The Traverse
France
2021
34 min
Facing some of the most challenging terrain in the world, world class athletes Valentine Fabre and Hillary Gerardi set out to be the first women to ski the Haute Route non-stop from Chamonix to Zermatt. For Valentine, the Haute Route has deep personal resonance: her husband had set the men’s record shortly before a fatal mountain climbing accident a decade ago. Completing the route would be the ultimate tribute to his memory. When Valentine met Hillary, she found a capable partner for this arduous and emotional journey. Despite being relatively new to ski mountaineering, Hillary has vast reserves of stamina that carry over from her career as a professional mountain runner. Together they set out on this nonstop 100km traverse, climbing 8,000m over some of the most beautiful high mountain terrain in the world. Will their months of training be enough for these women to establish the record they seek?
Original Language
English / French
Direction
Ben Tibbetts/ Jake Holland
Camera
Ben Tibbetts/ Jake Holland
Editing
Ben Tibbetts/ Jake Holland
Sound
Ben Tibbetts/ Jake Holland
Script
Ben Tibbetts/ Jake Holland
Producer
Ben Tibbetts
About the filmmaker.
Ben Tibbetts is an IFMGA mountain guide and a photographer, artist, and writer based in Chamonix, France. He specialises in working in wild and remote environments and has created award-winning photographs, films, and books. In the last two decades Ben has climbed and skied new routes in Antarctica, Greenland, Kyrgyzstan, and the Alps.
Jake Holland is a cinematographer, paraglider pilot, and skier based in Chamonix, France. He has been creating award-winning films for the past decade, helping tell stories for brands, television, and cinema productions. Jake has worked on expeditions that have taken him to the Himalayas, Africa, East Asia, and Canada.