The Aiguilles Rouges d'Arolla, the jewel in the crown of the Valais Alps, rise up from the Val d'Hérémence and the Val d'Hérens. Recognizable among a thousand, the mountains rise to an altitude of 3,644 metres above Lac des Dix and the famous Grande Dixence dam. This superb black-and-white panoramic photograph highlights the beauty of their form and their infinite grandeur.

I took this portrait of the Aiguilles Rouges atArolla just as they were recovering from the furious onslaught of a storm. A sea of clouds engulfed the Rhône valley and surrounding area. The only bulwark against the mist, the three summits protect the valley, which comes back to life in the shadows.

I love the serenity that emanates from the mountains. The striking contrast between the verticality of summits and the softness of their tones. The balance of their forms, the repetition of lines that guide our gaze from the Aiguilles Rouges to the depths of the horizon. Where Bietschhorn, the Aletschhorn and the Finsteraarhorn echo the power of the mountains. To the same rhythm, the Alps rise in honor ofArolla.