Attacking the world's highest volcano

Adrien : Hello everyone, can you tell me a little more about yourselves?

Etienne : We've both known each other since elementary school, for over 20 years! We grew up together in a small town in Normandy, Falaise. And we're proud of that, of our town and our origins. We each went on to play different sports. I first played soccer for 14 years, then athletics, but with parents who loved the mountains.

Antoine : As for me, I've dabbled in a bit of everything, from basketball to football, including boxing and especially swimming. Our paths then diverged slightly. Etienne left for Annecy after his baccalaureate to study, while I stayed in Normandy, in Caen, for my higher education. I started traveling at that time (Martinique, India, Sri Lanka, etc.). When I came to work in Lyon, we found ourselves through shared passions, such as trail running, the mountains, and a certain philosophy of travel and life in general. I currently live in Lyon and am a local government official at the Lyon metropolitan area.

Etienne : I live in Chambéry, I have a master's degree in EPGM (Equipment, Protection and Management of Mountain Environments) and I currently work as a mountain guide in my own company, A Caen La Forme. We know each other well enough to know that we can embark on this kind of expedition knowing that we can count on each other and that's important. Our first real joint project was the "Swim and Run" crossing of the Great Alpine Lakes in September 2017. We hope that this expedition to Chile will be just the beginning, we have a lot of projects in mind!

Adrien : Can you explain this expedition project to Chile to me? How did it come about?

Etienne : We both aspired to a "high altitude" project. Initially, we wanted to make our first summit at 7,000m together. In the Himalayas, the terrain conditions (climate, snow, and ice) require very good mountaineering skills at this altitude, skills that we feel we do not yet have. We then naturally turned to the Andes. Climbing the highest peak, Aconcagua (6,962m) was our first idea. But, victim of its reputation, it attracts crowds and is therefore very busy; not really what we resemble or what we wanted to accomplish for ourselves. We turned to Nevado Ojos Del Salado, the second highest peak in the Andes (and in America), but also the highest volcano in the world.

Antoine : More remote, more difficult to access, more "rustic", a little more in our image in the end. Being two seasoned competitors, we wanted to associate a more "sporty" aspect to this climb, our own challenge. We therefore set ourselves the objective of establishing a reference time for the round trip ascent from Base Camp 1 (Laguna Verde), which roughly represents a 60km route with around 3000m of D+ . For the moment, to our knowledge, no one has ever attempted this challenge.

Etienne : The idea makes us smile, but it's quite exhilarating to think that "two little Normans" can, with a certain determination, be the first to set a time on this type of performance.

Adrien : How do you prepare for an adventure like this?

Antoine : Indeed, starting from 4300 meters to climb to 6893m in one shot is not trivial.

We're already preparing ourselves "psychologically." Neither of us has ever reached these altitudes. So we're preparing by studying the maps, reading forums, and meeting people around us who have already climbed the summit. So we've done a lot of research, and we're continuing. We're also being monitored by a doctor who specializes in altitude (hypoxia tests, VO2, etc.).

We're also preparing ourselves physically. Since we're leaving in February (it's summer in the southern hemisphere!), we'll be able to build on a solid foundation, namely the volume acquired during our 2018 season.

Etienne : Indeed, we notably ran the ultra tour of Beaufortain in July 2018 (105km and 6300 D+), which involves a certain amount of training. Now it's a matter of refining and maintaining this base until our departure, but without overdoing it so as not to arrive burnt out. We have still planned a few weekends of preliminary preparation in the Alps to slightly increase in altitude, to 3000 meters. It will also be an opportunity to test our equipment.

Finally, there are also the logistics of the expedition to prepare. We are looking for partners, like Go'Lum for example, to equip ourselves as best as possible. We want this project to be "minimalist," so we're organizing everything ourselves.

Adrien : Once there, how do you see your trip going?

Etienne : Arrival in Santiago, the capital, then an internal flight to Copiapo. We then plan to rent a 4x4 to be self-sufficient and able to travel to Atacama. It will also allow us to transport our water supplies. As a reminder: we must be self-sufficient in water for the entire duration of acclimatization.

We have planned about ten days of acclimatization. On the advice of our specialist doctor, we have drawn up an "acclimatization plan" with altitudinal zones and rest periods to be respected. We plan to establish a first bivouac at Laguna Santa Rosa (3700m) and climb Cerro Pastillitos (5073m), then establish a second bivouac at Laguna Verde (4350m) and summit a few peaks in the surrounding area. The idea would be to climb a first "6000" at the end of the first week, perhaps the Vicunas volcano (6067m). The general idea is to climb high during the day and come back down to sleep lower, without overdoing it.

Antoine : Our program will depend on how we feel. We'll adapt it to allow our bodies to acclimatize in the best way possible without accumulating too much fatigue. Regarding the ascent of Nevado Ojos del Salado, we'll set aside several days at base camp to rest and choose the best weather window.

Adrien : Regarding equipment, what do you take with you?

Antoine : We try to travel "minimalistically", it's our way of traveling since forever! So we plan to take everything that allows us to be autonomous, both for sleeping (tent, fleece sleeping bag, mattress) and for eating (stove, mess tins, rations, freeze-dried food) and especially lots of water. You have to drink at altitude, mineral water! We will be in one of the driest deserts in the world, and there are no possibilities to get supplies there.

Etienne : Then there is all the personal equipment: Cilao bags, Merrell shoes, Go'Lum headlamps , fleece down jacket, waterproof windbreaker jacket, fleece jackets, mountaineering pants, gloves, mittens, hats, etc. The winds can reach 180km/h at 6900m, and despite almost permanent sunshine, the temperatures felt are extreme! We also provide mountaineering equipment for acclimatization summits that require it: harness, small 15m rope, belayer/descender, light crampons.

Finally, we will have with us all the video and photo equipment: 2 photo/video cameras, 2 GoPro, 1 stabilizer, 1 Mavic Dji drone.

Adrien: How did you find out about Go'Lum and why did you choose us as a partner ?

Etienne : I first learned about Go'Lum at the Trail des Aiguilles Rouges. Whenever possible, we want to trust French brands with an ethic that reflects ours. The proximity (ease of contact and good feeling) with you, Adrien, as well as the brand's ethics are two factors that drive us to communicate about Go'Lum. It's a pleasure to be able to help, on our scale, a brand that we appreciate.

Antoine : Technically, the Piom+ headlamp is interesting for us because the light intensity adapts according to movement, so there's no need to remove your gloves for this, which is not insignificant given the expected cold. Finally, we appreciate its ease of use.

Adrien : Any last words?

Etienne : This expedition is very important to us and we can't wait to get there, our brains are obsessed with it!