Welcome in ØBERDREAM:
we are “The ones who follow
their dreams”.

Oliviero Gobbi

“the mountain is my sacred space”

Oliviero Gobbi is an entrepreneur, manager of the Grivel brand, and expert in mountaineering and climbing equipment and instruments. “Grivel was founded in Courmayeur, in the Aosta Valley, in 1818”, explains Oliviero, “where I was born and grew up. Most notably, the company invented the first crampon. It crafted the world’s first model in 1909 based on a design by English mountaineer Oscar Eckenstein. Since then, the company has continued to forge ahead to the future”. As a boy, Oliviero dreamed of becoming an astronaut or football player. He would ultimately follow in the footsteps of his father, taking over the Grivel company in 2015. “My job coincides with my passion for the mountains, which I see as a sacred space”, continues Oliviero. “My grand-father, Toni Gobbi, climbed side by side with mountaineering legends in Italy, including the likes of Walter Bonatti. He helped develop the practice of cross-country skiing and mountaineering, and he acted as a high mountain guide by planning routes for his customers”. This passion seems to have been passed down through the generations. From Aosta, where Oliviero lives with his family, he explores the most beautiful, heavenly places alongside his wife, son and dog. One such place is the vast mountain range, the Matterhorn, with the 12th highest summit in the Alps, and which always delivers spectacular views of Mont Blanc. “Trust me: the most stunning views imaginable are from the Italian side!”   

His DREAMER spot: Mount Blanc via the Peuterey ridge, Brouillard ridge or Innominata ridge.   

To discover the Grivel universe, visit www.grivel.com and Instagram : @grivel

Helias Millerioux

“I imagine climbing and skiing all my life”

Helias Millerioux is a mountaineer and mountain guide. A native Parisian, converted to the mountains, talkative, crazy about sports and not afraid of anything. I remember very early wanting to become a guide, he says. At the age of 4, I was already climbing in Fontainebleau. And at the age of 11, I made my first outing at the Col du Borgne, in the Vanoise massif. Since that day, the travel and adventure has never left me.” Leaving Paris for Chamonix, the boy embarks on his first expeditions where in 2012 he climbs the southern face of the Aconcagua (Argentina), the Denali (Alaska) a year later, and then opens with his friend Yannick Graziani a new path on the flank of the Diamir (Pakistan). This was quickly followed by the west face of Siula Chico (Peru) and the ascent of Nuptse (Tibet). Helias goes on to win the Piolet d’Or in 2018, with his exploits told in films and documentaries. The first, Zabardast, tells of his freeride expedition in 2018 in the Karakoram massif. The second, released in 2020, retraces the crazy ascent and ski descent of Mount Logan (5959 meters) with his 3 companions. “This is my life,” smiles Hélias, “ a life of travel to look at the world from above.” Going hard for 10 years, the young man in his thirties still sees himself in the mountains: I imagine climbing and skiing until the end of my days. If I stop the mountain, I will surf. Some day I would like to go to the island of Socotora an incredible island surrounded by cliffs off the coast of Somalia

His DREAMER spots: Val Vény, in the Italian Alps, all Val d’Aosta. And my cute sin: the majestic Route des Crêtes, from the village of La Palud-sur-Verdon.

To find it:
Instagram : helias_millerioux
And www.helias-millerioux.fr

MEG MACKENZIE

« The mountain is my sacred space »

Meg Mackenzie is a top-notch athlete. A trail runner specialist, these long-distance runs in the wilderness. And a champion recognized around the world today. Born in South Africa, the young woman settled in Chamonix a few years ago, a terrain conducive to her passion. I have long dreamed of dedicating my life to the wild dogs of South Africa, but my love for trail runner quickly caught up with me. Ten years ago, I started winning races and making a living with this passion. Since then, I’ve been dedicated exclusively to trail runner.” Addicted to the mountains, Meg Mackenzie travels the world in search of the most beautiful peaks, those of the valleys of Chamonix or the fabulous mountains of Uganda. The mountain is my sacred space, and my greatest love story! I dream of it even at night, imagining large open meadows with flowers, sunsets among the peaks.” And when she doesn’t run, the young woman offers her sports coach and life coach services. Through my own structure and that of The Run Project, I help people who wish to do so, to realize their dreams. One day, I hope to open a centre where athletes will come to train and learn to live sustainably and responsibly. A secret place in the mountains where you can grow your own vegetables, cook, share, support and encourage yourself to be the best.”

