Mountaineering

Philippe BatouxFrance

A climber in Norrøna clothing, helmet, and climbing gear stands on a rocky mountain peak overlooking a lake and mountain range under a clear blue sky.

Philippe Batoux
From: Chamonix, France
Ambassador since: 2025

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Outdoor activities: Skiing, Mountaineering, Rock climbing, Ski Touring, Paragliding

Achievements:

Skied the Nant Blanc on the Aiguille Verte.
First ascent of The Kraken in Gudvangen, Norway (February 2018) – VI 6+, 900 m.
Climbed 12 routes on El Capitan, Yosemite, California, including Sea of Dreams and Reticent Wall.
Three first ascents on the Grandes Jorasses.
First ascents in Greenland, South Georgia, Norway, Nepal, Alaska and Sichuan, among others.

Philippe Batoux is an IFMGA-certified mountain guide and an instructor at the French National Ski and Mountaineering School (ENSA), based in Chamonix.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Chambéry (150 km from Chamonix). Chambéry is a good place for rock climbing, with many nice limestone cliffs. It is also close to the ski resorts of Tarentaise, and I spent lots of time skiing in Les 3 Vallées and Les Arcs. I left Chambéry for Marseille to finish my studies. There, I discovered the Calanques and the amazing limestone of the south of France.

What do you actively do to cut back on your carbon footprint?

I am lucky to live in the centre of the Alps, where I can basically walk to work, go skiing and go climbing.

Where is your favorite place in the world?

What I like about my job is the diversity. I love ice climbing in the cold and rock climbing in the desert. I like to choose my activities according to the seasons and the conditions.

I have an answer for every activity. For alpinism and skiing, Chamonix is my favourite place. There is no other place in the world where you have such easy access to extraordinary ski descents and alpine climbs.

For ice climbing, Norway is by far my favourite place. The Sognefjord offers the biggest concentration of the most difficult ice lines in the world, especially around Gudvangen. Later in the season, the conditions are better in the north, where you can climb master lines above the sea in Senja or Lyngen.

What advice would you give your 10-year-old self?

Chamonix is the place where you can encounter the highest number of extreme sports athletes per square metre. It's not always the best example. Too many young kids are dying in the valley each year. If I were 10 now, I would probably be influenced by this energy and try too hard, too quickly.

My advice would be: join a club, listen to the coach, do what they say, work hard, train a lot and don't skip steps.

What hobbies do you enjoy participating in?

Photography and flying. When you climb, you have a very limited view of the mountain. When you can fly above your climb, you can see the whole mountain from a different angle, and it's magic.

If you could choose a superpower, what would it be and why?

Stop climate change.