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Archives for April 2021

Julia Roger-Veyer, Action photographer

April 28, 2021 by Thomas Viguier

Julia Roger-Veyer is a brilliant photographer based in Chamonix.

While listening to her story makes it obvious she was made to be there, her journey is not necessarily a straight path to the mountains. Like a natural call, she made a move in her life and found her inner balance, with a lifestyle much more connected with Nature and the Mountains.

She worked with the famous PGHM in Chamonix and now works with ENSA (École Nationale de Ski et d’Alpinisme) and a professional action photographer.

Follow Julia Roger-veyer on

Instagram


Growing up in Paris and first contact with Chamonix

Where are you from? Do you come around Chamonix?

I used to be a Parisian (laugh). I was born and grew up in the capital. We had the chance to live in the centre and could benefit from loads of different activities.

My grandparents lived in Savoie, and they spent a lot of their free time in the mountains – they were much more than mountain enthusiasts; they were passionate. In some way, they transferred that passion to me.

I started discovering Chamonix when I turned eleven when my grandparents moved there.

Younger, what was your link with the mountains?

I worked very early in mountain shops – I got my first job around fifteen, I think. In Paris, I registered with a climbing club.

When I turned sixteen/ eighteen years old, I started high alpine mountaineering. I wanted to be autonomous very quickly, so I made every effort to learn as fast as I can!

What did you want to do, professionally speaking?

Younger, I wanted to become a doctor, working with the first rescue team in mountainous environments – I wanted to be on a helicopter (laugh). But, when I reached university, medical studies did not work out for me. I dropped and went to Belgium to follow a training to become a physiotherapist.

  • Julie Roger-Veyer - Jeff Mercier
  • Julie Roger-Veyer - montagne

Vocation is calling, back to Chamonix

You were far from the mountains. What was the process between Belgium and Chamonix?

Yes indeed! Well, the process was simple. Fairly quickly, I decided to move to Chamonix for good. When I came back, I worked for the shop I used to work at when I was younger!

My mother was supportive in the process, but I remember she was a bit worried (smile).

I had in mind to become a firefighter and do the required tours to become a mountain guide.

At the same time, the gendarmerie platoon was looking for new personnel. I was fortunate enough to get the job, and I did five years with the “PGHM”. It gave me some time to prepare the tours for the guiding training.

Did you do all your routes? Did you apply to become a guide?

I did many of them, but unfortunately, I wasn’t a great skier, and I had some problems with my shoulder, so climbing wasn’t easy for me.

In 2012-2015, I trained to become a nurse. I started working at the hospital and then became a nurse, in 2019, at École Nationale de Ski et d’Alpinisme (ENSA), in Chamonix. It has been my main activity since. It was vital for me to stay in Chamonix. It’s a place I love.

You are also a professional photographer; how did this happen?

My grandfather was taking a lot of photos. I took that from him. I started seriously ten years ago, as a hobby first, then professionally.

Now I have that double hat: nurse and photographer. Being a photographer is fantastic. It leads to meeting so many people; it’s crazy.

Julie Roger-Veyer - rappel
What has been one of your best encounters?

When I was seventeen, I had the chance to meet Isabelle Santoire, a Canadian mountain guide who lives in Chamonix. She has been a role model ever since. She is a very inspiring woman, full of great stories.

A few years back, she helped me when she invited me to join her at an Arcteryx event; it helped me kick start my activities as a photographer.

What happened since then?

Many things! I started a photography club around technique. We also organise a contest. Although I don’t consider myself an “artist” photographer, I would like to launch more arty projects.

Recently, I’ve had the chance to work with the brand Lagoped, which has been excellent.

That’s great. Does your family share some of your passions?

Not at all (smile). All my family lives in Paris. I have two brothers; one is a lawyer, the other one a graphic designer.

photo skieur
In the end, what motivated you to come and live in Chamonix?

It’s pretty simple, the contact with Nature. I like the fact that I can look through the window and see animals. I like the idea that when my kid comes back from school, they can play in the forest before doing their homework. It gives you this sense of balance in your life.

From your place in the Alps, what can you observe as signs of climate change?