Her DREAMER spot: A meadow under the Eagle’s Nest, where hear the bells of the cows, smell the flowers, the sound of the river and the imposing mountains.

Instagram : megmackenzie1

Hillary Gérardi

“My dream: to grow old like a true mountaineer!”

Hillary Gerardi is a mountain enthusiast. A specialist in skyrunning, an extreme sport, combining running and climbing, in high mountains, who puts on her researcher cap on the days of the week, within CREA Mont Blanc, the Research Center on Alpine Ecosystems of Chamonix, for which it studies the impact of climate change on biodiversity. In her house in Servoz, facing south in front of the Mont-Blanc massif, the young woman receives us, alongside her husband, Brad, a high-mountain guide. Living in the mountains was a natural decision for us, Hillary says with a big smile. I grew up in the United States, in the state of Vermont, surrounded by hills and woods, preferring to TV programs the climbing in the trees. Before we arrived in France end of 2010, I worked in an organic farm, surrounded by mountains. The idea of waking up early in the morning, and seeing the sun pierce the mist of the fields, is such a precious moment for me.” Destined for a life in the mountains, Hillary has only one desire since: to grow old like a true mountain woman! The mountain is my passion, she explains. I like to explore, trace paths, imagine routes, test my limits and set my body in motion in this space. I like big trips, but I prefer the ones that take me next door. Revisiting a place you already know, at another season, in another atmosphere, in bivouac or walking mode, is what makes me vibrate in life.”

Her DREAMER spots: Val d’Aoste and Beaufortain, wild spaces, breathtaking landscapes, and which come out of the usual walks.

Instagram : hillary_gerardi

Sandra Liccioni

“The mountain is a secret” 

Sandra Liccioni is an artist, a “painter of the universe”, as she likes to define herself. Born in Bayonne of French-Vietnamese origin, she has lived in the Chamonix Valley since the mid-1990s. Here, she would learn to snowboard and make a name for herself with her large-scale pointillism paintings. Her brightly coloured paper drawings, influenced by Western culture and Aboriginal designs, depict the nomadic landscapes between heaven and earth, marked by powerful symbols and cosmic imagery. “The mountain on which I live is an incredible source of inspiration. A secret space, an exceptional place, like a privilege or a gift from nature, the perfect place for me to express myself freely. I’m better here. My strength, human wisdom, life, the elements, the sky, the immensity… all of this inspires me to create”. A born traveller, the artist lived in the south of France for several years, before moving to Brussels, where she had her first exhibit, then to London. She continues to travel the world to nurture her art. “Travelling shapes my mind”, she adds. In addition to my passion for Chamonix, the Dolomites, the island of Maui, which I’ve visited on three occasions, the Alaskan fishing village of Haines, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon are all places that have blown me away. These days, I dream of discovering yet unexplored paradises, while also remembering to live for the present to better envision the future”.  

Her DREAMER Spots: Grands Montets. A mythical region where you can ski the world’s highest slopes, in the heart of the high mountain range and glaciers, admire the Aiguillette des Posettes, and stay in the authentic village of Vallorcine.  

Find Sandra Liccioni at www.sandraliccioni.com and on Instagram : @sandraliccioni

Sylvie Samycia>

“The mountain is my life”

We met with Sylvie Samycia. The 40-something-year-old is radiant with a sun-kissed tan and almond-shaped eyes. She welcomes us to her Vallorcine chalet in the charming hamlet of Couteray, located along the trail to the beautiful La Loriaz mountain pastures. A passionate musician and master of the clarinet, Sylvie changed her life by leaving her native Alsace at the age of 19 to make her dream come true: to leave for the mountains and live happily in Chamonix. She lived here peacefully until one Friday, 13 March 2015, when a tragic motorcycle accident put her into a coma for days. Doctors told her she would be confined to a wheelchair the rest of her life, but just three months later she was walking. She tells her story in her book, Impatiente (ed. Guérin). “Backed by energy and strong will, as well as my husband, Eric, and my children, Camille and Robin, I chose to fight, to pursue my dreams, first by getting back on my bike, then by going skiing again… three years later, I successfully climbed Mont Blanc”, explains Sylvie. A true force of nature, Sylvie is an optimistic and energetic mother with a fierce, boundless passion for the mountain, who dreams of climbing the world’s highest peaks. “The mountain is my life”, she exclaims. Having nearly lost everything, I savour each and every day, my freedom and my moments of happiness”. Her goals include climbing the Matterhorn. With an altitude of 4,478 metres, it is the 12th highest summit in the Alps. She is unstoppable.  

