Chamonix—The Maiden Voyage

After experiencing a taste of Chamonix on the Julbo media trip, I vowed to return.

Four months later, I arrived on a stormy September night, hauling two duffel bags stuffed with climbing gear and a foldable kayak—having flown in from an expedition to eastern Greenland; checked into an Airbnb across from Le téléphérique de l'Aiguille du Midi; and met Christian Lanley, my would-be climbing partner, for the very first time.

Christian and I, along with two friends who worked at Cotopaxi (my sponsor at the time,) immediately got to work: over the course of two weeks, we climbed the south face of the Aiguille du Midi straight into a blizzard; ran laps on the Arête des Cosmiques; and tackled the Aiguilles d'Entrèves. We spent rainy days pulling on plastic in a tiny gym, doing via feretta courses, and eating cheap pizza.

The experience allowed Christian and me to find great synergy; so we set our sights on more serious missions.