This striking and mysterious photograph features the Aiguille de Bionnassay in the heart of the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. The wind howls across its storm-tossed ridges. Our journey continues to the Dôme du Goûter. Then our gaze is caught by the peak of Mont Maudit, which, in the distance, pierces valiantly through the sky.

In creating this work, I wanted to convey the infinite grandeur of the mountain under the fire of the elements. These summits have become inaccessible, confronted by the violence of the winds and the weight of the snowfalls. I love the abstract beauty of the painting. The summits are aligned and superimposed. Our gaze is drawn by the sequence of pyramidal shapes, generous curves and sharp points. Nature is redrawing a landscape that only seasoned viewers will recognize.

This photograph is my story. Memory of those painful moments that mark you forever. It's June 2014. This was the day I was to make my first ascent of Mont Blanc. With my Belgian rope-mates, we crossed the Dômes de Miage, with a determined step and an enthusiastic soul. We slept in the Durier refuge at the foot of the Aiguille de Bionnassay. The next day, we were to climb the Aiguille, continue to the Dôme du Goûter and reach the mythical summit on Mont Blanc. But in the early hours of the morning, the weather took a turn for the worse. The rock was covered with a thick layer of fresh snow, and climbing conditions had become difficult. So we decided to give up. The time had not come to realize our dream. The mountain had decided otherwise.

Suddenly, as we began our descent below the Durier hut, my friend Éric slipped. I saw him slip and pick up speed. I knew he couldn't stop. I was shocked, distraught that there was nothing I could do, and terrified of losing him. He fell several hundred meters, but fortunately escaped. Seriously injured, of course, but he pulled through. This tragic accident opened my eyes to the dangers of the high mountains, even though I was only a beginner mountaineer at the time. Since that day, I have not attempted the climb again. When I look at this photograph, I see a symbol. A symbol of the implacable power of the mountain. A symbol of the importance of life, so precious yet so fragile.