Archives for January 2021

Charles Meyersteing, Freeride and Photography

January 26, 2021 by Thomas Viguier

Charles Meyersteing is a French freeskier, alpinist, video clip editor and professional photographer. He is based in Les Ecrins, France. Charles started focusing most of his time on his passion for high-alpine life around 2012.

When not skiing or taking pictures, he is also an active ambassador for the local and ultra hype ski brand WhiteCristal.

Follow Charles on

Instagram | Website

In the beginning…

Where are you based?

Now, I am based near the mountains of the massif des écrins in the Hautes-Alpes. It’s a fantastic playground.

It’s much less touristy than Savoie for example and offers stunning mountains and scenery.

Where do you come from?

I come from a town near St Etienne, in the Parc du Pilat. It’s not a high-alpine environment, but it’s quite “connected” with nature. I started climbing early, for example. My parents also had a house near Briançon in the Hautes-Alpes. It allowed me to start skiing at a very young age. I actually can’t remember when I started.

How did you get acquainted with mountain activities?

I studied Management and Nature Protection near Annecy. At the same time, I was training for mountain professions (guides, ski patrol, ski instructors…).

Very early, I got drawn to the mountains, and it became a drug. It’s really in 2012 that I decided to become a professional photographer and ski most days of the season!

Charles Meyerstein in action - photography

Do you have any siblings? Did they take a similar path?

Yes, I have 2 sisters and one brother. They are doing completely different things. My mother is a family mediator; my father is an entrepreneur; one of my sisters is a psychologist, the other one a pharmacist and my little brother is still in high school.

I am definitely the “different” one in the family.

…in the present and in the future

Do you compete in Freeride?

No, I don’t. I don’t really have a competition mindset. I really like to go and watch, though! The atmosphere is generally very relaxed. I end up being with my friends and taking pictures of them.

What skis do you use?

I have 2 pairs, the Black Crows Camox as an all-rounders and one for powder days, a pair of Zag!

You are still young but do you witness any signs of global warming/ climate change?

Yes, unfortunately. Not being old, it’s actually even more frightening. I can see some glaciers melting; some of them will probably die in a few years.

More than that, the entire mountain complex is falling. With global warming, the ice that sticks the rocks together is melting, which triggers rockfalls. I see more and more of those, and more and more accidents.

What’s next for you? What are your next project(s)?

It quite depends on the current covid crisis. I am trying to organise an exhibition for my photos.

Would you recommend any documentaries?

I really liked and would highly recommend de documentaries on Gaston Rébuffat. He was a guide based in Chamonix and was part of the Annapurna expedition with Maurice Herzog in the 50s.

It’s absolutely incredible. You realise that they were super-human. They were doing very technical climbs with some crazy equipment! The boots, the ropes, the cloth… they had were really not like the ones we have today!

Tristan Knoertzer, the proper Chamonix guide

January 21, 2021 by Thomas Viguier

Tristan Knoertzer is what you would expect of a proper Chamonix Guide. He has the spirit of the mountains flowing through his veins and is the second generation of guides in his family.

While he was born and raised in Chamonix, the temple of Alpinism and Mountaineering, his vision goes beyond our borders.

He dreams about carrying on the tradition of guiding and of the Compagnie des Guides as well as pushing the limits abroad.

An accomplished champion, a dynamic guide, and an inspiring trajectory.

Follow Tristan Knoertzer on

I nstagram | Website | Podcast on the melt of the permafrost (FR)

Tristan Knoertzer, like father, like son… or not

Can you briefly tell us about your background?

I was born in Chamonix, but my family was not from here originally. They moved right before I was born. My mother was a journalist and then changed to the real estate space. My father was a mountain guide, but I did not grow up with him.

In Chamonix, a father who is a guide, you were destined to be a guide?

Well, in the beginning, I liked being in the mountains, but I really didn’t want to be a guide. I think I felt it was a bit too slow for me. Maybe I thought it wasn’t as intense as I wished/ thought this job could be.

So what did you enjoy when you were younger?

I was really into rock climbing and judo. Judo quickly became hard for me. The sport is very demanding in term of weight control. As a teenager, I was between two different weight groups. That meant I either had to lose some weight or gain a lot of weight to be competitive.

Because of this, I went full speed into rock climbing and became national champion!

Growing with the mountains

How/ when did you move into alpinism / mountaineering?

Because I grew up in Chamonix, I’ve always “been into” mountaineering. That said, it’s really when I went to boarding school that I developed my skillset and proper love for the mountains that lead me to guide.

At boarding school, you study during the week, and when you go home for the weekend, you are completely free. Because of that schedule, I had a lot of time, every week, every weekend to go to the mountains. As it wasn’t really the same for other people of my age, I went out with older people than me.

It helped me become mature much quicker, and it allowed me to learn extremely fast. It kind of shaped me for the guide I am today.

