TheAiguille Verte (4122m) is a mythical summit in the Mont Blanc massif. It stands alone, dominating the surrounding area. Far below, the remnants of the Mer de glace flow slowly down its flanks. The aiguille is massive and impressive. It is a fortress that has long remained unconquered: it succumbed to the reckless attempts of the famous Whymper on June 29, 1865; and, on the 14th of the Next month, the intrepid English mountaineer triumphed over a small Valais rock called the Matterhorn.

This photograph of theAiguille Verte is unique. I wanted to show the western side of this mountain by lining up the three main historic ascent routes, all of which are legendary. On the left, the unnamed ridge shimmers with ice and snow: it's the brightest part of the picture. In the center, the arête du Moine tears through the composition like a bolt of lightning. It gives this shot its full force. Between rock and ice, it rises powerfully to the heavens, piercing a thick sea of clouds. To the right, in the deep, mysterious shadow of this celestial kingdom, the Garden ridge remains discreet, bathed in the deep blacks of the massif. In the Light, the Whymper couloir appears, perilous and inhospitable, despite being the simplest access route.

The strength of this photograph lies in its mastery of contrasts. Everything is harmoniously distributed: the dazzling whites of the needle embellished by the last rays of the sun still touching the peaks; the play of powerful grays, outlining the summit's foothills; the ebony of the rocks flaying the wisps of creamy clouds... this work is a dream, a blend of impressions. Alive, it moves, comes alive. The attentive viewer feels the Powerful breath of the wind; the tepidness of the dying rays; the eternal, mystical silence of the night settling in after a winter storm. Everything in this shot calls for verticality: ridges clash, rocks rise. Earth and sky resonate in unison.

With the Matterhorn, the Eiger and the Grandes Jorasses, this mountain is a challenge: it's a wild diamond.