Samaya X Arc’Teryx Alpine Academy
SAMAYA GEAR AT THE HEART OF TWO CLINICS
During the Arc’teryx Alpine Academy, which took place from June 29 to July 2, 2023, in Chamonix, Samaya supported two trekking, mountaineering, and bivouacking clinics. Adrien Guillon, Product Development & Marketing Manager, looks back on this event.
Can you explain what the Arc’teryx Alpine Academy is?
Adrien Guillon: It is a festival celebrating the spirit of the mountains and the diversity of the sports practiced there. For the occasion, there are international athletes, but also local guides who lead "clinics"—workshops and masterclasses on fields as varied as mountaineering, rock climbing, multi-pitch climbing, or even trekking, in which 500 people were able to participate. It brought together a huge number of outdoor enthusiasts looking to educate, share, and better understand and approach the mountains. These are values we hold at Samaya, so it was only natural for us to take part in this "academy," which is one of the biggest mountaineering events in the world.
Samaya was associated with two bivouac clinics, can you tell us more about them?
AG: Samaya was associated with two different clinics. The first was a trekking and bivouac clinic, where the two guides and their group of clients set off for Mont Buet for a long hike followed by a night spent bivouacking. The second clinic was focused on mountaineering and bivouacking, midway up the Aiguille du Midi, where the group spent the night before heading out for a ridge traverse the following day. For the bivouac nights, the tents provided were the Samaya2.5, our new 3-season Samaya INSPIRE2 tent, and the Samaya RADICAL3. Both groups were very happy with the night spent in the tents, despite some initial concern due to the weather conditions.
Were you able to interact with the athletes present?
AG: Absolutely, it was an opportunity for us to engage with our athletes from the Samaya Family. There are the French and European athletes whom we meet more regularly. Notably, Fred Degoulet and Benjamin Ribeyre, who are part of the Samaya Family, led the two bivouac workshops. We were also able to interact with our North American athletes, including Adam Campbell, provide them with equipment, and discuss their future projects!
