A grandiose flight in the heart of the Mont Blanc massif in the French Alps. This black-and-white photograph features the famous Aiguille du Midi. To reach the Vallée Blanche and the Cosmiques hut, you'll have to conquer its tapering ridge. If the conditions are right, you can then reach the famous Mont Blanc, Europe's highest summit . The photograph highlights the beauty of the Aiguille du Midi and its hanging glaciers, which are in danger of collapsing. To avoid any catastrophe, they are placed under the watchful eye of Ludovic Ravanel, a geomorphologist specializing in the evolution of high mountain environments.

I did this work in the middle of the day. I tried my luck at daybreak, but by then summits had been completely swallowed up by clouds. The weather radar predicted an opening a few hours later. So I waited. Then, suddenly, the sky began to light up. We seized the opportunity to take off by helicopter. As we approached the clouds, the sky parted, allowing us to break through the haze and gaze at the magnificent landscape for a few moments. But the sky soon closed in, and we had to leave this sacred realm to protect our lives. Because helicopters can't safely fly through clouds.

With this portrait, I offer you the very essence of my quest. Here it is, the celestial kingdom that animates my art. Fleeting and inaccessible, it appears when the storm recedes and the clouds part. The snow-capped peaks burst forth, guiding us to a world beyond our grasp. When we venture into the high mountains, we leave reality behind to join a universe where nature reigns supreme and beauty is adorned with absolutes. But no sooner are we enveloped in ecstasy than we have to leave it behind. Because in the high mountains, we're only guests. All we're left with are our fondest memories, our most intense sensations. Through my photographs, I share with you the magic of these precious moments captured up there. It's a unique testimony that I'm passing on to future generations, who will no doubt never have the chance to experience this fabulous face of the high summits.