SAMAYA x MARIUS SIMON

 

 

Scaling the 14 summits over 2,000 meters in the Bauges range is the project Marius Simon began in August 2023, as a parallel to the iconic 14x8,000-meter Himalayan peaks. Marius shares with us what drove him to undertake this project and what motivates him during each ascent.

 

What is the nature of your project?

Marius Simon: This "14 Summits of the Bauges" project is, above all, a photographic project rather than a sporting one. Through it, I am not seeking performance or the establishment of a speed record. It goes against the current of today’s achievements, where the goal is always to go faster. I am restoring the place of time, wonder, and contemplation in favor of a new perspective: traveling close to home, in a responsible way. Since August, I have been climbing the 14 summits over 2,000 meters in the Bauges massif to capture all their beauty through photography.

 

What motivated you to carry out this project?

MS: Returning to Annecy after a long, 7-month trip to New Zealand opened my eyes to the beauty of our mountains. How lucky we are to have such preserved parks a stone's throw from our homes! I wanted to pay tribute to them by traversing the trails, to get to know them better, to talk about them more effectively, and to warn about the fragility of these spaces and the absolute necessity of taking care of them.

 

How did your first few summits go?

MS: At this stage, I have climbed 3 out of 14 summits: Dent de Cons, Mont Trélod, and Mont Colombier. I am starting with the isolated summits that don't provide access to others. I share each ascent with one or more different people. This gives me a long window of time to show them the beauty of the massif, to get to know each other better, to talk about photography, adventure, and to put the world to rights together! These are beautiful respites that add a very human dimension to the project. For these first ascents, I try to leave in the middle of the day to catch the late-day light at the summit or on the way down.

 

What are you looking for in your gear for this type of project? How was your night in the tent?

MS: Knowing that bivouacking is prohibited in a large part of the park for protection and preservation reasons, I generally head out for the day. I therefore need a fairly large pack to carry all the equipment necessary for this type of day trip: water, food, fleece, Gore-Tex, accessories... but also all the photography gear. A pack between 35 and 50L is therefore perfect. The big advantage is having ultralight outdoor gear to compensate for the weight of the camera equipment. I am always looking for high-performance, compact, and lightweight gear. My night in the tent was sublime! A magnificent sunset, pleasant temperatures at night, and above all, breathtaking landscapes around us. It was a great opportunity to test this INSPIRE2 tent, thanks again for that! I always see bivouacs as moments outside of time where you are in total connection with nature. They are perfect breaks in our increasingly fast-paced and full lives.

 

Would you like to share a moment that particularly stood out to you?

MS: Now that I am halfway through the project, I must admit that the most recent ascent particularly stood out to me. When I launched into the adventure, the Dauphiné Libéré wrote an article about this 14x2000 project in the Bauges. This provided an opportunity for René, 82, to contact me and let me know that he was carrying out the same project with his brother-in-law, Pierre, 73. Naturally, we planned an ascent together to make it happen. So, all three of us met at La Sambuy resort to climb the summit of the same name, which stands at 2,198 meters. This day with them was a highlight, as their stories resonated with me and confirmed my choice to live multiple adventures in the heart of nature. Together, they have spent over 50 years doing mountaineering routes, climbing hundreds of mountain passes by bike, and taking on challenges of all kinds. Photographer, painter, actor, mountaineer, cyclist, writer, poet—they are people with a thousand and one lives who have truly inspired me. Before we parted ways, while talking about electric bikes, René, 82, said to me: "As for me, I'll switch to electric when I'm old. It makes my grandchildren laugh. But seriously, when is someone actually classified as old?" That sentence still gives me a lot to think about today.