Did you become Chamonix guide right after high school?

Just after high-school, I went to Peru for some sort of expedition, with people much older than me (including some who were preparing to become guides). It was quite a mission for me as I had to plan an entire expedition with only €1,000 in my pocket!

After high school, I went to study law. At the same time, I passed the exam to become a ski instructor. Then I realised that I ticked all the different tours you need to apply to become a Chamonix guide. At the time, my father told me he would be happy to help me finance my guide training, but I first had to obtain a Master degree.

I went to business school in Grenoble and became a guide after this.

Did you go abroad a lot in addition to your expedition in Peru?

Yes, I joined the “FFME” (the French federation of Rock Climbing and Mountaineering) for 3 years. It was great! I had the chance to go to the USA, Morocco…

After a holiday trip to the Philippines, I decided to put together a project, the borderline project, to help an association there that helps young girls who have been sexually abused. The borderline project did not bring me too far away from Chamonix. It was a 300km loop in France, Switzerland and Italy without using any motorised vehicle.

Does your job as a Chamonix guide take 100% of your time?

No, I would say it’s 60% guiding and 40% project management. I also work with the Compagnie des Guides to prepare the 200-year celebration. Anyway, I really think being a mountain guide is an extraordinary job when you can choose when you can go out. If you are forced to go out, go with clients 100% of your time, it’s when it becomes more dangerous, and it feels more like a prison.

You are not old but can you see some sort of evolution of the role/ job of a guide?

That is for sure! The job is evolving a lot with the different impacts of climate change. A lot of tours are not really possible anymore. Because of the permafrost melting, many of the traditional routes are now too dangerous because of falling rocks. Others are only doable during a tight window every year.

The job is correlated with nature and climate change. It’s in constant evolution. When nature changes, we, as a guide, need to change our approach, the way we read the mountain etc…

What is lying ahead?

What are your current projects?

I’m trying to build my house! I think I have some skills in the mountains, but I’m really not good with a hammer.

More seriously, I’m in charge of the organisation of the 200-year celebration of the Compagnie des Guides, which is next year. Not very easy with covid, but I’m organising different events for the occasion.

Anything abroad?

I have the chance to have a fairly international clientèle. I’m currently organising, with my father, an expedition to climb one summit in the Manaslu region for next autumn. It’s in Nepal and will be 7,000+ meters.

It will be with a group of French and English clients.

Charles Romero, keeper of Refuge Chatelleret

January 19, 2021 by Thomas Viguier

Refuge Chatelleret is now under the supervision of Charles Romero. Charles has a unique job and a special function in the eyes of walkers and alpinists.

Without him, many routes, and trails would be much more difficult to reach.

Younger, he used to ski quite a lot. At a fairly young age, he fell into the refuge keeping activity and has evolved in that world ever since.

He is famously known for his hospitality and his lentils, potatoes and peas soup. While hut keeping is a busy job, he has the chance to be in one of the most beautiful parts of the French mountains, in the heart of Les Ecrins.

Follow Charles on

Instagram | Website

How you get to become the keeper at the Refuge Chatelleret

Can you quick tell us about your background?

I come from Aussois, a town in the Savoie region, in the Maurienne valley. When I was younger, I skied a lot. I ended up passing the exam to become a ski instructor.

When did you first get to a mountain hut? Did you get to Refuge Chatelleret straight away?

When I was 14-15 years old, I started to work as a hut-keeper assistant. I started at the refuge d’Averole. I did this for around 7 years.

After this, at around 21, I applied to become a keeper at the refuge des marches. It’s a fairly small one and can welcome 23 persons. I kept the refuge for roughly 5 years. It was only opened during the summer period.

I moved to Chatelleret 5 years ago. I wanted something a bit bigger, so when I heard the refuge was free, I applied and had the chance to become the new keeper. Refuge Chatelleret can welcome 70 persons and is opened in Spring and Summer.

How do you become a keeper?

As I quickly mentioned, you need to apply when there is an opening. There are very few openings, and there are many applicants. For the Chatelleret, for example, there were more than 60 applicants.

When you are selected, you essentially earn the right to operate and manage the refuge. You pay a rent to the Alpine club and all the money you make is yours.

What it means to be a refuge keeper

What do you do as a refuge keeper?

It’s really a hospitality job. It’s very much like having to manage a hotel. You welcome guests, operate a “restaurant”, managed rooms etc. The big difference is that you are in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the mountains.

How do you get food and supplies?

Good question. While the Chatelleret is not too far away, you need to walk 1.5 – 2 hours to get there, which means we need a helicopter to fly everything from the city. We have a delivery once a month. It’s approximately a 10-min flight (at €30 the minute). The helicopter can roughly carry 700kg of supply per flight.

What’s your day like?

