Aigoual L'âme du vent - Eric VAREILHES

Aigoual - L'âme du vent - Eric VAREILHES

(The Soul of the Wind)

In this poetic and literary photographic work, Mont Aigoual appears as a discreet presence above the Cévennes. It is not a spectacular mountain at first glance, but one that slowly reveals its treasures as you climb it.
The trails that lead up to it pass through thick forests, where the trees seem to hold the memory of the seasons. Then, little by little, the landscape opens up. The horizon widens, the air becomes crisper, and the summit finally appears like a balcony overlooking the horizon. Like a motionless watchman observing the sky, listening to the seasons and accompanying the mountain through the passage of time, the meteorological observatory reigns supreme.
From up there, the view stretches to infinity. The ridges follow one another, the valleys are lost in a light mist, and on some days the light reveals the Mediterranean Sea, the Alps or the Pyrenees. The wind, almost always present, gives this place a lively character, as if the mountain were breathing.


In my book, Mont Aigoual becomes more than just a summit: it is a landmark, a place of passage between the earth, the sky, and the stories that are written throughout the pages.


Texts and Photographs Eric VAREILHES

Editions Mondial Livre (Nimes).
Limited edition of 50 copies.



The author:
Eric VAREILHES (Artist name: Tom) was born in July 1963 in Montpellier. He fell in love with black and white photography at a very early age, which allowed him to express his most intense feelings by taking candid shots of men and women he encountered during his wanderings. After completing a solid professional training in photography and film development, he spent half his youth in the photo lab he had set up himself, developing his own black-and-white photos and systematically taking in the full impact of the message that a photo fresh out of the developer can convey. A sportsman, naturalist, and contemplative at heart, it was only natural that he turned to landscape photography, which satisfied his curiosity and sensitivity. His life as an artist photographer has taken him to many temples, media libraries, and photography festivals, where he has made a name for himself through his realistic photos.

Extract:

Lorsque l'hiver s'empare du Mont Aigoual, la montagne se défigure et change de règne sous la froideur du climat. Les forêts cévenoles s'inclinent sous le poids du givre, et chaque branche devient sculpture. Le vent, maître des crêtes, polit la glace avec patience, façonnant des formes étranges, presque irréelles, comme si la montagne rêvait à voix haute. Sous l'emprise des glaces, le Mont Aigoual se fait austère et majestueux. Les sentiers disparaissent, avalés par la neige durcie, et le sommet semble alors flotter entre ciel et terre. Le silence n'y est jamais complet : il vibre, traversé par le souffle glacé qui raconte les tempêtes passées et celles à venir. La glace ici n'est pas figée ; elle lutte, s'accroche, résiste. Elle enlace les rochers, tend des draperies translucides le long des pentes, transforme les arbres en veilleurs immobiles. Chaque pas devient un dialogue avec la montagne, chaque regard une leçon d'humilité face à cette nature qui impose ses lois. Et pourtant, même sous cette emprise sévère, le Mont Aigoual garde une chaleur secrète. Dans la clarté pâle d'un soleil d'hiver, la glace scintille, fragile et éphémère, rappelant que cette domination n'est qu'un instant suspendu. Car ici, plus qu'ailleurs, la montagne enseigne que la beauté naît souvent de la rencontre entre la rudesse et la lumière.