The Epic of the Four Thousand

This high mountain panorama was created in the Valais Alps, Switzerland. In the region of Zermatt, the more than 4,000-metre-high summits of the Monte Rosa massif appear here in all their majesty. They appear close and accessible, but are in fact far apart. To climb them, braving their snow-covered terrain for days on end at altitudes of over 4,000 metres, requires energy and courage.

The photograph shows many of the summits listed among the 4000 of Zermatt. In the foreground is Breithorn . This mountain range has five summits peaks over 4,000 metres high, on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Facing us are Roccia Nera, Gendarme and Breithornzwillinge. To the right, we see Pollux. On its ridge, the tiny Madonna stands out from the landscape. It's a perfect illustration of how the infinite grandeur of the high mountains is beyond our comprehension. How can we imagine a world in which we are nothing but dust? And yet... Next comes Liskamm, with its famous traverse. Then the Margherita hut, the highest refuge in the Alps at 4554 meters. Imagine how complicated and painful nights can be at such an altitude! The Zumsteinspitze, Dufourspitze and Nordend are also part of the picture. This exceptional panoramic photograph brings together in one image the most beautiful summits of the Swiss Alps.

As we sail past the Monte Rosa massif, we get up close and personal with the glaciers. In fifty years' time, this region will certainly be one of the last in the Alps to still have glaciers. It owes this privilege to the very high altitude of its relief. Point Dufour, at 4634 metres, is the highest summit in the Swiss Alps.

I created this work after a summer storm. I waited for the magical moment when the summer sun's rays illuminate the glacier faces of the snow-covered mountains. Here, light and shadow blend gently to sublimate the grandeur of these mythical summits . I spent a long time studying the region to find the ideal location for all the summits photos. Our gaze is irresistibly drawn from one of these bewitching mountains to the next. I wanted this visual sequence of massifs, with their interplay of shapes, to convey all the wild, inaccessible beauty of the high mountains after the chaos of the storm.

As the image comes to life, this mythical place is returned to nature, impassable to man. Conditions are too unstable, avalanches threaten. On this day, the mountain will remain untouched by human passage, and no man will ever have the chance to tread its marvellous crests. These timeless moments remind us that nature is king and must be respected. A magical interlude that invites us to remain humble in the face of the power of the elements.