March 2021, France: The Covid restrictions and lockdown were at their peak. Resorts were closed and skiers forbidden to roam more than a few kilometers from home. Skiers Pat Vuagnat and Thibaud Duchosal took the opportunity to step back and shelter away from the world for a couple of days with their skis and enough good food and wine to enjoy life fully.
In a remote summer mountain hamlet above Bourg St. Maurice, they hid a stone’s throw away from big ski resorts, such as Tignes and Val d’Isère, which had their lifts shut down all winter long. Despite the very average snow conditions and fairly bad weather, they enjoyed every bit of their getaway—from the taste of local Beaufort cheese, to the lack of electricity and running water, the quiet, the laughter, the biting winds, the adversity and the friendship.
It was a very simple experience, enhanced by nature and the strong mountain values that they were missing at the time, and that are often swiped away in our daily routines. From their timeless experience, they brought back pictures and words that ended up being a 12-page story in the inaugural Backcountry France issue.
Backcountry Magazine has partnered with longtime French snowsports journalist Mathieu Ros Medina to bring the 2022 Gear Guide to the French audience. The magazine—available on BackcountryMagazine.com and on select French newsstands—features Backcountry Magazine‘s renowned Editors’ Choice and Gear Selects, plus original material in French, including the story mentioned above. —The Editors
Great stuff, looks awesome. These are our skiing brothers across the pond! Mountain values, filling of the souls with glee.
Great article, looking forward to seeing more of these. Cheers!