An impenetrable wall in the heights of the Valais Alps, the Mischabels massif, with its regal stature, sits enthroned on the border of the Saas-Fee and Zermatt valleys. summit The Dom, the highest mountain in Switzerland alone, dominates the skyline at an altitude of 4,546 metres. From Mischabeljochbiwak I reached its summit in the autumn of 2023. And this wonderful journey in contact with the sky and the earth has left me with a wave of emotions, like the fulfillment of a dream.

Our journey begins on the left of the photograph, at summit ofAlphubel. From the Mischabeljoch, the ridge leads us to the summit of the Täschhorn. We continue our ascent to the tip of the Dom before descending to the Lenzspitze. In front of us, the brilliance of its northeast face captivates us, sublimated by the whiteness of the snow and ice covering its rocks. We then cross the Nadelhorn and the Stecknadelhorn. Then our epic journey comes to an end, on the right of the picture, at summit on the Hobärghorn.

I took this magnificent photograph of the Mischabels as the furious winds moved away to face other adversaries. A sea of clouds flooded the valleys. The peaks resist, but the mist threatens to engulf them, creeping insidiously up their sides. At this precise moment when the mountains soar skyward to proclaim their grandeur, they are the sole hosts of an ephemeral kingdom where rock and ice unite to offer the stars the most beautiful of spectacles.

I love the Mischabels mountains and their generous shapes. The folds of their robes and their deep cracks. I love the interplay of their interlocking lines, their fascinating ridges that take us beyond ourselves. I love the light that invades the painting, so pure yet so intense. This miraculous glow, filtered by a cloud, makes the glaciers sparkle like freshly fallen snow on the rocks. The unreal, untamed splendor of the Alps is revealed before our eyes.