Dries Buytaert

Photos from February 2026

A snow covered stone water trough with a running spout sits in a snowy alpine village.
The Alpine village of Saint-Gervais sleeps under snow, while a small stream keeps its course.

· Saint-Gervais

A young child leans over birthday cupcakes ready to blow out the candles.
A year of waiting, now right in front of him.

· Saint-Gervais

A snow covered wooden alpine chalet glows with warm interior light against a dark purple winter sky.
Somewhere inside, a bottle of red wine is open, ski gloves are drying by the wood fire, and the day is slowly winding down.

· Saint-Gervais

A young toddler with blond hair gazes upward in wonder at a waitress.
Dining out can feel like the whole world is happening above your head.

· Saint-Gervais

Man leans back on a sunny deck chair, hands clasped, sunglasses on his head, beside a small table with a beer bottle.
Some afternoons don't need an agenda.

· Chamonix

Four friends take a smiling selfie on a ski lift, wearing helmets and goggles, holding ski poles while riding above snowy mountain slopes.
Stefaan, Ben, Klaas and I have known each other for 30 years, and this is our first time skiing together. Worth a selfie.

· Chamonix

Six friends sit around a table, melting raclette cheese and pouring wine, laughing while serving potatoes and meats from shared plates.
The first day of skiing is in the books. Our legs are tired and our cheeks still glow from the cold. It's raclette night. The cheese melts slowly, the wine disappears a little faster, and with every refill the stories around the table seem to improve.

· Chamonix

Person in orange helmet and ski boots stands on a snowy ridge at Bochard summit, photographing the Chamonix valley and surrounding snow-covered mountains.
Bochard summit, with the whole valley of Chamonix below.

· Chamonix

Two men stand by a gas grill, smiling as they turn steaks and sausages with tongs during a winter barbecue on a snowy chalet deck.
It was the men's turn to cook, so we took over the grill behind the chalet and put together a proper winter BBQ: five kinds of meat and plenty of vegetables. For dessert, we whisked sabayon by hand, spooned it over ice cream, and finished it with raspberries on top.

· Chamonix

Skiers descend a wide snowy slope toward a thick bank of clouds, with mountain peaks behind.
Skiers about to enter the clouds.

· Chamonix

Smiling man in ski goggles relaxes in a lounge chair after skiing, holding a drink and bundled in winter layers.
Ben's smile says it all.

· Chamonix

Close-up of a skier wearing a helmet.
Ben grabbed my camera and used my goggles as a mirror to capture the mountains behind us.

· Chamonix