Glow of a New Day

A new day dawns in the heart of the Valais Alps. In this beautiful black-and-white photograph, the sun illuminates the north face of the Zinalrothorn. The summit rises to an altitude of 4221 metres between val d’Anniviers and the Zermatt valley. On this early summer night, the impetuous winds have deposited a thick layer of snow on its flanks. Inaccessible to man, the mountain returns for a time to its wild state. Indomitable and determined, it points its sharp summit skywards. Supported by its northern ridge, which rises vigorously between light and shadow to reach the cross that crowns its summit.

To the left of the Zinalrothorn, the Klein Matterhorn rises to 3883 metres. Famous at Zermatt for its lifts, which bring skiers and tourists to the gates of the high-mountain realm in a matter of minutes. They can contemplate the beauty of the region's Alpine glaciers and summits . Its silhouette echoes that of the Zinalrothorn. The two colossi appear similar, yet one emerges from untouched nature, while the other adapts to the hustle and bustle of mankind.

I love the intensity of the snow which, in the shade, captures the luminosity of the sky and reflects it onto the ice. Offering the eye unsuspected details of seracs and rock. As we contemplate this work, our minds wander through the contours of the walls of the Zinalrothorn and Petit Cervin, the folds of their snowy mantle. The abstract shapes that emerge, like a window opening onto a new world. A few moments of bliss before the sun completely covers the mountainsides, erasing this fleeting grace forever. How lucky I was to be there when the sky cleared, while the clouds were still clinging to summits ! I love these moments when nature reveals the soul of the mountains. And sometimes, when my imagination runs wild, I even wonder if it isn't our souls that are twirling around the high summits. In search of splendour and truth.