ROUND 10 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Wednesday 9 February 2022

Fiona Porte and Yoann Caillot win the 10th round of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel

The Millet Ski Touring Courchevel returned to its cruising rhythm with 111 participants at the start of the 10th round of this season 12. The United Kingdom’s armed forces, the “UK Armed Forces”, were there under the leadership of Lieutenant-Colonel Tom Blankenstein accompanied by 12 other servicemen. They came to test themselves on this 3.2 km, 500 m elevation gain Vertical Race course on ski touring gear in order to prepare for the Patrouille des Glaciers 2022. Arriving at the head of the group in 34min31s, Tom Blankenstein congratulated the organisation on this superb race in a very friendly atmosphere. After the effort, the reward: the return of the cauldron soup after the climb was much appreciated by all the participants. An ideal opportunity to debrief on your performance with the other competitors and friends between each sip while waiting for the prize-giving and the handing out of the “La Trace ESF” medals.

The aim was to get under the 30-minute mark for trail runner Fiona Porte, 4th in the Templiers trail 2021 and the Dynastar X3 Courchevel 2021. Mission accomplished, with a fine win in 29min30s on her very first participation, a fine performance that takes her into the top 15 of the provisional 2022 overall standings. The 2 members of the Club Multisports d’Arêches Beaufort, Cindy Josserand in 32min12s and Clémentine Moreau in 33min56s complete the podium.

Among the men, the 2021 Master Vertical Race French champion and current leader of the provisional 2022 MSTC overall standings in his O40 category, Yoann Caillot won in 24min22s. After monopolising the top of the podium on the previous 2 Wednesdays, Vincent Loustau took second place in 24min46s ahead of Jean-Baptiste Curtet (25min24s), who is in the thick of preparing for the Pierra Menta.

Full Moon special next week.

The full moon will be there on Wednesday 16 February for the 11th round of the MSTC. For the occasion, a pair of “Plum R150” bindings offered by partner company “Plum” will be drawn from among all the participants. Another nice surprise will liven up this climb, held 2 days after St Valentine’s Day, with registration free for all couples. No cheating, as a little kiss will be required for validation at bib collection.

With the European ski mountaineering championship events ending at the end of the week, most of the discipline’s elite say they will return for the next rounds, at the peak of their form.

Ultra Ski Touring Courchevel 2022

18 climbs within a time limit of 18 hours, that is 9,000 m of elevation gain (57.6 km), to reach the altitude of the summit of Everest (8,849 m) starting from sea level: that is the Millet Everest challenge. Only the climbs are timed within the allotted time. The challenge will be run in 2 phases. The 1st part, known as the “M3000” qualification, will start at 1 pm on Saturday 5 March and end at 7 pm. In these first 6 hours of racing, 3,000 m of elevation gain must be climbed in order to continue the ascent by night.

Once this qualification is validated, participants must observe a compulsory acclimatisation period of at least 2 hours at the Everest Base Camp, where the film “Everest 2021” will be shown in the presence of Jonathan Lamy who reached the summit on 23 May 2021. 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!

In parallel with this crazy challenge, won in 2021 by Alexandre Pellicier in 8h43min44 and Corinne Favre in 10h32min52s, the 14th round of the MSTC will take place from 6 pm. The best of the 6 times set by participants during the M3000 qualification phase of the Millet Everest challenge will be counted for the standings of this 14th round.

Next event: Millet Ski Touring Courchevel on Wednesday 16 February 2022