Round 3 / SKI MOUNTAINEERING - PLUM KV COURCHEVEL - Friday 20 February 2015

Yoann Sert and Catherine Juillaguet break the record in the 3rd stage of the Plum KV Courchevel.

For this 3rd and penultimate stage of the Plum KV Courchevel in ski mountaineering, success was assured with 100 competitors at the start. At the end of the 4 winter events, this Vertical Kilometre (KV) course (1,000 m of elevation gain and 5 km), approved by the French Mountain and Climbing Federation (FFME), will allow the best man and woman to take the 2015 French KV record. To keep it friendly and accessible to all, the organisers from the Courchevel Sports Alpinisme association opted for time-trial starts staggered from 6 pm to 7 pm, so that everyone, whatever their level, can enjoy themselves and reach the summit together.

On Friday 20 February, with a course fully groomed the day before by snow-cat and exceptional weather, conditions were ideal for a very fast time. Under a magnificent starry, moonlit sky, the participants swallowed up the 1,000 metres of elevation gain, and the finish at 2,250 m altitude, overlooking the fully lit resort of Courchevel, enchanted everyone.

In this 3rd stage, the records were smashed, with Yoann Sert setting the bar at 42min01s and Catherine Juillaguet at 54min26s among the women.

Florent Perrier (43min07s) and Pierre-François Gachet (43min44s) complete the men’s podium, and among the women Stéphanie Duc (57min06s) takes 2nd place ahead of Charlotte Le Roux (59min31s).

In the ESF challenge, Benjamin Bade of the ESF of Courchevel 1550 set the best time in 51min12s and Charlotte Le Roux of the ESF of Le Grand Bornand in 59min31s.

Worthy of note is the fine performance of Jean-Christophe Berrard in 1h10min21s. On 18 January, for his birthday, Jean-Christophe had set himself the challenge of ski touring 8,848 m of elevation gain, the equivalent of climbing Everest from sea level, in under 24 hours! A challenge completed after 18h30 of effort and a total of 9 ascents of the Plum KV Courchevel course.

The next and last Plum KV Courchevel ski mountaineering date will take place on Friday 20 March. After that, we will have to wait for summer, when the trail runners will take over to compete in the Plum KV Courchevel in trail running mode on the same Vertical Kilometre course over 4 events (10 and 24 July, 7 and 21 August).

In the end, prize money of €500 will be offered for the best time by a man and a woman of the season in each discipline (ski mountaineering / trail running) and €1,000 for the best time by a man and a woman of the year, by adding the 2 best performances in ski mountaineering and trail running.

Yoann Sert and Charlotte Le Roux win the 3rd Grand Slam.

During the weeks when the MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL (MSTC) and the PLUM KV COURCHEVEL (PKVC) are held, a ranking will be compiled for those who complete the “Grand Slam” (taking part in both events in the same week).

This week, the “Grand Slam” combined the times of the MSTC on Wednesday 18 February with the times of the PKVC on Friday 20 February. 41 competitors ran both races this time, and it was Yoann Sert who won this third stage in 1h05min03s and Charlotte Le Roux who took the women’s win in 1h32min04s.

The official prize-givings for the 4 “Grand Slams” of the season, as well as for the Plum KV Courchevel 2015 in ski mountaineering, will be held on Wednesday 25 March at the grand final of the Millet Ski Touring Courchevel (MSTC), which will close this ski touring season. To celebrate the end of the season and finish with a flourish as every year, registration for the MSTC on 25 March will be free for everyone who comes in fancy dress, and the closing meal prepared by our partner hotel “Le Chabichou” will be offered to all participants in the Croisette hall.