It’s a tough job. You work a lot during the season. I woke up around 4:30 am and work non stop until 10 pm. You have to wake up early for the alpinists who need to leave early, and you go to bed quite late to welcome the late ones.

Why do people usually stop at Refuge Chatelleret?

You obviously have quite a lot of trails around. You will also find many rock climbing route, with la Meije being not too far away.

We have some regular customers, but not too many.

Where do you see yourself in the future? moving out of Refuge Chatelleret maybe?

Yes, ideally, my wife and I would like to get closer to where we live to be able to start a family and have kids.

Luke Rollnik, a Himalayan mountaineer

January 12, 2021 by Thomas Viguier

From a fairly flat country, Luke travelled to Asia to become an accomplished and driven Himalayan Mountaineer. Australian born and raised, Luke has spent most of his life away from mountains.

He will not only strike you and make you dream with his Himalayan tales; he will also contaminate you with his energy and positive attitude towards life. He not only climbs for the experience but also in memory of one of his friends who passed away.

Follow Luke on

Instagram

It all started with a dream

Can you briefly tell us about your background?

I come from Australia, a fairly flat country. I have always been a very outdoorsy person. As far as I can remember, the Himalayas have always been on my bucket list. I didn’t have anything specific in mind. I wanted to climb a mountain. The Himalayas have the biggest mountains, so I wanted to climb one of the summits there.

A few years ago, one of my friends and mentor died from cancer. It gave me extra motivation. I wasn’t going to do this for me, but also for him.

The dream became reality

How did you become a Himalayan mountaineer and climber?

In 2016, I decided to go to Nepal on my own. I went there with an organisation, World Expeditions. The objective was Island Peak (6,189m), after a trek to the Everest base camp.

I had an Australian guide who became a good friend of mine.

While Island Peak is not the highest mountains in the Himalayas nor the most technical one, I had a couple of scary experiences! At some point, we were passing crevasses walking on snow bridges. Normally, they are quite solid. The sherpa I was with went first. I quickly followed and fell through. I managed to stop the fall with my arms. We were roped up, so no specific danger, but it really scared me as a beginner.

Then, on the same ascent, we were climbing a long wall. I heard a “ping” coming from above me. Not the right reflex but I looked up and got very lucky on that one! One of the climber before us had dropped a carabiner. It felt, hit the rock, and missed my face by a few centimetres. It would have been like a bullet hitting my face!

Were you attracted by the height?

At the time, I didn’t really care about the height. I just wanted to climb a mountain. It never really occurred to me that I could become a “Himalayan mountaineer”. But this first climb made me want to go for one of the 8,000’ers.

What did you do after that first experience?

After my first Himalayan experience, I realised that I needed to improve and learn. I decided to go to New Zealand (which is quite close to Australia). I went there with a group of 4, including our guide, a French mountaineer called Jean-Baptiste.

There, we climbed a few Peaks. The objective was really to perfect my technique and develop my skillset.

The reality became a mission

When did you go back to Nepal?

In 2018, I went back to Nepal to climb Ama Dablam – 6,812 metres (22,349ft).

2 friends who were supposed to come with me, cancelled a few weeks before leaving. Then, I broke a toe. I thought that the universe was telling me “don’t go”.

Still, I left for Nepal. I was climbing as an independent climber (not in a group). It was a great experience. I could go at my own pace.

I was quite lucky as the team was really amazing. My guides were extremely experienced – they were part of the rope fixing team on Ama Dablam and Mount Everest. They had done countless successful climbs.

Did you do anything after climbing Ama Dablam?

Once you start climbing, it becomes an emotional drug. Beyond the physical aspect (which is hard), the entire experience is full of emotions.

In 2019, as a tribute to my good friend who had died from cancer, I decided to organise the “Booka ballsy expedition”. I climbed Manaslu (8,156m), and I raised funds for the Queensland Cancer Council.

Before leaving Australia, I had packed dozens of balls (soccer, rugby… balls) to donate to local kids on my way to Manaslu. It was one of the hardest things I did!

It requires some planning to be a Himalayan mountaineer

How do you train if you want to be a Himalayan mountaineer?

I am a gym manager. I manage a team of 200+ personal trainers for a chain of gyms where I live. Thanks to my job, I have easy access to the right facilities.

Therefore, the physical part is easy for me. The more difficult side is training for the mountains.

I found a spot near where I live where I can have +/- 600m of elevation. I go there to run, usually with a weight vest and a bag full of water bottles.

How do you finance your expeditions as a Himalayan mountaineer?

I’ve had sponsorship from the National Health Fitness Activity, but it’s mostly my own money.

What’s next for you?

I am now targeting Mount Everest. If not in 2021, it will be in 2022. Then, I am very keen on Denali, which is the highest mountain in North America.

After all of this, I would also love to discover the European mountains!

Would you have any documentary you would recommend?

