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"The higher we go, the more our body deteriorates": the confessions of Himalayan Sophie Lavaud on survival in "death zones"

2022-04-04T13:31:42.532Z


Interview.- An experienced Himalayan mountaineer, the Frenchwoman spends more than 100 nights a year above 5,000 meters above sea level. She delivers the keys to survival in a hostile environment.


She is the first Frenchwoman to have climbed 12 peaks over 8000 meters, out of the 14 listed in the world.

For Himalayan mountaineer Sophie Lavaud, 53, the beginnings of her devouring passion for the most dangerous peaks go back almost 20 years.

In 2004, a friend wanted to take up the challenge of climbing to the top of Mont Blanc.

For a year at his side, she devotes all her free time and all of her holidays to preparing for this challenge.

At the time, she was in her thirties, a novice but passionate about the mountains since childhood.

After having worked as director of sales and marketing at the Richemond hotel, she worked at Clarins and then ran an event organization company in the finance sector with her brother.

The economic crisis of 2008 got the better of the family business and led the siblings to close the company.

We are then in 2011: "At that time I discovered that I finally had time, I said to myself: 'I want to flirt with the 8000', without thinking of getting there".

By "the 8000", hear peaks that rise to 8000 meters or more, such as Everest, K2 (summit of the Karakoram range, on the Sino-Pakistani border and second summit in the world after Everest) , or the Annapurna I. Not very interested in performance, she says to do "one summit at a time", without setting more

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Sophie Lavaud climbs most of the time and lives in Switzerland, where she also gives conferences based on her experience.

Her analogies between the world of work and survival in the mountains are appealing: "The lessons that we learn by managing a team on a base camp are useful to managers in companies", she says.

It's very hard, austere… You have to imagine that we spend weeks and weeks above 5000 meters.

Sophie Lavaud

In order to climb Everest, you have to raise 50,000 dollars for a two-month expedition (this can go up to 70,000 dollars).

This includes flight, base camp logistics, meals, oxygen, permit, Sherpa's salary accompanying you and tents.

If Sophie Lavaud sets up crowdfunding, becomes godmother of a Swiss NGO to always “associate a summit with a project”, it is then that it thickens.

In the field.

Frostbite on the feet and hands, lack of oxygen, hallucinations, impaired judgment skills, snow blindness... many people have not returned from certain climbs.

How to survive in such a hostile environment for several months?

Sophie Lavaud, met during mountain risk management training days organized by Victor Daviet,

Read also“The mortality rate in Everest is really enormous”: before the Vendée Globe 2024, sailor Maxime Sorel will set off to attack the roof of the world

Miss Figaro.

-

Why are there so few women on these high altitude expeditions?


Sophie Lavaud.-

The higher you go, the less they are present.

This is due to blockages;

the fact of not daring, of not feeling capable… Hence the slogan that we had chosen, “Women who dare” during the expedition to Dhaulagiri, which brought together several mountaineers from different countries.

The idea was not to show off the muscles, but to encourage other women to dare.

At the same time, we supported a project to improve the chances of survival for pregnant women and newborns in the Himalayas.

Often it is also difficult for women to abandon their families and children during the two months that an expedition lasts.

It's very hard, austere… You have to imagine that we spend weeks and weeks above 5000 meters.

A base camp is located on a glacier or a moraine (

a pile of blocks and rocky debris, driven by the sliding movement of a glacier, editor's note

).

These are places where there is no more vegetation, only stones and snow.

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"Man or woman, in the mountains only skills count"

You also have to be ready to live outside all the time, without a toilet, for example.

It is above all the long-term discomfort that makes the experience difficult.

In an expedition that lasts two months, if I manage to do three shampoos, that's the maximum.

You have to put your femininity aside, and many are those who are immediately put off by all of these aspects.

Physically, what are the biggest difficulties?


The higher we climb, the less easily we breathe.

Hypoxia occurs when the amount of oxygen supplied to the organs and muscles by the blood is insufficient.

This lack of oxygen impairs our decision-making capacity in crucial moments.

It's a real discipline, and it takes practice.

I naturally impose myself to have a healthy lifestyle.

If I know that I am going to the mountains, the day before I will systematically refuse the dinners that I am offered.

These are minute details that eventually become automatic and it's no different for men.

The sacrifices to reach a summit of 8000 meters are identical.

Full screen

Sophie Lavaud during mountain risk management training days, organized by Victor Daviet.

RemiPetit_SafetyShredDays

How do we live from this passion that is high-level mountaineering?


The search for sponsors takes a lot of time and energy.

Equipment partners are great, but that's not enough to live on.

The months I'm in Switzerland, I manage to make a living from the conferences I give, the rest of the time I'm financed by sponsors.

It's a choice, but when you want to hang on, you find solutions.

What are the steps for setting up a high altitude tent?


When we are above 6000, 8000 meters, we are in death zones, the context is extreme.

Our survival depends on the tent and the base camp.

