Round 4 / SKI MOUNTAINEERING - PLUM KV COURCHEVEL - Friday 18 March 2016

William Perrier and Véronique Lathuraz win the 4th stage of the Plum KV Courchevel.

The ski mountaineering season for the Plum KV Courchevel ended this Friday 18 March with a lovely spring evening. For this 4th and last round, 89 competitors were at the start of this Vertical Kilometre (KV) of 1,000 m of elevation gain over 5 km between Le Praz and the top of the Loze relay. All the conditions were in place for this final, with a splendid sunset at the start of the course and a magnificent moonlight to finish this ski touring climb.

A clean sweep for the Courchevel Sports Alpinisme (CSA) club, organiser of this event, with William Perrier and Véronique Lathuraz on the top step of the podium. William won in 45min12s and Véronique among the women in 56min35s. Next came Eric David, also a member of the CSA club, in 45min51s, and Marion Mathieu of ESF Valmorel in 57min35s. Benjamin Chamoux of the Chamonix sports club with a time of 46min11s and Gabrielle Gachet in 58min52s took third place.

2016 French Vertical Kilometre ski mountaineering record for Mathéo Jacquemoud and Axelle Mollaret!

All winter, the best specialists were able to come and battle for the French ski mountaineering record on this vertical kilometre course, approved by the French Mountain and Climbing Federation (FFME). After official validation by the Federation, the two winners of the 2016 Pierra Menta, Mathéo Jacquemoud (40min05s) and Axelle Mollaret (49min17s), set the 2016 French ski mountaineering Vertical Kilometre record.

A €500 prize will be given to them on Wednesday 23 March at the end of the final of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel. The PKVC will resume on 13 July in trail running on the same course, with 4 rounds in trail version included in the "Skyrunner France Series 2016" circuit. The best men’s and women’s times of the summer season will be rewarded with €500 in prize money. Not forgetting the “Alpitrail” challenge of the Plum KV Courchevel, open to people who have taken part in a ski mountaineering event in winter 2016 and a trail running event in summer 2016. The ranking of this challenge is the sum of each participant’s best times in ski mountaineering and trail running, and the best men’s and women’s time of the year will be rewarded with €1,000 in prize money.

Eric David and Véronique Lathuraz win the 4th Grand Slam.

In the weeks when the MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL (MSTC) and the PLUM KV COURCHEVEL (PKVC) are organised, a ranking is drawn up for those who complete the “Grand Slam” (taking part in the 2 events in the same week).

This week, the "Grand Slam" took into account the combined times of the MSTC on Wednesday 16 March and the PKVC on Friday 18 March. 38 competitors did both races. Eric David won in 1h12min22s and Véronique Lathuraz won among the women in 1h28min.

The official prize-givings for the 4 “Grand Slam” rounds of the season and for the Plum KV Courchevel 2016 in ski mountaineering will take place on Wednesday 23 March at the great ski mountaineering party in Courchevel, on the occasion of the final of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel.

Next date in trail running: Friday 13 July 2016