Grandes Jorasses rises in the heart of the Mont Blanc massif in France. The famous summit is over 4,000 metres high, and challenges the greatest mountaineers to climb its north face. Along with the Matterhorn and the Eiger, it is one of the most mythical north faces in the Alps. Their conquest occupies a special place in the fascinating history of mountaineering.

I shot this stunning portrait of Grandes Jorasses in spring, when summit was just recovering from the onslaught of a snowstorm. Successfully immortalizing the power of the mountain depends on many uncontrollable parameters, the mystery of which I am still trying to unravel. My only secret is perseverance: going back to summit, waiting, trying, failing and finally, maybe one day, succeeding. It took me a long time to capture the beauty of this fragile moment. And, on that day, I was lucky. Shaken by the winds, the Grandes Jorasses boldly emerge from a sea of clouds. The wind blew the fog away, while smoking the summit. The snow freshly deposited on the mountain brings a special texture to the rock. A fascinating silvery sheen that lasts only an instant, when the sun first illuminates this frosty finery. The photograph's striking contrasts reveal the unique personality of this legendary mountain. A portrait of a wild and authentic mountain, witness to another world. This jewel of the Alps never ceases to move and amaze me.