I think the most symbolic one is the Mer de Glace. It’s incredible how much it has melted over the past few years.

More than that, the weather and the temperature are highly erratic. Temperatures can go from -20 degrees one day to zero or even more the other day.

Maxime Lainé and “les engagés”

April 21, 2021 by Thomas Viguier

Maxime Lainé and his group “les engagés” will definitely make you wonder – “can I also do it”?

If you think you could do “more” with your life; if you believe that your life may need a bit of spice; Maxime will inspire you. With “les engagés”, they do not pretend to be the next Mike Horn.

They are leading “ordinary” life but also decided to include their share of adventure.

They demonstrate that adventure does not have to be the luxury of a few individuals on this planet.

Follow Maxime Lainé on

Instagram | Les Engagés


Before joining “les engagés”

Can you tell us a bit about your background?

I grew up in the countryside and spent a lot of time in the mountains during the winter seasons. My father was a ski instructor, so I started skiing at a very young age, and I also started climbing reasonably early.

I put everything “on the side” for my studies. I went to business school in France and had the chance to travel to Australia, where I did a lot of surfing. Australia is a pretty outdoorsy country, so even though I wasn’t skiing, I was out there, in nature, quite often.

What’s your full-time occupation?

I work for our family business. We manufacture hygiene products and distribute them in health and care centres like hospitals, retirement homes, or pharmacies.

Before this, I started Weesurf, a startup in the surf business. It was an app combining weather forecasts and ideal surf spots. We had raised money, and the adventure lasted four years. Unfortunately, it did not reach our expectations, and we decided to wind down the business.

Maxime Lainé with Les Engagés
Tents in storm

Maxime Laine, one of the founders of “les engagés”

How did your group “les engagés” come up?

With Weesurf, we were incubated at Station F – one of the largest, if not the largest Startup incubator in the world. We had an internal chat with more than 1,000 people. One day, one of the members (Thomas, who is part of “les engagés”) posted, “is there someone keen to go with me, for an expedition, in Greenland?”.

I responded straight away, “yes”, without even telling my girlfriend, thinking that I needed to be the first to react as tonnes of people would be keen – I ended up being the only one (laugh).

I went for a drink with Thomas, and, in May 2018, we went for our first expedition in Greenland. It took us six months to organise, and in the end, we were a group of five and a guide.

Greenland was not very technical. Thomas and I met Valentin during the journey. We decided to form “les Engagés”.

What is the vision behind les engagés?

Two common things drive us. The first one is envy to discover the world. The second is the wish to demonstrate that adventure is not something “extraordinary”. We want to show that it be part of ordinary life.

Most importantly, we want to demonstrate that by committing as a team, you can achieve a vision that is greater than ourselves.

After you decided to create “les engagés”, where did you go?

In 2019, we decided to climb the Aconcagua without a guide.

Isn’t it considered dangerous?

Not really. You need to prepare for sure, but there is no glacier, which means no crevasses, it’s one of the biggest dangers with high mountains.

Now we’ve done it; I think that the Aconcagua is an excellent way to start high mountaineering. It’s an “easy” one.

What did you do in 2020?

We wanted to go somewhere cold, so we chose to go to North Cape, north of the Arctic Circle, in the middle of winter. It was a challenging mission as you spend three weeks in the night. It becomes very tricky to navigate and find your route. Sometimes, you literally don’t see anything, and you are on moving lands.

The expedition took us three weeks, and we came back in January.

Les Engagés - Greenland
Climbing training

What the future hold for “les engagés”

Do you know what your next project’s going to be?

Yes! We plan to go to Narranjo de Bulnes, in Spain. We wanted to get the experience of climbing a “big wall”. The route is not super technical.

Because we will sleep there, it requires a lot of preparation, particularly with the equipment, most specifically with the portaledge.

Did you follow any specific training to have the confidence to go on those adventures?

Not really. We’ve been very outdoorsy people, so we’ve accumulated some experience being out there, in the mountains, for example.

Other than that, I followed a first aid rescue training at the hospital in Chamonix.

How do you choose your expeditions?

We like discovering new places and new environment, so generally speaking, we are trying to find a diverse panel of things we will do.

