In March 2018, Renaud Langel, co-founder of Algorigin and seasoned athlete, joined Arnaud Cottet and Niko Sanz in the Dolomites for their new project, "Humans of the Alps." A look back at this extraordinary journey.
Text & Photos: Renaud Langel
When Arnaud called me to tell me about his new project "Humans of the Alps", I told myself that I wanted to be part of it. The problem I encounter, like most of you, is that leaving (at the last minute) for a month of hiking to cross the Alps, from the Dolomites to Montreux , remains a dream when you have a young child and professional projects in disarray. No matter, I join them for a few days to begin this superb journey with them and, at the same time, Algorigin does its best to support the project.
My plan is simple: two days skiing in the region and then three days to reach Bolzano, some 40 kilometers away.
Theirs is a little more complex: from Bolzano, they have to reach Austria and cross part of the Austrian Alps to reach Grisons and then gently reach Montreux in Switzerland, several hundred kilometers further.
I'm lucky enough to be involved in the final preparations for the project as if I were carrying it out in its entirety: those rather magical moments where we discuss itineraries, plan the first stages, check the weather and snow conditions, and review the equipment to make sure we haven't forgotten anything. These are simple moments, but very enriching on a human level.
Departure from San Pellegrino, Dolomites
But what is the “Human of the Alps” project?
The aim of the project, as described by Arnaud Cottet and Niko Sanz in a few words: "Crossing the Alps on skis from San Martino in the Dolomites to Montreux, immortalizing this journey with our camera and our pen, through the prism of our encounters."
You will soon find the full story of the trip on the Algorigin website.
Nikola Sanz immortalizes the moment
The first turns after the first 700 meters of elevation gain on a long journey – Skier: Arnaud Cotte
A glimpse of these magical atmospheres of the Dolomites – Skier: Arnaud Cottet
Arnaud Cottet enjoys the region's beautiful slopes