Her DREAMER spot: The summit of Cheval Blanc is pristine and offers an exceptional view.

Find Sylvie Samycia’s book on www.editionspaulsen.com/impatiente-2259.html or directly at Editions Paulsen – Espace Mont-Blanc, 30 avenue du Mont-Blanc in Chamonix (open daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm).

Facebook : Plus haut que le possible – un projet handisports
Instagram : @plus_haut_que_le_possible

Sam Beaugey

“The most beautiful thing about a dream is dreaming itself”

Sam Beaugey is a high mountain guide, mountaineer, base-jumper, steep slope skier, and an author. After publishing his first book, Sales gosses (ed. Paulsen), he recently launched his second book Petits désastres (ed. Paulsen) in which he recounts his failed attempt to climb one of the 4 Big Walls, El Capitan, in California’s Yosemite National Park. Sam welcomes us inside his Houches chalet, alongside his wife and two young daughters. “My childhood roots are here”, he says, “in the heart of the Alps. It is a place of replenishment and protection, as well as a basecamp from which to explore other regions”. Proud of his origins, Sam has seen well beyond his mountains. A globetrotter at heart, he cannot stay put very long and lives for adventure. “I always used to ask my parents where the edge of the world was. They would tell me the furthest country was Russia. I would imagine a floating world where the tree roots dangled into the void of outer space, and where the wolves roamed alone this line teetering on edge of the world. To bring this dream to life, I set off to discover Antarctica”. He would embark on this breathtaking journey in 2009 during an expedition on the summits of the Drygalski mountain range. “We brought all our toys to go climbing, skiing, kiting and wingsuit flying on the carved out mountings jutting out of the ice”. Since returning to Chamonix, Sam has been soaking up his surroundings, rediscovering his mountain by looking for new approaches, a new side, a new route, and by continuing to dream of other spaces. “There will always be a million dreams to accomplish, like going to Mars, for example, but what’s most important is to dream in the first place; the rest is just details.”

His DREAMER spot: The Secteur Barrage and the Lac d’Émosson, where the colours flourish in autumn.

Find Sam Beaugey’s books on www.editionspaulsen.com/sales-gosses-1962.html et www.editionspaulsen.com/petits-desastres-2236.html or directly at Editions Paulsen – Espace Mont-Blanc, 30 avenue du Mont-Blanc in Chamonix (open daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm).

intothewhite.fr

Instagram : @sam_beaugey
Facebook : sam-beaugey

Mathias Herzog

“40 years old, free and happy”

Mathias Herzog is a former Parisian, yoga instructor, crypto enthusiast and avid traveller. After going through a difficult period which included a divorce, the loss of his father (mountain climber Maurice Herzog), and business troubles, Mathias began to question everything and change his life. “I could no longer stand my zombie-like existence, so I decided to travel and expand my yoga practice at a training workshop in Goa, India”, explains Mathias. “I took the leap and bought a one-way ticket. I deconstructed everything I was taught from parents, school, society, politics, money and happiness, and I began rebuilding with other values not taught in the West. In an instant, my life took on meaning, and everything fell into place so easily. It took me 40 years to achieve freedom and happiness”. Upon returning home, he decided to live in the mountains in Chamonix, where he opened the Edelweiss Yoga Chalet association, just facing his beloved Drus mountain. “The nature here gives off an energy, a power that inspires humility and respect for that which we do not understand. The mountain is full of surprises”. Gentle as a lamb, Mathias is in a good place. He wants to dedicate his future to helping others break free from themselves and others’ expectations, to guide good-hearted people in “their transformation”. “I want to help and make the world a better place, to prepare the future generations for a different future. I want to free them from a system based on fear, profit, growth and a false dream of happiness”.

His DREAMER spots: At the top of the Grands Montets, in the old café, or in the middle of the Blanche Valley.