In parallel, we also want them to be a challenge. We are not reckless, so we are not going to choose crazy challenging projects. We just want to ask ourselves the question, “can we do it?”.

If I had to give two reasons: one, it has to be a project that resonate with us and excite us, second, it needs to be something we couldn’t do alone and where we can only succeed as a team.

Do you have any sponsors?

For our first expedition, we raised a bit of money, but it did not cover everything. We then found brands and professionals helping us get equipment, like the Vieux Campeur.

Regarding financing, we would be thrilled to manage to find partners that could cover our expeditions’ costs because they are not cheap.

How much do you usually budget?

It depends on the project. To give you an example, we would like to cross Greenland with Kites. It would take more or less 40 days and represent a budget of c.€30K per person.

What’s expensive is not the stay on site. Once you are in Greenland, in the middle of nowhere, you won’t spend that much on bars and hotels (laugh).

What can cost a lot of money is the logistic. There is usually no airport where we want to go. It means we need to find ways to transport our equipment in a very remote area. For that project, for instance, we need something like 120kg of gear per person.

In addition to logistic and transport, we need to pay for permits and insurance. Those are not cheap!

Arnaud Cottet, skier and entrepreneur

April 6, 2021 by Thomas Viguier

Arnaud Cottet

Arnaud Cottet is a Swiss free-skier and entrepreneur. Since a young age, he has based and dedicated his life to the mountains and to skiing.

From Alpine ski to freestyle, Arnaud is now a photographer, video maker, and founder of the sunglasses brand – Glacier Optics.

He has participated in numerous ski and mountain projects in Europe and abroad. “We ride in Iran” was one of his big projects, where he contributed to developing the freeride scene and community in Iran.

If you want to understand how to combine professional life and passion, Arnaud can be your model.

Follow Arnaud Cottet on

Instagram | Website | Glacier Optics

Arnaud Cottet - Profile 2
credits: Ruedi Flück
Arnaud Cottet - Profile 3
credits: Ruedi Flück

Arnaud Cottet, the skier

Can you give us a short introduction?

I’m Swiss and have always lived in Switzerland. I have been travelling for years around the world for skiing. Mainly for ski expedition, but also as a freestyle ski judge.

I mostly skied in Wallis and Alpes vaudoise. Younger, I did my share of alpine racing, then skicross and finally freestyle. I had a solid level as I participated in the ski-cross world cup when I was around 20 years old.

After this, I stopped alpine skiing and moved to freestyle. I registered to the Geneva Freestyle Club, which was the only club at the time (laugh).

The Club allowed me to meet people with whom I started organising trips – mostly freeride-oriented projects. That was a great learning curve for me as I was hanging out with generally older and inspiring people.

I studied entrepreneurship at Fribourg Business School. In parallel, I had many different projects with skiing, for which I started producing videos.

Can you tell us more about “We Ride in Iran”?

In 2012, I went for the first time to Iran with my friend Benoit Goncerut. Along with a Swiss radio channel, we wanted to help people discover what it was like to ski in Iran. More than that, it was also to meet with the locals and learn more about Iran and Iranians. That’s how the project We ride in Iran started.

We spent two months there. When we came back, people hallucinated when we told them we spent so much time in Iran (they thought it was a dangerous place) and second when they saw the pictures and videos.

After that first trip, we had met and become friends with a few people over there. We went back to Iran a few times to organise a freestyle championship. We had help from the Swiss Ski Federation.

Was it challenging to organise all of this there? How much is skiing developed in Iran?

Everything takes much time. All the infrastructure and equipment is quite old. That said, quite many people do ski, usually the wealthier ones of Tehran or the people living in the mountain. In the winter, when you leave Teheran to go to the mountains, you have a traffic jam to go to the ski slopes!

This idea you may have about Iran is a “hot” / “desertic” country, so you don’t think about mountains or snow, but that’s not reality; people do like the mountains and ski.

Arnaud Cottet - Profile 4
credits: Ruedi Flück
Arnaud Cottet - Profile 5
credits: Ruedi Flück

Arnaud, the entrepreneur

What do you do to earn a living?

