Awakening of the Titans

A grandiose portrait of two iconic summits in the Valais Alps, Switzerland. In the foreground isObergabelhorn, now famous to the general public thanks to Swiss skier Jérémie Heitz. At over 4,000 metres, summit is one of the mountains he tackled in his documentary film La Liste, highlighting the practice of steep skiing. In the background rises the mythical and majestic Matterhorn. Three of its ridges are visible: the Hörnli ridge on the left, the Zmutt ridge on the right and the Lion ridge in the background.

On the same photograph, I wanted to bring together two of my favorite summits peaks. Their northern faces are among the most beautiful in the Alps. I took this aerial view at sunrise, just after the passage of a snowstorm. The mountains are adorned in white, giving the image an impression of eternal celestial purity. It's a fleeting illusion, however, because within minutes, the heat of the sun affects the snow, irreversibly altering the way it reflects light.

I had to wait several years before I was able to immortalize these incredible summits images. Sufficient snow had to cover their faces. To complete the picture, a sea of clouds had to separate the two mountains. Here, it covers the Zermatt valley. In this work, I sought to sublimate the power of these sumptuous monuments of rock and ice. I also wanted to achieve a perfect alignment of their summits. The Matterhorn's grandeur in relation toObergabelhorn, 400 metres shorter than its illustrious neighbor, is clearly visible. I was lucky enough to climb both these mountains via their normal routes. Since then, my mountaineering skills have progressed considerably. I'm now planning to reach summit via their other, more complex ridges. So wish me luck!