To get some inspiration, I would recommend the documentary “Valley Uprising”, which is on the climbing community in Yosemite, California.

Jacques Balmat, Mont-Blanc

January 5, 2021 by Thomas Viguier

Jacques Balmat or “Mont-Blanc” was born in 1762 in the Chamonix Valley.

On August 8, 1796, with his partner, Dr Michel-Gabriel Paccard, he marked history with the first ascent of Mont-Blanc.

Jacques Balmat lead Horace-Bénédict de Saussure at the top of the mountain the following year.

He was a chamois and crystal hunter but above all things a man in love with Chamonix’s mountains. He participated in creating the famous “Compagnie des Guides” in Chamonix, being one of the first guides.

Adding to the legend, he died from a mysterious death.

From hunting quartz to hunting the highest mountain in Europe

Jacques Balmat was born on January 19, 1762, in the hamlet of “Les Pélerins”, in the Chamonix valley. Two years earlier, Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, contemplating the Mont-Blanc, had promised a reward for the one who would find a way to the top of the mountain.

Balmat was born in a family of peasants. The peasant life is hard in the valley: harvesting weak crops because of the altitude and the steep terrain, managing the transhumance every year, cutting wood… “Balmat” is a fairly common name in the area, but Jacques Balmat was different. He was educated and knew how to read and write.

He was a chamois and crystal hunter. While he had a reputation (he sold a quartz mineral to Goethe in 1779), what he could earn from those activities was not enough to support his family. Attracted by the Saussure’s challenge and reward, he decides to put his skills to another objective: climbing Mont-Blanc.

Jacques Balmat’s revelation and the first ascent

One day, he bumps into a group of 3 climbers who are going to bivouac at la Montagne de la Côte. They are on their way to join two other guides, from St Gervais, at the summit of the Aiguille du Gouter.

Balmat joins them. Despite their reluctance, Jacques Balmat pushes them to the Dôme du Gouter, then towards the Mont-Blanc’s summit. Balmat finds himself astride on a very exposed ridge, only to realise that his group had abandoned him. He decides to turn back.

As it is too late to go back to the camp, he is forced to spend the night on the glacier, stomping his feet to make sure they do not freeze. While this seems like an endless and painful night, he grows from it: he learns that one can spend the night on a glacier and he now knows that Mont-Blanc is within his reach.

He starts looking for a partner. He chooses Dr Paccard, who treated his daughter before. Balmat knew he was an experienced alpinist. Michel-Gabriel Paccard quickly agrees.

They decide to be very discreet about their plans and agree to go their separate way and meet at the bivouac on Montagne de la Côte. For their ascent, they had neither a rope nor an ice axe nor crampons. Their only tool is an Alpenstock, a long wooden pole. They are also carrying a load of scientific equipment including a barometer, a thermometer, and a telescope.

On August 8, 1786, they left the bivouac around 4 am. At 6:23 pm, they reach together the top of “la Taupinère” (“molehill”) as Balmat used to call Mont-Blanc. Paccard made sure that two witnesses followed them from the valley using a telescope. He also takes his time to take some measurements. It is 6:57 pm when the two men leave the summit.

On the way down, Paccard loses the hat that protects him against the sun. Helped by Balmat, he will arrive almost blind in the valley.

Statues of H.B. De Saussure and Jacques Balmat in Chamonix, France, Europe.

Jacques Balmat, first guide on Mont-Blanc

The end of the Balmat / Paccard friendship and the second ascent

The account of the first ascent of Mont Blanc was progressively mis-told and manipulated to promote one man (Balmat) and belittle his companion (Paccard).

The instigator of this misrepresentation was Marc-Theodore Bourrit, another Alpine traveller who had himself failed to find a route to Mont Blanc’s summit and who wrote accounts of the successful ascent denigrating the role Paccard played and promoting Balmat as the “braver and fitter” leader. In fact, it had been Paccard who was the leader of the two and who reached the summit first. Sadly, the damage was done by now, and Balmat continued to boast in a conceited way about his part in the ascent, and Chamonix chose to believe him. This broke up the Paccard/Balmat friendship.

It belonged to Balmat to lead Saussure to the summit on August 3, 1787. He will find there his true consecration. The King of Sardinia (Chamonix belonged to the kingdom of Sardinia) award him the name “Balmat le Mont-Blanc”. This gives him strong notoriety.

Despite his new status, Balmat will not change his way of life. He will climb Mont-Blanc 11 times, with clients as a guide or for his own pleasure. He will lead Marie Paradis in 1809 to the top of the mountain. She will become the first woman to climb the highest mountains in the Alps successfully.

Jacques Balmat climbs Mont-Blanc, for the last time, in 1817. In 1821 when the “Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix” is created, his name is the first of the 34 guides.

He dies in the mountain at 72 years old. Nobody will ever find his body.