Pursue the Perfect Mountain Experience together with renowned athletes
More and more brands are hosting academy, retreats, festivals and get togethers, which for me can only be a good thing. Clearly they see value in investing in experiences beyond their products and athletes. Communities are what make sports and movements grow and Arc’teryx have been hosting their Alpine Academy for a number of years. The brand hailing out of North Vancouver (I am very jealous sitting in Milton Keynes) host 2 stops in Squamish and Wyoming, but luckily us Brits have a stop not too far from home, Chamonix. The European hub for alpine pursuits and really easy to get to via Geneva Airport, the tour is back from the 4th – 7th July, under the eyes of the Mont Blanc Massif.
Athletes such as Mina Leslie-Wujastyk (climber), Adam Campbell (trail runner), Will Gadd (ice climber) and a host other athletes and IFMGA Guides will be your tutors and sources of knowledge – Click HERE for the full list.
You can try out kit at the Arc’teryx demo, from range of hardshells (jackets/pants), gloves, mountaineering boots, trail running vests and harnesses. Arc’teryx’s partner Camp Cassin, will be featuring crampons, ice axes, belay devices and much more. The bouldering wall is the perfect place to test yourself in a controlled environment, with demos, challenges and sessions lead by athletes and guides. Suunto will be on hand to test their latest watch, the Suunto 9 on a mini navigation route and GORE-TEX will be on hand to repair damaged GORE-TEX kit (please note, you better make sure it’s smelling of roses or they wont go near it!).
All of this takes place in the Place Du Triangle, under a giant transparent canopy and of course, you can chill, eat and drink. It’s not all about tech kit and sending a dyno on the wall.
Come nightfall, there are key note speakers, live music and plenty of films. The 2019 Arc’teryx Alpine Academy is hosting two world premieres. ’Saipal’ – the story behind Arc’teryx athletes Forrest Coots and Chad Sayers in search of a first ascent of Mount Saipal in Western Nepal and ‘On the Verge’ – which tells the amazing story of a small group of rock climbers who have spent decades pioneering routes on some of the largest granite walls in Canada. The overall theme of the films for 2019 is exploring people’s passion for what they do from athlete’s projects to environmental and social causes. The full list of speakers and films can be found HERE.
Oh and if that wasn’t enough, the above is all FREE. Yes, you read that right, this isn’t a typo, you are able to experience the above courtesy of Arc’teryx.
Now for anyone wanting to venture outside of the village, there are clinics Arc’teryx are putting on at very reasonable prices from trail running, mountaineering, trail maintenance and more. Move fast, as some are already booked up 2 months before the event! Full details can be found HERE.
So, if you’re alpine appetite has been well and truly fired up, all the details from the above can be found on the official Arc’teryx Alpine Academy’s website HERE.
Information provided by All Condition Media
James Mackeddie 