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Episode summary

In this new episode of the podcast La Sportive Outdoor, we meet Camille Monjaret, a 45-year-old enthusiast of independent roaming. After a twenty-year career as an agricultural engineer, she now devotes herself to projects combining long-distance travel and professional reconversion, and has completed the Hexatrek, a monumental 3,000-kilometer crossing of the French massifs.

The roots of a passion

Camille’s love of the great outdoors goes back to her childhood, passed on by her hiking parents. By the age of 7 or 8, she was already traversing the Vanoise and Queyras massifs. To motivate her siblings, her parents used memorable tricks: the selection of sublime landscapes, an introduction to botany, and above all the famous “bonbon de courage”, a systematic reward once the summit of a pass had been reached. This mountain upbringing led her to a quest for slowness and freedom, and today she prefers three-month trips that allow her to fully experience the changing seasons.

Completing the loop: 300 kilometers between Modane and Chamrousse

The Hexatrek is a demanding route with 130,000 meters of ascent and descent. When she completed it in 2023, Camille had to skip part of the route due to her husband’s professional constraints. Frustrated at not being able to call herself a “finisher”, she set off again alone last June to cover the remaining 300 kilometers.

Its itinerary, accessible by train, is structured as follows:

• Departure from Modane to Mont Thabor.
• Crossing the Cerces via the Galibier and Lautaret passes.
• Clockwise tour of the Écrins, passing through Val-Gaudemars and Les Deux Alpes.
• Massif des Arves to reach the foot of the Saint-Sorlin glacier.
• Technical finale in the Belledonne chain to Chamrousse.

Wild immersion: between moments of grace and technical challenges

Camille describes landscapes of striking beauty, including the Arcine valley, where she experienced a “moment of grace” amid marmots and a turquoise river. She also highlights the splendor of the Emparis plateau, where the mountains of the Écrins massif (La Meije, La Barre des Écrins) are reflected in high-altitude lakes. Wildlife was omnipresent: ibex, chamois, a horde of vultures on a carcass and even a ptarmigan, an exceptional encounter for the hiker.

However, the month of June imposed its limits. The absence of crampons prevented her from reaching the summit of Le Thabor, which was still too snow-covered. . She also had to cope with demanding days in the rain, covering up to 32 kilometers and 1,900 metres of ascent in a single stage to find shelter in a gîte..

Logistics and minimalism: the art of traveling light

To succeed on such a journey, Camille is very rigorous about the weight of her bag, using the Lighterpack tool to weigh each item. Her technical choices are clear:

• The filter flask: indispensable for drinking any kind of water (even puddles) without getting sick.
• Trail shoes: lightweight and quick-drying compared to large, waterproof hiking boots.
• The hiking shirt: against all odds, she recommends this garment for its ventilation and protection against UV and insects.

It also uses the Hexatrek app to anticipate water points, authorized bivouac areas and refreshment points.. To keep her energy up, she alternates between local produce bought in the village and freeze-dried meals sent to herself by parcel from the local gîtes..