Ice as far as the eye can see, a temperature close to minus 50 degrees, no trace of humanity during the 3,000 km ski trip to Alaska: this is what awaits Matthieu Bélanger, 32, and Loury Lag, 33 , as of this Sunday. The two explorers from Montpellier (Hérault) and Bordeaux (Gironde) will continue their four-and-a-half-month trek, embellished with 1,350 km by bike, to arrive at the foot of Mount Denali, the highest peak in North America. Beyond this feat, which will later include six others of the same kind, the duo challenges by the course of each person's life, between violence, delinquency, illicit substances, and even prison.
The project called Icarus, the ascent of the seven highest peaks on each continent, Aconcagua (6,962 m, South America), Denali (6,190 m, North America), Elbrouz (5,642 m, Europe), Kilimanjaro (5,892 m, Africa), Everest (8848 m, Asia), Puncak Jaya (4884 m, Oceania), and Vinson (4892, Antarctica), without motor vehicle, assistance, oxygen, and guide, which will last until 2026, was born three years ago in the mind of Matthew, after a five-year round the world trip.
"I had a big dream and no idea how to make it happen," says the former carpenter and diving instructor. I wanted to do something that no one had ever done. An odyssey where you leave without having if you are going to arrive, so immense that you do not even know if it is feasible. After having climbed Aconcagua two years ago, an article was devoted to him at the end of 2018 in Le Parisien where he said he was looking for a pair.
Winner in 2017 of "Return to the primary instinct", a reality TV show, Loury Lag has the same profile: "I answered without knowing. A few days later, Matthieu called me back and explained his project to me. We soon realized that we had a lot in common. The same age, the same very pronounced taste for adventure, the same respect for Mike Horn (the "King" as they call him), and a very eventful adolescence which taught them how to survive.
The hell of drugs and life on the street
In rebellion very early with his father, Matthieu fell into excess: “I took my first drunk at 12 years old. At 14, it was ecstasy and cocaine. I didn't want to hear about my father anymore, so I left at that age. I was extremely happy alone, without any ties or constraints. And above all, Eugène, his wandering grandpa who told his extraordinary stories at the end of family meals, gave him a taste for adventure.
Until his 25th birthday, Loury also experienced all the drifts. A hyperactive child, his father regularly beat him. He also knows the hell of drugs and lives on the street. One day, the son of the president of the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Bordeaux had the bad idea of looking at him askance. He sequestrated him with a weapon and spent almost a year in prison. He then leaves for the United States, which he crosses barefoot, then returns to France to make a fortune in the construction of green houses.
When she was very young, she was also diagnosed with congenital analgesia, a disease that prevents her from feeling any pain: “I always had the feeling of being indestructible. Suddenly, I do not control anything and I do everything thoroughly. It cost me two cardiac arrests at 21 and 25…. I have a very secure ego and a lot of self-confidence, even if I still don't know who I really am. "
"Loury, it's fire, and I'm blowing the cold"
Each expedition will last a minimum of four months, and as much for preparation. With these two volcanic temperaments, one would expect sparks. "Loury, it's fire, and I'm blowing the cold," smiles Matthieu. This does not prevent us from having a real connection. "We argue, but we respect each other," replies his friend. I made it clear to Matthew that I don't have time for the unsaid. He is my safeguard. He is preparing, I have no plan. When nothing is going well, I have to find one. And it makes me more dangerous. "
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Not having managed to complete the budget (300,000 euros) for the Denali, the duo will bring the families only for the end of the raid. “Olivia, my partner, has difficulty accepting the situation, recognizes Matthieu, Eugène's dad, 9 months old. I am not sure that I will do for someone what she does for me. "
A feeling more than shared by Loury: “I am 100% dedicated to my two daughters (Pita, 5, and Eli, 3). During the 4 months of the year when I see them, I even sometimes take them on my journeys. I am separated from their mom. Because of my extremism, I cannot have a romantic relationship. My wildest dream would be to understand that I have to stop sometimes. "