Act 1 - MILLET SKI TOURING COURCHEVEL - Wednesday 16 December 2015

The Millet Ski Touring Courchevel season is launched. Mathéo Jacquemoud and Géraldine Bau take the reins.

Given the low snow cover on the official Millet Ski Touring Courchevel (MSTC) course at the start of the season, the organisers of the club "Courchevel Sports Alpinisme" offered the fallback course already used twice at the start of last season. This first event on Wednesday 16 December was therefore run on ski touring skis on the summits of the resort, starting from Courchevel 1850. The finish of this 2.4 km Vertical Race course with 500 m of elevation gain was identical to the official finish of the "Plum KV Courchevel", located at the top of the Loze relay.

A participation record for this first race of the season with 88 participants at the start. "In 5 years we have never had so many people on a first stage," said Guillaume Prin, president of "Courchevel Sports Alpinisme", at the finish. A season that promises to begin under the best auspices, especially for Mathéo Jacquemoud, who after an "off" season is back in very great form this year. After winning the first round of the French Ski Mountaineering Cup in early December and the "Mont-Blanc Ski Challenge" last weekend, Mathéo of the club Courchevel Sports Alpinisme won this first MSTC event in 19min43s, improving by 6 seconds the record he had set on this fallback course last year.

A promising start to the season with numerous ski mountaineering podiums to his name, Tony Portanier of Courchevel Sports Alpinisme and instructor at ESF Courchevel 1550 again stepped onto the podium, taking second place with a time of 20min33s. Second in the 2015 MSTC overall standings, Yoann Sert, 2015 winner of the "Plum KV Courchevel" in trail and ski mountaineering, of the "Cyclo’Courch" and of the "Dynastar X3 Courchevel", is gradually building up power with 3rd position in this first round in 21min04s.

Among the women, Géraldine Bau of Méribel opened the ball in 28min28s ahead of Elsa Hugot of CAF Chambéry (28min48s) and Elsa Perrin (32min23s).

In the ESF challenge, it was ESF Courchevel 1550 that came out victorious, with wins for Tony Portanier and Pascale Gachet-Mauroz.

Wednesday 23 March – 100th special with the Compagnie Créole!

Thanks to the support of many partners and the motivation of the volunteers for 5 years, this new season will be marked on 23 March, at the 2016 final, by the 100th climb. This 100th special will be the occasion for a big ski mountaineering celebration with the traditional fancy-dress event and the legendary group "La Compagnie Créole", who will bring a wild atmosphere, not forgetting numerous surprises. An event not to be missed under any circumstances.

The first stage of the "Plum KV Courchevel" planned for this Friday 18 December has been moved to Friday 1 January because of the lack of snow on the lower part of the course. The second stage of the MSTC will take place on Wednesday 23 December on the official or fallback course depending on snow cover. For this Christmas event, registration will be free for everyone who comes dressed as Mrs or Father Christmas, and many gifts will be drawn by lot.