After their epic crossing from Alaska to Patagonia, adventurers Jérémy Vaugeois and Sophie Planque are back in Europe. Their objective: to experience a winter trip around the Baltic Sea, discovering the Baltic countries by bike and still roaming. Their film "Aux pays des brumes" will be shown at several festivals over the next few days, and will then be broadcast on Arte.
Back from their trip to America, Jérémy and Sophie had already told their story for We Rock Sport 28,743 km along the world's longest road. From this two-and-a-half-year experience, the adventurous couple made a film called "Alaska Patagonia / La Grande Traversée". We caught up with Jérémy at the end of September at an event organized by Columbia in the fabulous setting of France's highest nature reserve in the commune of Les Contamines-Montjoie. The brand has been supporting the two Frenchmen since 2017, accompanying them on their various adventures. It was precisely to tell us about his latest journey with Sophie that Jérémy answered We Rock Sport's questions to talk about the genesis of this new film entitled "Aux pays des brumes".
Jérémy, how did the idea for this new adventure in the Baltic States come about?
Sophie and I had three objectives for this trip. One was to travel from the winter solstice to the spring equinox. A second objective was more geographical, namely to cycle around the Baltic Sea, which meant riding from Germany to the Arctic Circle, passing through the Baltic countries, Finland and returning via Sweden. And finally, the third objective was to make a film about this adventure, focusing solely on the Baltic countries we crossed: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Why did you decide to focus specifically on the culture of these countries?
It all started with a reflection on our return from our trip between Alaska and Patagonia. We'd loved the native American cultures, the worship of Mother Earth... It was really interesting and exotic for us. So we wondered if we had a similar animist ancestral heritage in Europe. We looked for living cultures, which led us to meet people. At an event we were invited to in Riga, Latvia, we chatted with a woman who said: "You know we're pagans here? This gave us a clue and we continued our research. Sophie investigated and we dug deeper into the project. We realized that the Baltic States, which joined the European Union less than 20 years ago, have an animist culture that is often misunderstood, with songs, dances, prayers, veneration of the gods... Culturally, there was something to explore there.
And just like in America, you set off again by bike?
Yes, because when it comes to bridging the gap between culture and adventure, bicycles are the perfect way to open the doors to the intimacy of a country. We love being outdoors, living an adventure with the elements, intensely experiencing outdoor sensations. It's an adventure closely linked to nature. And the people of the Baltic States have a culture that respects the environment, because they live in a hostile environment. The film focuses exclusively on the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. But these three countries don't even account for a third of what we saw on our cycling tour. In total, we cycled 5,000 km in six months, from autumn to the spring equinox of 2023.
Why did you decide to make this trip in winter, when conditions were inevitably more difficult?
Winter is a time of contrasts. So the slightest trace of life is visible and noticeable. It's often said that winter is a dead season, but it's really a season of rest, when everything calms down. Yes, it's clearly more difficult to drive in these countries during this season, especially in autonomy, with temperature variations that sometimes cause the snow to melt, making travel more difficult. But inaccessible also means unspoilt, both in terms of nature and culture. These are the mysteries that attract us.
How did you organize the adventure between your personal discoveries and the film shoot?
Before leaving, we had the agreement from Arte to make the film, and therefore the budget that went with it. We sometimes took a few hotel nights to concentrate more specifically on making the film. Basically, we spent six nights out and one day in a hotel. On the days when we had a break, we interviewed people such as an archaeologist in Lithuania, a folklorist in Estonia, an indigenous community in Estonia, singers in Vilnius... We travelled autonomously for several days, but when we needed to shoot, we gave ourselves the right to land the night before to be ready with our equipment when we met the locals.
How important is Columbia's contribution to your adventurous life?
Columbia has been supporting us since 2017, so our relationship with them has evolved in a positive direction over the years. In fact, today we're brand ambassadors. Thanks to them, we have access to powerful levers for our adventures. On the technical side, they're our equipment supplier, and we can count on them to provide us with the quality gear we need to cope with the difficult conditions we encounter on our adventures. But the relationship goes beyond that. It's a brand with a very human side. We've developed a bond with the people who work for Columbia. Behind a logo, there are people working, human beings quite simply.
Do you already have ideas for future adventures with Sophie?
We remain humble in the face of adventure. We don't think it should be consumed. My feeling is that every adventure we embark on is the result of reflection, reading and the passage of time. We're always looking for a reason to travel. But we don't consume the adventure. We leave ourselves time to reflect. We don't have a list where we tell ourselves we have to tick off such and such a journey, such and such a crossing... But obviously, there are many cultures around the world that attract us.
"Aux pays des brumes" (In the Land of Mists) will be on the bill at the next " Adventure screens "in Dijon from October 10 to 15. The documentary will be shown on Friday 13th at 9:40pm at the Cinéma Olympia. It will also be screened at the " Le Grand Bivouac "In Albertville (October 16 - 22) on Friday October 20 at 10am at the Théâtre de Maistre and on Sunday October 22 at the same venue. "We've also found the budget to bring Setos women (an indigenous people living in southern Estonia) to Albertville to accompany us on this preview," explains Jérémy. Finally, "Aux pays des brumes" will be broadcast on Arte in the coming months. The broadcast date has not yet been announced by the channel, but will be revealed on social networks (Instagram and Facebook) from Sophie and Jérémy.
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