Above the Mist

This panoramic photograph takes us to the heart of the Chablais massif. Our gaze wanders over the Cornettes de Bise and then the Dent d'Oche, two of the highest summits in these pre-Alpine mountains. To the right, Les Jumelles and Grammont are also visible. The central ridge line here marks the border between France on the left and Switzerland on the right.

I captured this image in winter, when heavy snowfalls had just fallen. These mountains hold a special place in my heart, as they were among my first discoveries when I moved to Switzerland. The summit des Cornettes de Bise was one of the first I climbed. I have unforgettable memories of the moment I reached its highest point. It was by climbing these monuments of rock that I got to know the Alps better. I trained with them for a long time. Then, when I finally felt physically and mentally ready, I was able to detach myself from them to access what I truly dreamed of: the celestial realm of the high mountains.

I particularly like the atmosphere that emanates from this photograph, out of time and out of the world. With its graphic design, the work makes us forget where we are and immerse ourselves in the purest nature has to offer. These stone sculptures emerge from a sea of clouds like rocks braving the ocean. Ever since I arrived in Switzerland, I've admired this exceptional phenomenon without tiring of it. In Belgium, where I come from, I lived under the clouds without ever imagining that, higher up, the sun was shining brightly. No summit was high enough to take me above the mists. Here, I discovered a breathtaking universe in which reality is not what it seems. A world where anything is possible, and where, as you rise, darkness gives way to light.

In the Pre-Alps, the relief is lower than that of the high mountains that usually capture the attention of my lens. Here, there are no glaciers or dizzying peaks. Forests and chalets cover the snowy slopes. And yet, the photographic rendering is grandiose. This sea of clouds, soft and mysterious, lends the massif its presence. It gives these modest mountains a Himalayan air, giants of rock reigning over the earth like the world's highest summits . The illusion is perfect and the atmosphere magical.