Adventure 4810 is a project of human, scientific and ecological scale centred on the iconic Mont White, the highest peak in Europe. It takes the form of an extraordinary expedition led by the National Order of Expert Surveyors since 2001, aimed at collecting measurements to track climatic change in our mountains. CIMALP® was selected as the official equipment provider for the team of professionals making the ascent.
At a time when climate change is having an alarming impact on the planet, adventure 4810 makes even more sense. But what is the 4810 project? It represents 20 years of Mont White measurements by the Expert Surveyors of Haute-Savoie. Initiated in 2001, this data-collection work seeks to assess how the volume of the ice cap and the altitude of Mont White have evolved over the years. In 2021, CIMALP®, invited by the expedition organisers, became the first official equipment provider for the entire team of professionals from the Union Nationale des Géomètres-Experts (UNGE) who climbed to the top of the Alps.
« At CIMALP®, our primary goal is to support projects that have real meaning, so that together we can write stories with a strong societal and environmental impact, explains Marie Mathias, Marketing & Brand Manager at CIMALP®. Supporting this scientific, ecological and human project was therefore a natural choice for us. Because Mont White is part of our DNA. Because at the heart of the CIMALP® story, it is about humanity, innovation and environmental awareness. Because raising public awareness of environmental issues such as glacier melt must be a true mission. »
It is in the spirit of accompanying and protecting all mountaineers and adventurers across generations — its driving force since 1964 — that the Drôme-based brand agreed to commit alongside the Expert Surveyors by providing technical and durable equipment built for the extreme conditions of Alpine summits.
4807.81 metres: the new altitude of Mont White
Once safely at the top of the Alps, the surveyors were able to carry out a 3D scan of the summit of Mont White. A few days later, at a press conference on 29 September 2021, the new altitude of Mont White was announced: 4807.81 metres. A figure laden with values and meaning. « The 4810 project embodies values we have championed for years. That of the greatness of the mountain, symbolically represented by Mont White, and that of human solidarity. The ascent that a human being can achieve without mechanical assistance, driven solely by the will to climb summits and preserve them, is incredible », observes Lionel Marsanne, CEO of CIMALP®.
The 2021 expedition, which took place in ideal weather conditions, made it possible to measure not only the altitude but also the volume of ice, thanks to specific sensors operated by partners Leica and Géomédia. All of the data collected over 20 years was carefully handed over to glaciologists and climatologists best placed to analyse it properly and draw conclusions for future generations.
A project for future generations
Adventure 4810, a reflection of technical and scientific progress, also demonstrates the extraordinary commitment that human beings are capable of for future generations and for the planet. The values that bind all those involved in this exceptional endeavour? Precision, passion and humility. Because the 4810 project is certainly a technical adventure, but it is also and above all a remarkable human adventure.
Florian Olivier, mountain guide and long-standing CIMALP® ambassador, had the privilege of ascending Mont White alongside the Expert Surveyors during the great 2021 measurement. He reflects on his exceptional experience: « it was the twentieth anniversary of this measurement project. This data matters all the more for generations to come. At CIMALP®, our primary aim was to honour our duty of transmission by climbing this summit and bearing witness to the evolution of high-altitude mountains, and in particular the climate change they are experiencing. »
Passing on a piece of history to future generations, bearing witness to a unique and historic moment — the measurement of the roof of Europe — this is the ambition of the French company. To that end, in collaboration with production agency SEEN, it immortalised the expedition all the way to the summit of the majestic Mont White on film.
« In this video, I wanted to show that these men remain humble. They don't act tough just because they climbed up there. The only desire they're left with is that of sharing, which reflects what I know of this company dedicated to outdoor sports: performance, yes, but in the spirit of sharing and respect for others », explains Julien Declercq, producer and videographer at agency SEEN.
For Florian Olivier, « Julien captured with great precision the passion that drives me and the emotions that guided me throughout this ascent. Being able to share part of this wonderful adventure with him allows for the right reading of what we experience and take away from this extraordinary project. »
The 4810 project — a remarkable adventure lived from the inside, and widely shared.