To participate in a yoga class or retreat, visit www.edelweissyogachalet.com

Instagram : @edelweissyogachalet

Gilles Berlioz

“my goal in life is to try and make this world better”

With a child-like gap-toothed grin and bright blue eyes, Gilles Berlioz is a happy self-taught winemaker. Born in Chambéry as the son of a labourer, he worked as a landscaper before following his passion for the vine in Chignin. “I came to this mountain village as a boy, and one fine day I decided to settle here with my wife Christine, whom I met when I was 16 and who has shared a life with me going on 40 years now”. On his time-sharing land of 6 hectares, cultivated with the help of a horse—“after all, one wouldn’t use a car to pack the soil in one’s garden”, he exclaims—and certified organic in 2005, Gilles produces fragrant, handcrafted wines that are authentic and full of character, just like him. “The Domaine is founded on the strengths of intention, biodynamics and on our interactions with the people around us. Our values are authenticity, trust, commitment, working with awareness and rigour”. These principles serve as the foundation for the production of more than 25,000 bottles each year, sent all over the world. The success of his wine, according to Gilles, starts with the quality of the land. “There is only good land and bad winemakers, you know”. In search only of happiness, this unusual winemaker centred his life around generosity and sharing. “My philosophy is simple: to remind myself that, once the storm has passed, tomorrow will be even brighter, and to try every day to make life on earth better”.

His DREAMER spot: On the peaks of Chignin, in a place called Les Châteaux, where the view is spectacular and where we cultivate our wine, the Mondeuse.

To discover his work, visit his website www.domainepartagegillesberlioz.fr et au Domaine, Le Viviers, Cidex 4000, 73800 Chignin.

David Giachino

“My dream is to travel through the mountains with the cows”

At the foot of Mont Granier, facing the Bauges mountain range and overlooking the Isère Valley, are 15 hectares of vineyards owned by David Giachino. An Haute-Savoie native, from the tiny village of Ambilly, the winemaker, with his blue eyes and discreet earing, is in love—nay obsessed—with the mountains. “I’m deeply connected to them. They have given me a trade, a fabulous vineyard that I tend to with my brother, Fréderic, and my nephew, Clément. I even have them to thank for my marriage, having met my wife 30 years ago in the Chartreuse mountains”. In 2005, he implemented biodynamics at his vineyards, which are harvested by hand, vinified using indigenous yeasts, and no sulphur is added until the bottling process. His vines produce 90,000 to 100,000 bottles each year. He invites us to taste his subtle and elegant red and white wines, all made with love, at his kitchen overlooking the mountain pastures. “The winemaker’s mood and energy affect the quality of the wine”, argues David. “When you work with nature every day, you need to open your chakras, reject negativity, and continue to work together”. Positive by nature, David believes in the new generation who is embracing a return to good values. He sees his future in the mountains: “I get a bit depressed after about a week on level ground; I hope to one day cut back on my work and travel through the mountains with the cows”… or perhaps on board his campervan in which he travels everywhere. Recent spots: Turkey, Norway, Iceland, and others. 

His DREAMER spot: The Belledonne mountain range, for its lakes and everlasting snow, with a landscape that is very mineral at the top and green at the bottom.

Discover Giachino’s Domaine on www.domaine-giachino.fr or directly at 189 Chemin des Côtes, route de la Palud, Chapareillan.

Instagram : @domainegiachino

Cédric Gras

“I dream of a wilder world”

Cédric Gras is a writer, traveller and adventure-seeker. He spent a few years living in Russia, where he wrote his first book and published several travel stories—Vladivostok, neiges et moussons, La mer des Cosmonautes. In 2020, he was awarded the Albert Londres Prize for best book and the Grand Prix du Salon du Livre de Montagne de Passy for his work Alpinistes de Staline, an extensive report on the life and exploits of mountaineer brothers Evgueni and Vitali Abakalov who lived under the Stalin regime.
While taking the train to shoot a documentary on the Chamonix-Zermatt alpine trail, Cédric speaks fondly of the mountain he fell in love with as a child. “I was born in the suburbs of Paris, in Viroflay, but I dreamed of the mountains from a young age, while also dreaming of writing”, he recounts. “I love the idea of a vertical escape by climbing Mont Blanc and other Chamonix mountains. What I love most of all, however, is the forest. The taiga, for example, is a temperate boreal forest and the mere thought of being alone there gives me immense pleasure. Generally speaking, simply seeing nature and knowing it exists makes me happy”. Cédric has no dreams: “I prefer to go wherever life takes me, dreaming is just marketing”, as he puts it. Nonetheless, the travelling writer can well imagine a less populated world. “I would love to see nature as prominent as it was before the industrial era”, he says smiling, “a wilder planet. I discovered this wilderness in Russia. I walked for a whole week in the Vladivostok without coming across a single person. Today, no one can understand this experience”.

