The Transalpines in search of the Dahu!
Jules, Joseph, and Joé are three agronomy and environmental students who met while discussing their most beautiful treks. As altitude enthusiasts, they decided to join forces to organize a major sporting project: crossing the Alps on foot and following in the footsteps of the wolf.
To help them in their quest for adventure, they founded Albios, an association that supports them and provides them with the necessary equipment. They also collaborate with French brands, such as Guidetti, which provides them with essential hiking poles for covering these 1,700 km!
The route through the Alps
"At first, we set ourselves the challenge of walking from Nice to Ljubljana, crossing through Switzerland and Italy. The project was beautiful in itself, but we were missing something. So, we will cover these 1700km on foot with one objective: to raise awareness about the links between the environment and agriculture in the Alpine arc. We will carry on our backs all the equipment necessary to make a documentary on the perception of the wolf by those involved in our mountains. During these 5 months, we will meet scientists, shepherds, etc. to try to synthesize this divisive issue.
Beyond the wolf, the film will retrace the moments of friendship and conflict of three friends closely grouped in an immense landscape. For 5 months."
Why walk through 4 countries?
To discover! We know the French Alps relatively well, but that's it. This time, we're also going there to explore the Swiss landscapes, the Dolomites, and the Julian Alps: it's a dream come true.
Above all, across these four Alpine countries, we'll see a plethora of different environmental management and agricultural models. This transversality seems important to us regarding the wolf issue. Perhaps there are solutions among our neighbors?
What are your motivations for crossing the Alps?
For us, this question comes down to writing the statement of intent for our film. That is, from what angle we want to approach the issue and why we think we're well-placed to answer it. To be honest, for the moment we don't necessarily feel up to it, but a few days before departure, we're still ready. That's reassuring. As laypeople in sports and wolf expertise, we'll go to the mountains to learn about life, just like anyone else would.
Why did you choose Guidetti hiking poles?
Five months of self-sufficiency requires preparation and is expensive. We're very fortunate to be supported by mountain equipment companies, and not just any old ones. We therefore collaborate with 100% French and ethical brands that allow us to equip ourselves while respecting our beliefs. Of course, with 14kg on our backs with every step, we needed poles. Buying our poles from Guidetti means ensuring product quality while supporting a French company that takes environmental and social issues into account. The choice was quickly made!
We opted for different models: a pair of Flashlock Ambre folding poles, therefore compact, and two other pairs of B-Light telescopic poles. The three pairs of poles are made of carbon (2 upper sections) and aluminum (lower section): an excellent compromise between lightness and robustness
the poles chosen by the transalpine people
How did this idea come about?
We could tell you stories and say that it's an idea we've had for a long time, that we finally found the right people with whom to carry out this life project and blah blah blah. In truth, we were at a party a year and a half ago at our school around a beer, we were talking about our best hiking memories and Jules said: "Hey guys, come on, let's cross the Alps on foot!"
You can follow their adventures on their Instagram account: LesTransalpins
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