That day, everything seemed to stand still. The air was still, the clouds slid slowly down the mountainsides. And the Aiguille du Chardonnet, covered in fresh snow, stood there, perfect and silent. I was above Argentière, in the Mont Blanc massif, witnessing a rare sight: a mountain asleep in an almost unreal winter light.

The Aiguille du Chardonnet rises to an altitude of 3,824 meters. It is the highest point on the long ridge that separates the Tour basin from the Argentière basin. It's a slender, jagged, proud needle. A summit which, by its shape and isolation, irresistibly draws the eye. But that day, it wasn't its silhouette that grabbed me. It was the snow.

The wind had covered everything. Every slope, every ridge, every cornice was plastered. The low-angled light brought out the volumes, the textures, the smallest details of the relief. Le Chardonnet looked like an ice sculpture from another world. He said nothing, but imposed everything.

I waited a long time to take this photograph. The cloud came and went. At times, everything disappeared. Then, suddenly, the mountain revealed itself again. Immobile, sovereign. Under these conditions, you can't rush the gesture. You have to be ready, calm, attentive. And let the mountain do the talking.

This portrait of Le Chardonnet is one of those that touches me the most. Because it reveals a mountain that, for a moment, becomes almost unreal.