His DREAMER spots: The route to Prarayer, and the route to the Aosta refuge. If he had to choose just one spot: the Dent d’Hérens, a summit in the Valais Alps, just west of the Matterhorn.
Must-read: Alpinistes de Staline, winner of the 2020 Albert Londres Prize at Editions Stock.

Instagram @cedricgrasecrivain
Facebook www.facebook.com/CedricGrasEcrivain

Antoine Grospiron-Jaccoux

“The greatest freedom of all: contemplation”

Born in Paris and raised in the Lyon suburbs, Antoine Grospiron-Jaccoux left for Chamonix 30 years ago to accompany his loved ones. A journalist by training, author and copywriter, he published his first work “Le monde du freeride” in which he tells the captivating story about freeride skiing and what it means to break the rules. He also writes about the Rossignol legend and has, for some years, managed the magazine for the Nuit de la Glisse festival. He is also a photographer. “I love capturing in my photos moments of silence, personality traits, and all those little moments that test one’s character and leave us feeling lost. I’m inspired by the rugged photography of greats like Josef Koudelka, like beautiful souls”. With his Venetian blond hair and blue eyes, Antoine has a romantic look about him, and he has found an ideal source of joy and inspiration in his mountains. “In the mountains, we can make a constant connection with nature, which makes them so sacred. Everything here makes me dream, from a difficult summit to a winding trail through the forests and mountain pastures. When you escape the world below, you enter the perfect environment for contemplation, the greatest freedom of all”. An endless dreamer, Antoine aspires to conquer the Aiguille Verte and the Drus peaks in Chamonix, to surf on the water, play an instrument, and sail across the Atlantic… “just small basic dreams”, he says.

His DREAMER spot: I have so many and no favourites in particular, but one of the biggest factors in deciding to go somewhere is the travel distance. I like going to the Charousse mountain pasture; it’s spectacular and easy to get to.

Find Antoine Grospiron-Jaccoux’s book, Le monde du freeride, at Editions Minerva, and view his photography on www.nopsir.org and www.antidotedxb.com

Giacomo Calosi

“I dream of a world in which tranquility prevails”

For nearly 30 years, Giacomo Calosi has owned the Rifugio Maison Vieille and restaurant in the Italian mountains of Courmayeur. The retreat is an institution for all mountain enthusiasts and one of the stops along the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, a mountain ultramarathon. At an altitude of 1,956 metres, Giacomo, with a star tattoo on his ear, served us a glass of Prosecco and grilled lamb chops. A wonderful man and an excellent host. “I grew up in another kind of environment, in Tuscany, among the horses and the hills, in the vineyard where my father worked and which produced some of the finest wines in Italy, Marchesi di Antinori”. In 1983, he left for Courmayeur, where 10 years later, he would live out his dream to become owner of the lodge. “Here is where I learned the true meaning of freedom. I love snowy days, foggy days, and rainy days. Those hazy days when someone appears out of nowhere. Nature is real; she speaks to me”. Having travelled all around the world, today Giacomo dreams of a more tranquil world. “The time has come to adopt a smarter way to travel. Mass tourism is a source of pollution, and meeting too many people creates too much confusion. I dream of a world with fewer people, a world where you can take time for yourself. Perhaps I will take inspiration from my Hungarian friend who lived with two bulls to push his caravan and a cow to produce milk. Such a nomadic and communal lifestyle continues to inspire me”.  

His DREAMER spots: All the small valleys of the Aosta Valley. The Rhêmes Valley, the Ayas Valley, Valsavarenche and the limestone pyramids of Val Veny as well as the start of the route for the Tour du Mont Blanc.  

To visit his farm: Rifugio Maison Vieille, Col Checrouit in Courmayeur, from 15 June to 20 September. Tel.: +33 (0)7 23 09 79. 

