Mont Buet - Facing Mont Blanc

In front of us, two iconic summits of the Alps: in the foreground, Mont Buet rises above the symbolic 3000m mark; in the background, Mont Blanc, the cradle of world mountaineering. These two mountains form an inseparable pair. In the silence of the world above, one gazes tirelessly at the other, both separated by a few kilometers from the bustling valley of Chamonix , which far below welcomes its fair share of tourists and sports enthusiasts from the four corners of the globe.

This photograph was taken in winter, early in the morning, when the first rays of sunshine timidly warm the still-sleeping east face of Le Buet. In contrast, the north face of Le Buet and the massive face of Mont Blanc remain eternally in darkness. In the collective imagination, these icy, dark, hellish faces, found throughout the Alps, represent the ultimate quest of every mountaineer. However, I wonder about the future of these glaciers hanging in the north. Despite the fact that their exposure protects them more than those facing south, we are witnessing their disappearance year after year.

With this shot, I wanted to capture the sheer scale of the Mont-Blanc massif, by recreating, from Le Buet, the great celestial traverse that starts from the Aiguille du Midi and heads towards the mythical trilogy of the massif: the chain of the Tacul (4187m), the Mont Maudit (4465m) and the Mont Blanc (4808m), via the Col de la Brenva. Then comes the dreaded descent: the two Bosses, the Dôme du Goûter (4304m), then a choice between the Aiguille of the same name, or the razor-sharp Aiguille de Bionnassay... The attentive viewer will see the Mont Blanc de Courmayeur (4748m) looming among the clouds smoking at summit king of the Alps.

This work is best appreciated for its play of light, which gives it a bewitching depth. It's all about balance and alternating planes: seas of clouds, the chaotic tangle of rock and ice, the darkness of the north face, the comforting softness of the morning sun caressing the east.