Review of the three sessions that took place a few days ago in Chamonix as part of the Millet Safety Camp.
After having organized for nine of its clients a hike of 100 kilometers and 7000 meters of positive altitude difference on the GR5 last year, Millet has this time selected several lucky participants for its Millet Safety Camp. On the program this time, workshops on mountain safety via outings around Chamonix.
"The main theme was avalanche risk," explains Pierre Desmottes, Millet's communications manager, who was on hand for the occasion. "For the past four or five years, we've been organizing Safety Academies for our customers, which are theoretical training sessions in the store with a member of the Millet staff and a guide. This year, we wanted to do it in field mode. After the contest we organized, the participants were drawn and the five French winners were able to come with the person of their choice. Obviously, we made sure that the selected participants knew how to ski touring or at least how to ski downhill at a good level. There were different profiles, it was interesting. We welcomed them during a first evening in Chamonix for theoretical lessons before going on to ski touring the next day.
All participants were supervised by certified guides. "We had three different groups during the week, divided according to nationality to allow for groups in which everyone spoke the same language," said Pierre Desmottes. The Francophones (photos in this article) had a ski touring trip that was moved to Megeve, as it had snowed heavily at the beginning of the week in Chamonix. We preferred a flatter terrain and less dangerous for avalanches. The participants were advised by members of the Compagnie des guides de Chamonix, which Millet has equipped for a long time. The same goes for the Spanish and Italian groups, who were accompanied by guides from Cervinia. The German, Swiss and Austrian participants were supported by guides from Grindelwald. "These three guide companies are equipped by Millet," says Pierre Desmottes.
In the field, the mountaineers and amateur skiers were able to better understand how to read the terrain, where to go and where to avoid, the risks of avalanches, how to use a shovel and probe, and how to use a DVA. "Each participant received a Polartec Alpha" adds Pierre Desmottes. "It's a protection that we use at Millet for our ski touring equipment. It is a great ratio of warmth, lightness and breathability, ideal for ski touring. Some people were also able to test a first layer that we will launch at Millet next season. It is constructed in the form of a net and allows perspiration to pass through while drying quickly.
If the pictures made you want to be there, Millet organizes on the same principle a Steep Camp next March in Cervinia. "It will focus on steep skiing and you will need to have a very good level of freeride or ski touring to take part, in addition to some mountaineering skills" concludes Pierre Desmottes. Notice to the amateurs!
