Meeting with Simon Deniel, high mountain guide

Among the 1,700 French mountain guides, we at Guidetti have been fortunate to work closely with Simon Deniel for the past 6 years. In this interview, he shares with us some of his passion for this wonderful profession and human relationships.

What is your job?

I am a mountain guide, ski patroller, and mountain bike instructor. These activities allow me to cover all seasons in the mountains!
My main job is as a guide, attached to the Compagnie de la Vanoise and based mainly in Tignes-Val d'Isère. I specialize in world travel.
My clients come to me with desires for summits, specific destinations, and I offer them tours in conjunction with local guides and agencies.
I also lead mountaineering, ice climbing, ski touring, downhill skiing, or trekking trips... it's really very broad!

In France, I can do half-day trips. However, abroad, I offer stays of at least 15 days and it can go up to a month. With the changing climate, I try to extend the time spent on site, to do fewer but bigger trips.

At what age did you start? Where did this passion come from?

At 6 years old, I already wanted to be a mountain guide! I was born in Brittany but I came to the mountains very often with my parents, summer and winter. With my Baccalaureate in hand, I came to Chamonix to learn the trade and I have now been a mountain guide for 8 years.

What do you like most about being a mountain guide?

I like discovering new cultures and mountains all over the world, but what I love most of all are the human relationships, the contact with my climbing companions and with the local population.

What qualities are required to be a guide?

You need to have both physical qualities, endurance, and social qualities, listening skills and adaptability. You have to know how to listen and observe both the clients and the mountain.

I see myself as a bridge between the mountain, the place, nature and the people I accompany.

What do you think of the risks associated with this job?

As a professional, we try to reduce the risk. We must always adapt our decisions to the weather and the snow conditions. It is essential to weigh the risk and the gain. We must also adapt depending on the location in the world and therefore the accessibility of rescue services.
We must accept the elements because nature is stronger than us.

What are the main destinations you have visited?

Almost all of them... even if I still have so much to discover!
The language of the mountains is universal but we always discover new cultures. Even if we return to the same place, it is always different.

What is your best memory as a guide?

A meeting with the Dalai Lama, after returning from an expedition.
The summits are fabulous, but above all, they are human adventures.

How do you use Guidetti poles?

I use poles all the time, in ¾ of my activities. Even when climbing, I take 3-section poles to come back down. When I'm on an expedition, I often have a spare pair at base camps.

For both skiing and mountaineering, poles give me stability and save energy, especially in transformed snow. They give me two additional supports in addition to my legs. Both uphill and downhill.

For treks or climbs to base camp, poles allow me to have a superior push, better stability and relieve the strain on my legs. Uphill, it helps me to be further forward and downhill, it helps me brake more easily.

As a mountain guide, you're well placed to observe climate changes, right?

Yes, it's true that in 14 years of work, I've seen nature change a lot. It's happening very quickly.
For example, there's much more wind at higher altitudes and the amount of snow fluctuates greatly. Crevasses form, the slopes steepen and become more technical. There is also a big destabilization of the ground, rock falls...

What are your plans for the next few months?

I'm going to Nepal in the fall and then to the USA to work as a first aider for a season.

To find out more: https://www.simondguide-en-liberte.com/

Interview by Aurélie Joubin on June 10, 2022