is a major climb for experienced mountaineers only.

The Aiguille Verte is reborn here after the storm. As the clouds part, they reveal the depth of the chasm above the mountain. The light, subdued by a halo of mist, reveals the power of summit in silvery hues. The elements come together to give the picture spectacular depth. I wanted to highlight the immensity of its ice cap, a thick armour whose breathtaking verticality is sublimated by an interplay of perspectives. Because that's what it's all about. Using my photographic eye to find the spot from which the mountains appear most impressive. To pay tribute to their eternal beauty through my art.