Assault

The Dent du Géant rises, gigantic and indomitable, in the Mont-Blanc massif. A colossus of the Alps that captures our imagination. With this flamboyant black-and-white photograph, I share with you the story that this rock inspires in me. Through the movement of the clouds and the flight of its lines, over its jagged ridge and sharp summit. The mountain rises sparkling as if to dominate the world.

In the spring of 2016, furious winds batter Dent du Géant. One moment visible, the next it disappears under a thick mist. I lurk in the snow, waiting for the impalpable. A moment unlike any other. A window onto another world. For hours, I contemplate the mountain, immersing myself in it, becoming one with nature. Suddenly, I catch a glimpse. That spark that gives meaning to the work. A group of three climbers crossing the Aiguilles Marbrées. Where do these men find the courage to brave the elements? Like David against Goliath, these tiny adventurers give their all to conquer the mountain. When I see them, I know that our fates are linked. That my steps have brought me here to immortalize this precise moment when Dent du Géant reveals its power. Incredible epic conquest of the highest summits.

In 2023, seven years after taking this portrait of Dent du Géant, I too climbed the mountain. And as I contemplate this photograph, I recall every step of my ascent. The routes taken, the walls climbed. My body still vibrates with the emotions I felt that day, and I think back with happiness to the moment when my foot landed on its formidable summit. Because Dent du Géant marks a man forever.