A fascinating portrait of the Petit Combin at the dawn of winter. Prince of a kingdom of rock and ice, he guides us to his brothers above Verbier. From the Combin de Corbassière, our gaze flies to the rulers of the Combin massif. Three giants rising to over 4,000 metres in the Valais Alps: Combin de la Tsessette, Combin de Grafeneire and Combin de Valsorey.

From summit these mountains, our dreams take shape. Whatever the season, their peaks beckon. In winter, heliski on the north face of Petit Combin or ski down the north face of Combin de Valsorey. In spring, join the Couloir du Gardien to reach the summit of grand Combin. In midsummer, leave the Val d'Entremont to cross the famous Combin.

I took this photograph of the Combin massif in autumn. Showing the scars of a scorching summer, the glaciers reveal themselves in a new light. Their gaping crevasses, their deep faults. How many times have we trodden on their ice without realizing the unfathomable abyss opening up beneath our feet? The spectacle is grandiose and yet so tragic. But the inescapable destiny of these eternal snows urges me to continue my quest. To immortalize the splendours of a high mountain prey to the elements, the better to preserve them.

That morning, as the furious winds covered the mountain from First snows, my heart capsized. Such grace inspires me, such purity animates me. I love to contemplate nature when it's wild. Primitive and flamboyant, it unfurls its invincible crests like the phoenix rising from its ashes. In the dim light, its ridges dance towards the sky, taking our gaze to the summit of the Combin as if on the thread of a story. I love the deep, delicate hues that sublimate this work. Contrasts that bring out the power of softness. Giving the mountain an infinite purity. I love its elegant lines, the balance of its forms. When the silence of the heights infuses the Alps with the utmost tranquility.