Pierra Menta 2023 - Portrait of Matteo Eydallin, five-time winner of the famous ski-mountaineering race

Pierra Menta 2023 - Portrait of Italian athlete Matteo Eydallin, five-time winner of the iconic ski-mountaineering race

The Pierra Menta 2023 is in full swing — the iconic ski-mountaineering race currently taking place in the resort of Arêches-Beaufort, from 8 to 11 March. Italian athlete and Cimalp ambassador Matteo Eydallin, 2021 individual world champion in the discipline and 5-time winner of the Pierra Menta, is once again competing in this internationally renowned event alongside his partner. As for French athlete Bastien Fleury, who also represents the French brand, he too has taken to the start line in the duo race. A portrait of two extraordinary competitors. Since 1986, the Pierra Menta, a major ski-mountaineering race, takes place in the beautiful mountains ofArêches-Beaufort, on the slopes of the Grand-Mont. This international ski-mountaineering competition brings together the elite Women's and Men's athletes in the discipline. Over 4 days, competitors chain together explosive climbs and vertiginous descents at full speed. In numbers, the Pierra Menta that's each year nearly:

• 200 rope teams of 2 pairs
• 10,000 metres of positive elevation gain
• 15 summits
• 2,000 and 2,687 metres in altitude
• 1 Senior race, 1 Youth race
• thousands of spectators

[caption id="attachment_13776" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Jocelyn Chavy - Race start[/caption]

Matteo Eydallin, 5-time winner of the Pierra Menta and 2021 ski-mountaineering world champion

While he is currently competing at the Pierra Menta, one might wonder who Matteo Eydallin really is. Behind this reserved personality lies a man in love with verticality. This athlete from the Italian Military Sports Centre has accumulated victories in ski-mountaineering. His track record is incredible! After a team gold medal at the Ski Mountaineering World Championships, a silver medal in the individual event and 1st place at the Italian Championships, here is a non-exhaustive list of his victories:

• 2021 Individual Ski Mountaineering World Champion
• 2 overall World Cup victories
• 8-time Italian Champion
• 5 victories at the Pierra Menta
• 8 Transcavallo victories

Cimalp ambassador since 2022, Matteo Eydallin has also won the legendary Pierra Menta five times. A mountain lover with a hunger for challenges and verticality, he is a compelling athlete whose values align perfectly with the brand's: a passion for summits, pushing personal limits, respect for nature, and a spirit of closeness and friendship. Also passionate about cycling, trail and especially climbing, this true devotee of verticality joined the Cimalp Family through a mutual connection at the Drôme-based company. In Cimalp, the athlete found technical products that meet his needs. Beyond the partnership, a genuine friendship and relationship of trust has grown between Matteo and Cimalp. This athlete, impressive for his technical skill and cool-headedness, is regularly involved in the development and improvement of products from the outdoor mountain equipment brand. Exchanges are made all the easier by Matteo's perfect command of French! Matteo is also based in France — near the mountains, as you might have guessed.  

Bastien Fleury — a discreet athlete, an exceptional man

At the Pierra Menta, Bastien Fleury may not be in the spotlight. But some of his times speak volumes about the exceptional athlete he is. A true machine!

• Chamonix-Zermatt record in 16h35 with Olivier Meynet on 21/03/2016.
• Mont Blanc massif traverse in 21h28 with Bastien Lardat.
• Chamonix-Mont-Blanc timed run, return trip in 6h39 on skis.

The same goes for his track record:

• Winner of the Swiss Peak 2022: he holds the record over 170km in 28h33min46s!
• 8th at the Pierra Menta 2022
• 9th at the Mezzalama 2019
• Winner of the Transvanoise 2016, 2017 and 2019.
• 2nd at the Altitoy 2022.
• 2nd at the Verbier Marathon 2022

A child of the Alps born in Chamonix, Bastien is a mountain rescue gendarme at the PGHM (Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute-Montagne). Attentive and caring, Bastien shines both on the sporting stage and through his presence. He is also a true mountaineer at heart and does not limit himself to a single outdoor discipline. In addition to trail, skiing-mountaineering and hiking, he also practises paragliding and mountaineering. Reserved by nature and genuinely warm, athlete Bastien Fleury is destined for the spotlight sooner or later. Streaming platform Netflix is currently producing a documentary film about this extraordinary man. Stay tuned!   And for a deep dive into the Pierra Menta 2022, check out the video!