Eloïse Novel

“My dream: to live free on my farm, surrounded by nature”

Eloïse Novel is a farmer. At the age of 30, Eloïse took over the family farm in the peaks of Boëge, about 30 kilometres from Lake Geneva. A village overlooking the splendid Haute-Savoie green valley, rich with the sounds of its 45 cows—95 if you count the calves. Their milk is used to produce the best cheeses in the region: Tomme de Savoie Fermière, a smear-ripened cheese sometimes flavoured with cumin; Raclette; and Abondance, a cooked cheese made from unpasteurised milk, infused with the scents of the Savoie mountain pastures and whose origins date back to the 11th century. “This is where I grew up, among the cows, in a small village with fewer than 2,000 residents, surrounded by nature. I had one dream in mind: to take over the family business from my parents”, explains the young woman. As we visited the sites, Eloïse Novel explains that she rarely leaves her animals or her cheese ageing cellar, where she spends most of her time. “Other dreams of mine have come true: I travelled around the world 6 years ago, exploring Latin America, Asia and Australia for 11 months. Today, I’m truly living the dream on my farm, and my sole objective is to share all the values I learned here with my daughter: respect for nature, strong family ties, and freedom, my greatest luxury”.

Her DREAMER spots: Saint-Gervais and the “Chalets de Miage”, an enchanting valley surrounded by green mountain pastures with a fantastic view of the Dômes de Miage glacier, the Aiguille de Bionnassay mountain and the Col du Tricot pass.

To visit her farm: Ferme du Chalet, 622 Route de Chez Novelly, from Monday to Saturday, 8:30 am to 12:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. Tel.: +33 (0)4 50 39 12 35.

Yannick Graziani

“I dream of opening new unknown pathways”

Yannick Graziani is a high mountain guide and climbing enthusiast. Originally from the small village of Tourette-sur-Loup, in the back country of Nice, Yannick still maintains a hint of his southern accent since moving to Chamonix. He helped us clear the pathways to discovering paradise. “The mountain is sacred. It’s where I spend all of my days, working, climbing and skiing”. With a few guide friends, he embarked on his first expeditions 30 years ago. “As a boy, it was all about motocross, but climbing and mountaineering would win me over instantly”, he explains as his icy blue eyes light up. It all started with Mont Blanc in 1989, before living out his dream in 2004: in the Himalayas, I climbed the side of Makalu for the first time, and without oxygen. At 8,400 metres, it is the 5th highest peak in the world”. With ironclad mental strength and an extraordinary team, he opens up new pathways, climbing Chomo Lonzo in China, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum and the Biacherahi North Tower in Pakistan as well as the Annapurna South Face in Nepal, standing at 8,091 metres. “My dream is to discover summits and unknown expeditions in the mountain wilderness of the Himalayas, to follow one of the Silk Roads in the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan. But I haven’t lost sight of the beauty that surrounds me”. At a somewhat lower altitude, the Aosta Valley is one of Yannick’s favourite spots. “Like the Val d’Anniviers, a Swiss Alpine valley with a beautiful flowing river”. A life immersed in the mountains. “Even at night, I dream of villages perched 8,000 metres high, where the air may be thin but people breathe”.  

His DREAMER spot: On the route to Col de Montets via Switzerland, you discover the magnificent view of the Mont Blanc Massif. Simply breathtaking.

Find the book Zabardast, journal intime au Karakoram published by éditions du Mont-Blanc.

Facebook : Yannick Graziani Expeditions

pascale montenay

“The most precious thing in life is finding your freedom” 

Pascale Montenay is an art director and designer and has managed her own creative studio creativestories.fr for over 10 years. Her love for the mountains led her in Chamonix, which has always been her refuge.  This is where she launched Øberdream, her new adventure.

“I’ve always enjoyed dreaming about other lives I could have had and reinventing the future. In 2020, I finally made this dream a reality with the idea of travelling in a van, a dream that centred around everything I love: the mountains, adventure, people I adore, and freedom”. Following her instincts, she set off to meet those individuals who live their high-altitude dreams, exploring the most beautiful sites in the region of Chamonix, Switzerland and Italy. “From the Vallée Noire on Pointe Helbronner, stunning views from the heights of Balme, and the top of Aiguillette des Houches to the incredible view of the Dent d’Oche summit… everything here is a masterpiece! Its magnetic environment inspires creativity or, even better, meditation. Once the summits are reached, when you share these magical moments, it is very difficult to return to the course of one’s normal life. You come back changed, followed by a star”. Surrounded by people who share the same passions in life, in the span of a few months, she put the wheels in motion for Øberdream: “I really poured my heart into this project, which tells the stories of men and women who have made their dreams come true”. Secretly, Pascale shows us her bucket list, “all dreams that merge art and travel: visit Naoshima, an island in Japan transformed into a temple of contemporary art, set off in a van and hide in an Italian valley, next to a river; drive to the sanctuaries of contemporary art: Marfa, the museum city of Texas, discover the art installations in Joshua Tree in California”, and so much more”. But her most valued goal: to enjoy her freedom every day and pay it a tribute through adventure and sharing.

