A summit between Heaven and Earth

Portrait of the majestic Castor, a famous mountain in the Monte Rosa massif, which rises to 4225 metres above the Zermatt valley in the Valais Alps. Located close to Pollux and Lyskamm, the illustrious summit stands on the border between Switzerland and Italy, overlooking the Véraz and Gressoney valleys. At Castor , climbers can enjoy a magnificent traverse of the ridges from the Klein Matterhorn to the Quintino Sella hut. I took this black-and-white photograph by helicopter to highlight its incredible beauty.

I have already skied the ridges of Castor one spring. But our paths crossed again in the summer of 2023. As I climbed the nearby Lyskamm , it seemed colossal and fragile. Since that day, I've dreamed of climbing to its summit again. To be able once again to walk its ridges and rub shoulders with its glaciers. For Castor undergoes a metamorphosis every year. Its ice is melting irreparably, its crevasses are opening up and its immaculate flanks will soon be nothing but dull, grey rock.

But for now, the whiteness resists. In this aerial photograph, the north face of Castor sparkles as a storm rages across the mountain overnight. The large-format work reveals the presence of a few climbers crossing the ridge. Nourishing their steps with the intense purity of the sparkling mountain. In the background, the Italian mountains appear dark. A striking contrast that adds depth to the work and reminds us of the double truth of the high summits. At once flamboyant and obscure, welcoming and dangerous, sumptuous and implacable. I love the light and shade of Castor, playing with its shapes and the texture of its walls. I love the sharpness of its lines and the fullness of its curves. I offer you this photograph as a tribute to the immensity of a legendary mountain.