What alpine trekking entails

In the middle of last summer, we set out to test some pieces from the collection on the alpine Glacier Blanc in France. We are excited to share our experiences and insights with you through the following few lines and photos.

Experiencing sunrise over an alpine glacier means getting up at three a.m. An alpine trek to the Glacier Blanc tests everyone physically and shows what equipment you can rely on. The well-deserved reward is the view of the monumental space covered with snow-white ice, with a dramatic series of peaks towering up to four thousand meters above, all bathed in radiant morning rays. However, this is only the case if conditions favour hiking expeditions.

It's just past 3 a.m., and we're beginning our trek from the starting point near the village of Ailefroide, positioned at 1,874 meters above sea level. It is a two-hour ascent, and we are navigating the switchbacks until we reach the mountain hut at 2,650 meters a.s.l., situated near the Glacier Blanc. With only the glow of our headlamps, visibility is limited to just a few meters ahead. Thus, we are looking forward to savouring the trail's winding journey through the steep slope and the views it offers on the way back.

The high daytime temperatures remain below ten degrees Celsius at night so we need to know we can rely on our mid-layers to quickly wick sweat away while effectively protect us from the cold.

Above the mountain hut, everything briefly blends into one colour. Both the sky and the surrounding rocks share the same grey-blue colour with white marbling showing through that. We have reached the glacier wall. Although the journey across the glacier is not demanding, doing it without mountaineering gear and an experienced guide would be a senseless risk. We are putting on crampons and harnesses as well as our down jackets. Ice is ice.

Although moving across the glacier at an altitude of around three thousand meters in the middle of summer is an experience in itself, our goal lies even higher – the summit of Pic de Glacier. It's past noon. We are just a few meters away from the glacier yet can only wear a merino T-shirt and a thick layer of high-factor sunscreen. We are ascending a PD-rated route and finally, we are climbing up the southeast side to reach the summit itself at an altitude of 3,525 meters above sea level. A breath-taking view unfolds around us, revealing a seemingly endless series of mountain ranges stretching all the way to the horizon and a vast plateau filled with glaciers.

However, at the summit, we are only halfway through the journey. There is still the descent with the views we missed in the morning awaiting us. That is, if we are still able to lift our heads up to see anything.