The first thing we do is therefore to climb it, often on steep slopes.

You must first make a horizontal platform by packing the snow to avoid being in danger.

Then, remember to always be at least two people to set up a tent, in which we put all our equipment to protect it, leaving the crampons and ice axes outside.

The next step is to inflate the mattresses and get changed, so as not to carry wet things on you.

Then the goal is to get snow to boil water, it's really the main activity at altitude.

Water boils at 60 degrees,

What is the hardest part of this environment?


Find funding!

Seriously, the two greatest qualities of a Himalayan are patience and selflessness.

In the world of expedition it is no longer us who decide, we are dependent on the weather.

Like a little mouse trying to make its way and come down healthy.

If the weather isn't good we have to wait, that requires an interesting flexibility in a world where everything is planned, organised, timed.

Sometimes we wake up at base camp, it's snowing, there's nothing to do and it becomes a real luxury.

I still try to set myself one task a day, it doesn't seem like much, but they are very different rhythms.

Because of hypoxia, we have to be careful not to fall into the trap of lethargy.

As everything is difficult and constraining,

Who do you surround yourself with for your expeditions?


I work with a Chamonix-based meteorologist, Yan Giezendanner, who sends me weather reports every day.

With Dawa Sangay, my Sherpa, we decide what we are going to do.

We have to go up for acclimatization nights, before reaching a summit.

You have to sleep at altitude several times in order to acclimatize your body.

The higher we climb, the more our body deteriorates, so we have to go down to recover at base camp.

It's really a place to live with common areas and cooks who take care of us.

I don't read novels in high altitude camps, that's extra weight.

Sophie Lavaud

When you climb, every gram on your back counts.

How best to organize the necessary equipment to suffer as little as possible?


As I work with a Sherpa, we share the load.

We go the same way back and forth, but when I carry 12 kilos, he carries 25. The first time, we bring the sleeping bags and mattresses up to camp one, then we go back down empty, and so on with the first aid kits and all technical equipment.

I don't read novels in high altitude camps, that's extra weight.

Besides, I don't listen to music either.

Contrary to popular belief, we are very busy.

Every morning, for example, the tent must already be thawed… And this activity of “heating water” is surely the most time-consuming.

On the clothing side, we undress to sleep, keeping only thick tights, a merino sweater, and presto,

What if you dream of one day climbing the Himalayas?


I get a lot of requests from people who dream of doing Everest!

When you are a complete novice and you have no entourage to guide you, the best thing is to join an alpine club.

These are financially affordable organizations where you have access to very professional mountaineering training.

If you want to go trekking, you have to train by hiking, but to climb the Himalayas, you have to do mountaineering.

I never thought I could last without sleep for thirty-nine hours.

Sophie Lavaud

The more expensive solution is to go with a mountain guide, but offering his services every weekend is a real budget.

You also need to build muscle.

With hypoxia, the body understands very quickly that it has less oxygen and it concentrates on the vital organs.

The first danger is frostbite on the fingers and toes since the body does not send oxygen to the extremities.

For the muscles it's a bit the same thing, so I do cardio and indoor climbing, at least once a week.

Obviously you have to spend as much time as possible in the mountains, in order to handle crampons, ice axes and ropes every week.

The practice leads to the automatisms that will be essential once out of the Alps,

Is there an age limit to get started?


No, as long as we're healthy, we can go.

It's obvious, with the years, we have better endurance.

A summit can be 12, 15 or 20 hours of progress, you have to be able to hold on.

What is your role on the Safety Shred Days?


I came as an ambassador for Recco, a rescue system that helps locate a victim buried under an avalanche.

During the Safety Shred Days, which train in risk management in the mountains, I give advice, especially for sleeping in a tent.

I like to share my experience and it's important to make as many people as possible aware of mountain rescue.

I am always very touched by the interest of people and their kindness towards me.

If I finish the 14 summits, I will be the fifth woman in the world to succeed in this challenge, the first Swiss woman and the first French human!

Sophie Lavaud

What is your main motivation?


I like the team spirit and the complementarity of skills.

In the book I wrote,

A Woman, 7 Summits, 10 Secrets

, the subtitle is

Praise of Knowledge Follow

.

In the Himalayas, there is a lot of testosterone.

When some get to the top, they think they are the kings of the world and quickly forget all the people who got them there.

They obscure the cook at base camp, for example, who is a key figure in this success.

The goal is to revalue the teams as in business.

In the end, the challenge is not my driving force, what I like is the human adventure.

If I finish the 14 summits, I will be the fifth woman in the world to succeed in this challenge, the first Swiss and the first French human!

Today I miss three to get there.

What does it feel like when you get to the top?


It's a great satisfaction, but the finish is only halfway, then you have to go down!

I like to tell myself that we are capable of doing completely crazy things.

I never would have thought I could last without sleep for thirty-nine hours, for example... Don't forget to realize your dreams, to embrace your incredible resources.

And if you have something in your stomach, go for it.

Source: lefigaro

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