The euphoria of the mountains quickly subsided.
In Chamonix
,
the capital of mountaineering, the deheriting of this activity, classified by UNESCO in December 2019, stirs the consciences of those who carried out the project.
At issue: an order for the protection of natural habitats, taken one year after certification.
Bivouac is now prohibited on six major summits of the Mont-Blanc massif, and it is no longer permitted to
“voluntarily deviate from the usual routes for climbers who take the normal route of the Aiguille du Goûter or the Payot ridge
.
“Liberticide
! ”
»
protests Éric Fournier, the mayor of the town, mountaineer and crystal maker.
“This decree is dramatic
!
»
says Xavier Chappaz, honorary president of the prestigious Compagnie des Guides.
“It’s a freedom to go mountaineering, with a responsibility.
The two are linked.
What is the mountain
?
You look at a summit, you choose your equipment, your climbing companions, and you commit
!
People need this nature.
This is the breathing room of our societies.
»
A reason for travel?
“
It
’s stronger than that, mountaineering is a life
,”
insists the former avalanche dog handler.
The new Jorasses club, which has just been launched by another guide, Serge Koenig,
“defends this, the mountain which allows you to grow, to meet people.
Useless
?
»
pretends to question Chappaz by mentioning Lionel Terray's best-seller
.
“I like this conquest of the useless which makes you feel good about yourself,”
continues MP Éric Woerth, member of the club, in this vein.
A carabiner on his desk testifies to his passion.
The former minister smiles:
“It belonged to René Desmaison.
It is one of the rare objects that allows you to insure yourself and progress.
»
The controversy has escaped the general public, who are also unaware of the classification as intangible heritage of humanity of
“the art of climbing peaks and walls in high mountains, in rocky or glacial terrain”
.
However, climbing is in the spirit of the times.
But it is practiced indoors.
In town, the climbing gyms are full.
“We record 3 million entries per year, as many as the number of climbers in France,”
boasts François Petit, founder of Climb Up.
With 30 addresses, this network is the leader ahead of Arkose, which stands out with friendly neighborhood canteens.
“We promote the values of the mountains, the spirit of climbing,”
underlines this world champion, who climbed Mont Blanc at the age of 10, the Matterhorn at 12, and the Drus the same year.
The power of a day in the mountains
The melting of the glaciers and the rockfalls in the Mont-Blanc region encouraged him to change path and discover other great mountaineering sites: the Dibona,
“a very beautiful needle between Grenoble and Briançon”,
and Taghia. ,
“capital of the mountains in the Moroccan High Atlas with superb cliffs”.
His brother, Arnaud Petit, an independent guide, supervises travelers who try the outdoor adventure, in search of a unique experience, a connection to nature and
“vertical to oneself”,
to quote the beautiful story of his companion, Stéphanie Bodet, prefaced by Sylvain Tesson and now in Pocket.
“Climbing is really vertical yoga.
But very few climbers practice mountaineering.
They didn't understand the power of a day in the mountains.
In a few hours, we experience the summary of a year of life, with its dreams, its doubts, its fears, its sorrows, its joys… All in a cinema setting
,”
says Arnaud Petit.
You have to dare to take the plunge, take
a “race”,
as they say, with a guide (1).
To go where ?
“Crossing the Vallée Blanche is still wonderful
!
»
they all agree to say.
(1) With the Compagnie des guides de Chamonix
(Chamonix-guides.com),
from €370 for the 2-day ice waterfall initiation course in the Chamonix valley
(photo)
.
With independent guide Arnaud Petit
(
Vagabondsdelaverticale.wordpress.com),
6 days in Taghia, Morocco, from €1,570 based on 2 climbers, from April 3 to 8.