I do a few things. Thanks to my background in ski freestyle, I am a judge. I travel a fair amount around the world for different competitions. It is quite severe as I was a judge for the latest Olympic Games.

Since 2012, I’ve been a teacher. I usually teach over September, October, November, May and June, which gives me a lot of time during the winter months to ski, judge, work on other projects.

Finally, in 2018, I launched a sunglasses brand, Glacier Optics. We produce, as much as possible, locally.

How do you become a judge?

Freestyle is a small world. I started competing, and you meet people. Very quickly, I got acquainted with the Federation in Switzerland. One thing leading to another, you are proposed to judge, and that’s it really (smile).

How did you get the idea for Glacier Optics?

In 2018, I was in Alaska. The weather was quite bad, so we did not have so much chance to get out there, so we started thinking.

When I got back, together with my friend Benoit Goncerut, We got the idea of launching a sunglasses brand with the vision to connect with the sources and origins of mountaineering. We wanted to bring back that spirit from the great first ascents.

More than just a product, we launched Glacier Optics to tell a story.

Fairfield Horseshoe, one of the most popular walks in the UK

April 1, 2021 by endorfeen

The Fairfield Horseshoe walk is one of the most famous and popular hikes in the Lake District. It is an 18km (11.2 mi) journey that will take you roughly 6 to 8 hours to complete. This is a challenging horseshoe-shaped walk (c.1,000m / 3280ft ascent), which takes you on a tour of some of the Lake District’s most beautiful fells.

You will go through some of the most typical landscape Cumbria has to offer: large ridges covered with grassy summits that will remind you of alpine pastures.

The walk begins at Ambleside and heads towards Rydal Mount (the historic home of William Wordsworth). You climb to Heron Pike and then onto Great Rigg and Fairfield before returning to Ambleside via Dove Crag, High Pike and Low Pike.

The views are spectacular, with Rydal Water, Grasmere, Lake Windermere and Coniston Water visible from the peaks.

Fairfield Horseshoe, the basics

General information about the walk

There is no specific season for the Fairfield Horseshoe as it is accessible all year long. That said, sunny days are rare, and you will want to avoid days where clouds are touching the summits. It would highly decrease the general interest of the walk, blocking the panoramic and scenic views.

The paths are well defined; however, one should take care of Fairfield’s summit where in poor visibility, there is the danger of steep drops to the north and west. You will not find any specific difficulty or challenge.

Equipment for the Fairfield Horseshoe

Some of the key things you may want to bring with you:

  • Walking Boots
  • Waterproof Jacket and trousers
  • Rucksack
  • Warm tops
  • Spare clothing
  • Hat & Gloves
  • Suitable clothing for walking (no jeans)
  • Packed lunch
  • Water bottle/Thermos Flask
  • Torch and whistle

The walk

The ascent

Take north in the direction to Rydal. There are two options, following the road all along or taking a path on the right after Scandale Bridge.

In the centre of Rydal, take the steep path going through the valley, going up north. Leave it to take another way on the left that goes up among ferns. You will aim for the first mount of the day: Nab Scar. Going out of the ferns, you will now enjoy a more open view of Rydall Water and the valley of Ambleside.

The footpath is now clear. It will continue towards the next peak: Heron Pike. From the top, you will be able to see the entire itinerary. The long route follows the ridges to Great Rigg and then Fairfield, which marks Rydel Fell’s end. You will go back down through Hart Crag, Dove Crag, High Pike and Low Pike.

Fairfield’s summit is large and flat. You will see some small walls made of stones. To the east, you will enjoy a fantastic view of the large valleys. To the north, you will see the small lake of Grisedale Tarn as well as of Helvellyn.

The descent

Take the footpath south-east that goes towards Dove Crag. It is a bit steeper and rockier than the others. You will then follow a beautiful wall, which is particularly handy when the visibility is poor.

You will go down to High Pike, then towards Low Pike, where the little wall follows the ridges like a miniature version of China’s Great Wall. Go on towards the ferns; you will soon join beautiful pastures among the trees where you will follow a path leading back to Ambleside.

