“Leaves Accompany My Journey”? The 2013 Lafuma Mountaineering Season Concludes Successfully on Mont Blanc in France

    Although nearly a month has passed since the official conclusion of the “Leaves Accompany My Journey”? 2013 Lafuma Mountaineering Season, Shao Chunyu, as one of the members of the Ultimate Dream Team and one who successfully summited Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the French Alps, still recalls the event with irrepressible excitement. From the preliminary selection to the knockout rounds, and then to the final challenge of Western Europe’s highest peak, the three-month-long “Leaves Accompany My Journey”? 2013 Lafuma Mountaineering Season left behind countless memorable moments.

 

The Ultimate Dream Team takes a group photo in front of the cable car station before departure

 

    Onward march!The birth of the Ultimate Dream Team
    Turning back the clock to September 1, 2013, the top 60 teams (120 participants) of the knockout stage of the “Leaves Accompany My Journey”? 2013 Lafuma Mountaineering Season, after intense public voting and expert judging, saw their respective category champions emerge: the Solo Adventurers, the Romantic Couples, and the Friendship Mix Groups. Together with media representatives from well-known domestic publications such as Outdoor, New Travel, World, Photography Friends, and Pleasant Journeys, they formed the 12-member Ultimate Dream Team, officially setting off for their dream destination — Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the French Alps!

 

 

    “I still remember the thrill when I received the call from the event organizers telling me I was the champion of the Romantic Couples category. My wife and I met and fell in love during outdoor activities, and we just got our marriage certificate on September 8. Winning this challenge and being able to step onto the dreamed-of Alps was undoubtedly the best gift from heaven,” said Shao Chunyu. As an annual highlight in the mountaineering community, the large-scale thematic series event “Leaves Accompany My Journey”? 2013 Lafuma Mountaineering Season has now successfully held its second edition. Through comprehensive online and offline activities, it fully showcases the mountaineering spirit and skills of enthusiasts, encourages more positive, united, enterprising, and win-win team spirit and values, and has attracted numerous mountaineering lovers like Shao Chunyu to participate.

 

 

    A Dream Fulfilled!Experiencing an Extraordinary Journey
    On the evening of September 12, as night fell, members of the Ultimate Dream Team gathered at Beijing Capital International Airport and officially set off for France. Over the next eight days of an extraordinary journey, the team members gained countless highlights and unforgettable memories.
    On September 13, upon arriving in Europe, Lafuma, the organizer of the event, arranged a series of professional training sessions for the Ultimate Dream Team. The previously gifted Lafuma outdoor gear worth 4,000 yuan per person helped the participants adapt more quickly to the Alpine mountaineering environment. Under the guidance of Lafuma’s contracted athlete — renowned mountaineer Aymeric Clouet — the participants climbed two 3,000-meter-plus peaks, Tête Blanche and Aiguille du Tour, within just two days, crossing both France and Switzerland. Team coordination grew notably stronger through the training. The rich European mountaineering culture and well-equipped facilities also left a deep impression on the Ultimate Dream Team members.

 

 

    Everything was set, and the moment to climb the ultimate dream peak finally arrived. Although due to snowstorms, some participants chose not to attempt Mont Blanc but instead summited Gran Paradiso (4,061 meters) in Italy, the joy of the climbing process brought extraordinary feelings to the Ultimate Dream Team members. “As Aymeric said, climbing is not about the height of the mountain, but whether it allows you to fully immerse yourself and enjoy it. Whether it was Mont Blanc or Gran Paradiso, we all enjoyed the experience, and that was enough,” said Shao Chunyu.

 

 

    Fulfilling the dream of Mont Blanc, fulfilling the dream of climbing, was the shared highest aspiration of the Ultimate Dream Team. The four members staying in Chamonix to prepare for the Mont Blanc summit carried not only the dreams of the entire team but also immense pressure. During the ascent, they had to contend not only with the majesty of the snow-capped peak but also with ever-changing weather and cutting winds. The excitement of climbing was soon replaced by the intensity of the physical effort and the tension. But when the four finally overcame all obstacles and stood atop Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe, all fatigue vanished. The orange glow of the Lafuma flag contrasted with the white snow and the smiling faces of the four, creating the most moving picture of a dream fulfilled.

 

Ultimate Dream Team members successfully summit Mont Blanc

 

    It is worth mentioning that in addition to challenging the snowy peaks of France, Switzerland, and Italy, the Ultimate Dream Team also participated in the annual Mer de Glace Glacier Cleanup environmental activity. It is understood that this event began in 2008, initiated by the Lafuma Group in collaboration with the Alpin Français Club and local ecological conservationists. During the activity, Shao Chunyu emotionally remarked: “Decades ago, the trash left by European mountaineering pioneers is being cleaned up by us, a group of mountaineers from the East, half a century later. This is a cycle and also fate. Cherish the environment, starting with me!” There is no doubt that the environmental efforts from the East will carry the spirit of the Mer de Glace Glacier Cleanup activity even further, and at the same time, bring a perfect conclusion to the “Leaves Accompany My Journey”? 2013 Lafuma Mountaineering Season trip to France.

 

 

    “Leaves Accompany My Journey”? 2013 Lafuma Mountaineering Season official website: www.2013lafuma.com