Her DREAMER spots: a sunset in the Cheserys with a view of Chamonix, the Tour and Switzerland, the stone wings of the Arête des Papillons under the Aiguille du Midi, the view from Coupeau or the top of Servoz, walking along the waterfall of Bérard in late summer, surrounded by a forest of larches… Magic.

Instagram : @oberdream and @pascale_montenay
Facebook : Pascale Montenay

Marie de la Ville Baugé

“The mountain, my land of inspiration and joy”

Marie de La Ville Baugé is a nomadic artist, photographer, explorer and winemaker. Born in Paris, she describes her birth as a “medical miracle”. From a young age, she dreamed of following in the footsteps of Swiss author Ella Maillart and Mata Hari. These women would inspire her to travel around the world to Cambodia, Sudan and Russia, where she stayed about 10 years. In her Argentière chalet, perched at an altitude of 1,250 metres, the artist welcomes us to her abode filled with canvases and artwork, some of which is signed by her mother. “Chamonix is almost sacred and excites me and brings me more joy than probably any other region in the world. Its year-round beauty is striking, astounding and so fulfilling. Here, you find an unusually high concentration of extraordinary, passionate people. The children who grow up here become active, selfless and unified citizens with a deep connection to nature”. Forever inspired by the mountains, Marie de La Ville Baugé unveils to us her latest work, including her collection Cartography of Desire: “mountain landscapes drawn in the form of topographical maps, or directly onto the maps, which trace rows of words of love, desire, dreams and disillusionment… words and valleys of emotions and sensations”. As she dreams of other adventures—crossing the Caucasus mountains by ski and horseback, revisiting Meroë in Sudan, walking along the Ethiopian highlands, painting on the bank of Lake Naivasha—Marie is forming her recipe for happiness: “take advantage of all that is good and joyful, and all that presents itself to me”.

Her DREAMER spot: A hike and picnic in the Chalets d’Ayères. Located in the south, beneath the Fiz mountain chain, facing the Mont Blanc Massif, the area is truly unique.

To discover her work, visit her website www.mariedelavillebauge.com or the Plan B Hotel in Chamonix, 196 Avenue de Courmayeur.

Instagram : @mariedelavillebauge.art

 Clémentine junique

“Chamonix, my sacred space”

A native of Oisans, Clémentine Junique grew up between Alpe d’Huez where she spent her winters and Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans, at the foot of Aiguille Dibona, a reference to the famous Austrian climber. An accomplished athlete, unconditional of the peaks, at ease in all mountain disciplines, from climbing on the ice waterfalls to paragliding jumps, through steep slope skiing, mountain biking or hiking. “I’m interested in everything that runs and slides,” she says. “My parents, instructors and guides put me on very small skis. Since then I’ve never stopped and I’m into everything.” Smiling with her lips and braid like an Indian, Clementine lives and breathes mountains, «her sacred space», she admits. She even dedicated a film and association a few years ago, «Girls to the top», which tells the story of Indian skiers, Nepalese mountaineers and Chinese climbers. «After this project, I landed in Chamonix and met my companion, Pierre Hourticq (high-mountain guide and director of several ski films including «Félicité» and
“Frozen Mind”) on a chairlift. Love at first sight.” Today ski instructor at the French Ski School of Chamonix, also in charge of the conference site of the ENSA, the National Ski and Mountaineering School, Clémentine always dreams of mountain. I realized my first big dream at 16, alongside my dad, with the crossing of the Meije, a mountain of the Oisans basin, on the edge of the Ecrins massif. An adventure lived as in a film, where my father had transported with him, a virgin made of wood. Now I dream of taking off in paragliding from the Aiguille Verte with my brother as my flight companion.”

Her DREAMER spot: The Vallon de la Selle and its ice cascades, the Meije, a summit of the Ecrins massif, the ski area of the Vormaine au Tour and of course the Val d’Aoste.

To discover the association Girls to the top, visit www.girlstothetop.com

Instagram : @clementinejunique