Like a sphinx of ice and rock, the Pigne d' Arolla emerges from the morning mists, revealing its northern face in all its majesty summit emblematic of the Val d'Hérens culminating at 3781 meters above sea level, this sentinel watches over the village of Arolla with a presence that is matched only by its wild beauty. Its face stands like a challenge to the sky, an invitation to contemplation for some, to audacity for others.

For years, I dreamed of capturing the essence of this giant, which was one of my first exploits at altitude. First summit reached by ski touring, it remains etched in my memory as the initiator of a devouring passion. While a few intrepid souls dare to face its north face, I prefer to take the normal route, gentler and more contemplative, which winds along its western flank. It is there, in this respectful and patient approach, that I learned to intimately know each ridge, each corridor, each secret of this tutelary mountain.

At dawn this day, as the first rays of light caress the peaks, the Pigne d' Arolla awakens in a ballet of light and shadow. The mist slowly dissipates to reveal the sublime texture of its face. Each striation, each rib of the rock tells the thousand-year-old story of this exceptional promontory which offers, from its summit , one of the most beautiful panoramas in the Alps. In this black and white portrait, I wanted to capture the magical moment when the mountain, between veils and unveilings, reveals its deep nature: that of an eternal monument that unites earth to sky.