An epic journey to the heart of Zinal's Imperial Crown. The Zinalrothorn and the Weisshorn emerge in the same breath. The foehn winds abate for a moment, just long enough for the light to break, and the mountain reveals itself, sublime and elusive.

In the foreground, the tapering silhouette of the Zinalrothorn comes into view. Its Rothorn ridge is adorned with fresh snow of an almost unreal whiteness. At 4,221 metres above sea level, the mountain rises, slender and sharp. The ascent of the Zinalrothorn via the normal route remains one of the most beautiful mountaineering itineraries.

Behind it, the Weisshorn, lord of the Valais, dominates the scene with all its stature. Its three ridges - north, east and south - trace a perfect geometry against the sky. To the left, the ridge with its Grand Gendarme. In the center, the Schaligrat blazes between light and shadow. To the right, the normal route, plastered with snow, rises to the summit.

I remember that stormy day. The foehn was roaring, the light changing every second. I waited. I hoped. And suddenly, the miracle: the veil was torn, the Zinalrothorn and the Weisshorn offered me their double portrait. I love the dramatic intensity of this work, the interplay of light and shadow, the power of these two mountains. I offer you this panoramic photograph as a journey between earth and sky.