Description

Gigantic Weisshorn, which culminates at 4506 meters above val d’Anniviers and the valley of Zermatt, in the Swiss Valais. Its north ridge, with its very aesthetic line, is considered in the topographic works of reference in mountaineering as one of the most beautiful races in the Alps.

I took this vertical photograph of the Weisshorn at the end of the day. The mountain stands proudly beyond the world, piercing the clouds to better feed on the sun. It has just triumphed over a winter storm that covered its walls with immaculate snow. Its northern edge traces its way between light and shadow, Yin and Yang of a nature in perpetual movement. I like this balance of forms sliced by the light which inevitably guides our glance until summit of this extraordinary pyramid. But balance is nothing if it is inert. And the portrait suddenly comes to life thanks to the cloud that leaves summit to rise towards the sky. The work then takes all its dimension, transforming the cliché into an art photograph.

I had the exceptional chance to do this magnificent ridge race last year. An unforgettable adventure. One of those that change you forever. A journey to the heart of a wild nature as well as to the heart of oneself, from which one does not return unscathed. The high mountain makes us grow, transcends us, inevitably. I made this portrait of the Weisshorn after having passed the Grand Gendarme. At such altitudes, I expected to see only snow around me, whereas there were many rocky passages along the ridge. Climate change is already having a terrible and irreparable impact on the summits Alps. More and more rocks will appear and this ridge, a true jewel of the Alps, will be disfigured. While admiring this picture of the Weisshorn, I feel privileged to have been able to walk on this legendary summit. I am moved and proud to be the witness, through my art, of this pure and fascinating beauty that was thought to be eternal but whose immense fragility we now realize.