Reflections of Eternity

A symphony of crevasses and seracs on the Schwarzegletscher at the foot of Breithorn. This black-and-white photograph comes to life along the Schwarztor, a magnificent off-piste ski descent practiced by top-level ski tourers. It promises a journey through the sumptuous landscapes of the Zermatt valley in the Valais Alps. This valley inspires me by the beauty of its mountains and the wonders of its glaciers. Their shapes fascinate me, their lines fill me with emotion, revealing the eventful history of a realm that is not easily accessible, and that makes me dream.

This astonishing photograph was born after many years of waiting. Every time I climbed the Matterhorn, my beloved mountain, I would catch a glimpse of this serac zone at the foot of Roccia Nera, one of the summits of Breithorn. But the time had not yet come. I waited but felt nothing. Then, one day, there was that different moment. The moment when magic happens without you really knowing why. Rocks a little more plastered, the start of an avalanche, fresh snow sliding down the face. With this new dynamic, the Schwarzegletscher revealed another part of itself. He told me his story, intimately linked to that of the high mountains. This wind-blown snow that slides down the rocks, accumulates at the foot of the mountain and transforms over time into living, eternal ice. This is the story I hear when I contemplate this portrait of the glacier.

I also love this photograph for its perfect aesthetic. Our gaze plunges into one of the most beautiful crevasse zones in the Alps. The schwarzegletscher opens up beneath the asperities of the underlying rock. Huge blocks of ice emerge from the ground as if they had fallen from the sky. Capped with a fabulous snow cap, the crevasses seem to sculpt the relief of a fairytale world. Indirect light makes the tormented seracs glow like a treasure whose secret is preciously guarded. Through the abstraction of its contours and the mysterious purity of its lines, the glacier leads us into a world where beauty reigns supreme.