The boundary between Heaven and Earth

Panoramic black-and-white photograph of the giants of the Zermatt valley. Not far from the Matterhorn, the Imperial Crown mountains reveal their sumptuous rock. Facing us are the southern slopes ofObergabelhorn, the Zinalrothorn and the Weisshorn. On the left,Arbengrat leads us to summit of the Ober Gabelhorn. At the center of the picture, the Zinalrothorn rises like an arrow, intent on piercing the sky. Pure and sharp, the Rothorngrat sculpts the horizon, while on the left, the ridge of the normal route descends back down to the valley. In the background rises the Weisshorn, a gigantic pyramid. Its northern ridge takes us from val d’Anniviers to summit. The Grand Gendarme watches over the mountain like a sentinel. To the right, the traverse continues along the normal route, while the Schaligrat stretches out between light and shadow. One of the most beautiful runs in the Alps.

I took this magnificent panorama at the end of summer 2020. When a sea of fog settles over the plains. Then, the high mountains become guardians of a kingdom that comes to life on the border between heaven and earth. A world where nature reigns supreme. In this photograph of the Imperial Crown, only the Arbenbiwak at the foot ofObergabelhorn and the Rothornhütte on the Zinalrothorn bear witness to the existence of mankind. Refuges lost in the vastness of the Alps.

At the start of the season, all it takes is one cold snap on the plains for the snow to take over summits. I love the suspended moment of the first snows. When it sprinkles the heights, creating new contrasts and revealing mysteries that the mountains like to hide. The secret beauty of nature's many faces. The moment is magical, but terribly fleeting. Barely glimpsed, it's already fading. As soon as the first rays of sunlight fade away the still fragile snow. Using soft, silvery contrasts, I photograph the mountain as if I were drawing it with charcoal. To preserve only the essential features. The purity of its lines and its grandiose soul.