La traditionnelle fête des guides de Chamonix se déroule tous les étés. En ce mois d'août 1943, ce haut lieu de l'alpinisme accueille les amoureux de la montagne. Cette fête rend hommage aux guides et aux disparus en montagne. Au cours d'une cérémonie religieuse, cordes et piolets sont bénis devant la statue de Jacques Balmat, Le public assiste ensuite à la démonstration d'escalade et de descente en rappel au rocher des Gaillands.
The ultra trail of Mont Blanc brings together 2,300 extreme riders every year. They will face the 160 km of the Mont Blanc tour and the 9,000 meters of positive altitude difference without a stage... But what is their motivation? In addition to self-surpassing and physical pain, milkers evoke the beauty of the landscape.
The GR (hiking trail) of the Tour du Mont-Blanc is one of the most famous in the world. Its 170 km meander through the Alps between France, Italy and Switzerland. At its beginnings, this circuit was aimed at knowledgeable hikers. The aerial images of the path are followed by those of a group of walkers equipped in the fashion of the 60s.
Hiking is booming in France. More and more French people are walking and taking the hiking trails that criss-cross France. 63 routes cross France from north to south and from east to west. But if hiking allows the development of an economy, especially in the villages crossed by the trails, these paths must be maintained. Fortunately, the volunteers make sure...
At the Valmasque refuge, in the Mercantour massif, a hiker prepares his bag before leaving. In front of the journalist, he lists his latest clothing (from the 1970s) and does not hesitate to pull up his pants to show off his socks. Here he is ready to face his day of walking!
On the GR 7 trail, in the Aigoual massif, volunteers maintain the famous red and white markings that allow hikers to spot themselves. Dr Caboua, Vice-president of the National Committee of Long Distance Trails, then explains the basic equipment of the hiker: map and compass, indispensable before any outing!
The GR 5, which connects the North Sea to the Mediterranean, ends its race in the Mercantour. But do the hikers who use it know how it is maintained? By scrupulously following the red and white lines, one of them explains that he oriented well: "We managed to leave and we managed to return, we did not get lost". Unfortunately, the grants allocated by the department have faded and volunteers are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain the Rms. Patrick REY, of the Fédération de la randonnée des Alpes-Maritimes, deplores the lack of means. Training is required to mark up the paths correctly. A volunteer explains that if he had not followed him, he would have done anything...