Such a long and difficult expedition can hardly be done alone. It requires a group of people, close & reliable friends, supported by many others, loved ones, friends and family and a support team, the guides. Success resides in the work of a group and the unconditional support of one another.
A few people have been instrumental to the success of a smooth expedition.

Xavier: you are tough and strong, you impressed us many times. Your ability to fight the weather, the fatigue, the rough conditions is immense. At camp 4 at 5200 meters, after an 8 hour climbing day, and in -38 degree weather, you stayed outside and worked very hard to finish our setup so we could have a decent night. You are a great friend, able to support me when I needed it, always there, and with a capacity and genuine interest to understand the others and their worries and concerns. On the way down from camp 4 you jumped in self arrest position to stop my crevasse fall, you did not question your own safety and you went for it (you too Pat). Thank you for this, thank you for your friendship and looking forward to some more 7000+ climbing with you on our wonderful planet.

Patrick: I have discovered the real you, the man who can pick up a challenge and has the ability, will, perseverance, strength to push through and never give up. You went through a transformation through hard and consistent training. You showed your focus, your dedication and your passion for the mountain. During our Japan trip and climb of Yotei and Chisanapuri, you set the standard as you took off up the slope with a 27kg pack in the blink of an eye, impressive. And above all, our friendship, knowing you would always be there for us no matter what, that your priority was your friends and rope-mates and not the summit at all costs. Your sense of humour is top notch, and in the toughness of the mountains it’s an asset! Soon for more adventures in Japan, Nepal, USA, the European Alps, Tanzania?

Sarah: your love for the mountain, skiing, ultra trail running, gave us a common language right from the start. I was able to share with you the intense training plan that was ahead and you would understand, support and participate in Hong Kong and in Singapore whenever we were able to train together. I loved all these training sessions with you, they were a way for us to connect deeper and share more of this expedition. Knowing that you followed our progress up the mountain gave me additional strength. Thank you for all the encouragement before, during and after the expedition.

Kai: the toughest of all, physically and mentally, fun, reassuring, caring about others’ well being. Your respect of the mountain and nature in infectious. In my humble experience, you are the best cook on the mountain, pancakes and pizza at 4200m, who would have thought? We learnt a tremendous amount from you, mountaineering techniques, tricks and tips that improve every day life in the cold mountain, we felt safe when a difficult decision had to be made. We will climb again together, we just need to figure out where and when.

Scott Patch: if there was a prize for the funniest guide on Denali, it is yours, no question. It was so enjoyable to have you as one of our guides, you are able to turn any difficulty into a smiling moment while always keeping a focus on safety and technique. The Big Sky ski patrol is lucky to have you! Great sharing about your Nepal climbs and experience as a 8000m mountaineer. I look forward to seeing you in Asia, hopefully sometime soon in Hk.

Lexie: toughest female guide on Denali? Men were in awe when you dug that cache in iced snow at windy corner. Great to hang out with you, and to see you consistently smiling. The ‘hiiieeee’ and ‘byeeeee’ and knowing that all was always ‘dandy’ made for a really fun time on the mountain.

Lars: you were a part of this expedition from the beginning but life commitments & babies, did not enable you to make the final trip to Alaska. You were with us last year in Alaska training, you joined us this year for the Japan training climb and showed us how tough you were when you climbed for 12 hours in snowboard boots 😉 and woke up at 1am to go climbing in the middle of the night with us, crazy Denali apprentices! You would have been an asset on this climb with your positive attitude. We missed you. No excuses next time.

Mike Tse: all that prep before Denali and the past year training with you for ironman Taiwan, Phuket and Subic Bay made all the difference. Your talent at planning around all my business trips flying around Asia, your ability to turn a hotel without gym into a training center using the 40 floors of staircases in Shanghai and Singapore. It’s been a great learning to see what the body can do with focus and consistent training and analysis. You are able to provide the right encouraging words. Training with you puts my mind at ease and helps me focus on the ultimate goal. You genuinely care for others and in today’s big cities where selfishness and personal gain prevails, you remind us of what truly matters. Thank you.

Joel Siu: always encouraging and happy to work around all the triathlon and climbing training. You supported my fitness by adapting the weight training sessions accordingly and helped me achieve my goals.

My parents Jean-Claude and Marie-Helene: not easy to relate to these expeditions in high altitude and to grasp the reason for these trips. But you see the happiness it brings me and you accept it and show interest for these trips, ask me about them, try to learn from them. Your open-mindedness and generosity knows no limits, I deeply cherish these values you have passed on to me. You gave me the chance to look at life and nature with respect, and at others with love, tolerance and patience.

And thanks to all of you who have cared about us and followed our adventure, met with us along the way: Thierry in Paris, Laurent L, Jean Louis, Christophe, the Tritons Stuart, Nick, Ross, Ben, Damo, Toby, Ruth, Margaret, coach Fen, Coach Annemarie in Hong Kong, Mandy, Evelyn, Mira, my sisters Camille and Delphine in Paris, Sabrina and Dan in LA for taking care of us on the way to Denali, and my team at SpeedShare, Jim, Keith, Jing, Hugo, Damon, Derek, Winnie, Joe, Vivian, who keep pushing the business forward when I am away.