Fairfield Horseshoe - jordan__vance
Fairfield Horseshoe - Winter - jordan__vance

Wainwright’s fells on the Fairfield Horseshoe

The route is an eight summit circuit of the ridges around the breathtaking valley that surround Rydal Beck. You will be able to find a more exhaustive list of the highest mountains in England in our dedicated article Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England.

Nab Scar – 440 metres

Nab Scar is a fell in the English Lake District, which stands above Rydal Water. Its summit bears a large cairn. The view westwards is extensive, with the Central Fells seen to particular effect.

Heron Pike – 612 metres

Heron Pike is a fell in the English Lake District, two kilometres east of Grasmere. It is part of the Fairfield group in the Eastern Fells. It should not be confused with the Heron Pike that forms part of Sheffield Pike, although it appears that, by coincidence, both Heron Pikes are the same height.

Ascents of the fell start either from Rydal or Grasmere; the ascent from Grasmere allows you to visit Alcock Tarn after a short detour. However, most walkers who visit Heron Pike do so either on the way to or on the way back from Fairfield’s main fell.

Great Rigg – 766 metres

Great Rigg is a fell in the English Lake District, 7 kilometres (4½ miles) north-north-west of Ambleside and reaching a height of 766 metres (2,513 feet). It is most often climbed as part of the Fairfield horseshoe.

However, a direct ascent of sorts can be done from Grasmere up the south-west ridge taking in Stone Arthur on the way. You can continue the walk to Fairfield and Seat Sandal before returning to Grasmere to complete a 10-km circular walk.

Fairfield – 873 metres

Fairfield is one of the most popular fells in the Lake District (England, UK) because of the multiple hiking routes it offers. It is most commonly climbed as the high point of the Fairfield horseshoe.

Hart Crag – 822 metres

Hart Crag is a fell in the English Lake District, one of the Fairfield group of hills in the Eastern Fells.

The summit of Hart Crag has a covering of rock with rich turf showing through. Two cairns mark the ends of a short ridge running along the top, with other cairns giving guidance to Deepdale and Dovedale’s viewpoints. The highest point is at the south-eastern end of the summit area, a little to the west of the main path. The view is good westward to the Scafells and toward the Far Eastern Fells, but Fairfield and Dove Crag obscure much of the District.

credits: lizziehasgonehillwalking

Dove Crag – 792 metres

Dove Crag is a fell in the English Lake District. In the Eastern Fells of the national park, seven kilometres south-south-west of Glenridding, it reaches a height of 792 metres (2,598 feet).

One would climb Dove Crag as part of the Fairfield horseshoe walk, but a direct ascent from Patterdale is required to show the fell’s full potential, displaying the impressive crags just to the northeast of the summit.

High Pike – 656 metres

High Pike is a fell in the English Lake District, five kilometres north of Ambleside. High Pike reaches a height of 656 metres (2,152 ft). It is sometimes referred to as Scandale Fell, although this name only applies to the high ground at the head of Scandale.

High Pike is often climbed as part of the Fairfield horseshoe walk. The ascent from Ambleside leaves the centre of the town to the north.

Low Pike – 508 metres

Low Pike is a small fell in the English Lake District. It has a modest height of 508 m (1,667 ft) and is three kilometres north of Ambleside. Low Pike is well seen from the town’s streets as the first prominent fell on the ridge, which continues northwards for a further four kilometres to Fairfield. This ridge is part of the Fairfield horseshoe walk, and Low Pike is most commonly climbed as part of this.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Fairfield Horseshoe

How long does the Fairfield Horseshoe take?

The Fairfield Horseshoe walk will take you approximately 6 to 8 hours. It is 18km (11.2 mi) long with a substantial elevation (c.1,000m / 3280ft ascent), making the walk more challenging.

Where is the Fairfield Horseshoe?

Fairfield Horseshoe is taking you from Ambleside towards Rydal Mount to Fairfield Peak and back to Ambleside. It is located in the Lake District, in England (United Kingdom).

How many Wainwright fells are on Fairfield Horseshoe?

The Fairfield Horseshoe walk will take you on top of 8 Wainwright fells (Nab Scar, Heron Pike, Great Rigg, Fairfield, Hart Crag, Dove Crag, High Pike and Low Pike).

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