In the heart of the mountains, the most precious minerals are hidden in the stone. Some people read the history of our universe in the rock folds, while others see signs of possible veins they could exploit. If concentrations were once too low to generate profit, we could be sure they won't be one day soon. This panoramic of summits and glaciers that draw the Meije overlap in the Ecrins. We slide from 2668 m to 3357 m altitude. The rock here is granite and gneiss. Bathed in gold, it releases light and vibrates with thousands of colors.