Documenting adventure: being a media woman on expedition with Margault Demasles

Updated on 2026-04-29

In this episode of the podcast La Sportive Outdoor, I welcome Margault Demasles, journalist, photographer and editor, who is going on an expedition as a media woman.

Laurène Philippot

Laurène is the magazine's creator. An avid cyclist, hiker and trail runner, she's always keen to discover new places, especially in the mountains!

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Podcast summary

In this episode of La Sportive Outdoor, we meet Margault Demasles, a woman of many hats: journalist, photographer and film-maker. Specializing in coverage of sporting expeditions across the globe, she takes us behind the scenes of a profession where adaptation is the golden rule.

From the letter to Géo to the benches of anthropology

Margault’s destiny seems to have been mapped out from childhood. At just 8, fascinated by Géo magazine’s reports, she sent an e-mail to the editorial team offering her services. . If the answer politely invited her to return to her 18 years, this first contact nurtured a dream that has never left her: to discover the world in order to tell it better..

Yet his academic career began in the human sciences and anthropology in Grenoble. Today, this detour into the study of human beings has had a profound influence on his journalistic approach, having taught him to understand the world before seeking to put it into images.

After immersion in the social economy in Colombia and Morocco, a meeting with a photographer set her on the path to journalism. She then enrolled at the UEJ Pro school in Montpellier, while working in the regional daily press at Le Télégramme in Vannes.

In the end, perseverance was the key to her signing up with Géo, the magazine of her dreams, after she went to the editorial office to submit her CV and offered to report on a round-the-world sailing trip..

Margault Demasles, media woman, journalist and director — Laurent Polinquin

Citronnelle and Nomads Productions : Le bureau nomade

To realize her ambitions as a freelancer while staying as close to the field as possible, Margault has opted for life in a van. Aboard Citronnelle, her little yellow van converted into a production company called Nomads Productions, she criss-crosses the territories.

This approach allows her to embody a philosophy of local information. Often starting her day at the local café to chat with locals, she unearths unique subjects, from an investigation into illegal deforestation in Romania to a meeting with a traditional Breton dressmaker.

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The role of Media Woman: A challenge of versatility

Margault also takes part in expeditions around the world, in which she holds the position of Media Woman, a role that requires constant mental and technical gymnastics.

Technical multitasking: She has to manage photography, video, sound recording and adventure narration simultaneously.
Constant adaptation: It’s not unusual to see her piloting her drone while holding a GoPro in her mouth and manipulating another box to capture the moment.
Total immersion: Beyond the image, she must maintain a bond of trust with the team to gather authentic words, while managing her own fatigue.
Autonomy in remote areas: During drone photography missions, she can spend entire days alone, from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., covering specific geographical areas.

Margault Demasles in the snow — JJ Dreydemy

From the waves of the Ocean Club Race to the rivers of Quebec

Margault’s experience is marked by two particularly demanding major expeditions. The first was theOcean Club Race, an eight-month crewed circumnavigation of the globe on the Shunglo Bridge. . With no previous sailing experience, she initially embarked for the image. However, following the medical evacuation of a sailor at the start of the race, she had to learn to steer and navigate in an emergency, particularly in the Indian Ocean..

More recently, she spent three months in Quebec on the Fur Route. This 1350-kilometer journey by traditional canoe, from Tadoussac to James Bay, took place from May to September 2025. The idea was to retrace the ancestral routes of First Nations and fur traders. Physically intense, the expedition involved 10 to 11 hours a day of river travel, insect infestation and long portages with canoes on their backs. .

Meticulous preparation for future challenges

To keep up this pace, Margault considers physical training an integral part of her job. She imposes on herself a daily routine of one to two hours of running, swimming and muscle strengthening to avoid injury.

She also adapts her practice to her future objectives: she is currently practicing ski touring in preparation for her next scientific expedition to Sarek National Park, in Swedish Lapland.