ROUND 4 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Wednesday 5 January 2022

From Vertical Race to Ultra at the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel

After record participation figures since the start of season 12 of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel (nearly 300 ranked competitors to date), there was a slight lull this Wednesday 5 January, with 51 ski mountaineers at the start of the 4th stage. It is surely the calm before the storm of the coming events and the approach of the French Vertical Race Championship on 22 January, or rather the calm during the storm, because this climb took place in winter mode with cold (-10° at the start at Le Praz), snow and strong gusts.

You had to be brave and motivated to line up for the race but, as every Wednesday since the start of the season, the 3.2 km, 500 m elevation gain course of this ski mountaineering Vertical Race was expertly prepared by the resort’s grooming teams.

In the men’s race, Méribel Sport Montagne dominated the podium with the win of Bastien Racineux in 26min08s and the 3rd place of Jean-Baptiste Bal in 28min19s. Jean Christophe Bette, last week’s winner, slotted into 2nd place in 26min38s. In the women’s race, Manon Morin laid down the law in 38min30s ahead of the local of the stage, Pascale Gachet-Mauroz (39min27s) and Lola Even (40min23s).

For Jonathan Lamy, the year of the 8000s

The year 2021 will remain forever engraved for Jonathan Lamy, a member of the club Courchevel Sports Outdoor. On 23 May 2021, he climbed Everest (alt. 8,848 m), followed the next day by Lhotse (alt. 8,516 m). On 27 September 2021, he conquered Manaslu (alt. 8,163 m). Back on the MSTC course, he completes the climb in 30min05s. He will be at the start of the upcoming events until the grand fancy-dress final on Wednesday 23 March, punctuated by the concert by Louis Bertignac, in order to prepare for his next expedition this spring: an encore of Everest. This announcement motivated the organisers of Courchevel Sports Outdoor to relaunch a second edition of the Courchevel Ultra Ski Touring: the Millet Everest on 5 and 6 March 2022.

“I fulfilled my dream in 2021. Everest was the greatest moment of my life and I decided to go back in the spring to fully relive those emotions with my guide and my Nepalese friends. I will prepare for it on the “Millet” as last year and test myself on the new format of the Utra Millet Everest, which I am already looking forward to,” announces Jonathan Lamy.

Courchevel Ultra Ski Touring: Millet Everest 2022

The second edition of the Courchevel Ultra Ski Touring (USTC) “Millet Everest” will take place on 5 and 6 March 2022. It consists of completing 9,000 m of elevation gain on the Millet Ski Touring course (3.2 km / 500 m of elevation gain), i.e. 18 climbs (57.6 km / 9,000 m of elevation gain), to reach the equivalent of the altitude of the summit of Everest (8,849 m) starting from sea level, as fast as possible (only the climbs will be timed within the allotted time).

The challenge will be carried out in 2 phases. The 1st part, the “M3000” qualification, will start on Saturday 5 March from 1 pm to 7 pm. In these first 6 hours of racing, 3,000 m of elevation gain must be climbed in order to be able to continue the ascent at night.
Once this qualification is validated, participants must observe a compulsory 2-hour acclimatisation period at Everest Base Camp, where the film “Everest 2021” will be shown in the presence of Jonathan Lamy. The final ascent will take place at night from 9 pm until sunrise at 9 am on Sunday 6 March, to complete the last 6,000 m in under 12 hours!

The top 3 men and women of the Millet Everest 2022 (best cumulative times over the 18 climbs) will win prize money (1st: €500, 2nd: €300 and 3rd: €200).

Next date: Millet Ski Touring Courchevel on Wednesday 12 January 2022