Aurélien Lardy

From alpine skiing to steep-slope adventure

Aurélien Lardy, originally from Chamonix, only discovered the mountains relatively late. Long attracted to alpine ski racing and influenced by his sporting family environment, he eventually turned away from competition to explore wild slopes.

His teenage years marked a turning point, especially when he discovered Andreas Fransson’s feat in Patagonia, which fascinated him and planted the seed of adventure. It was only at 21 that he truly immersed himself in the world of high mountains, finding around Mont Blanc an extraordinary playground where he learned, progressed, and forged his identity as a steep-ski specialist.

The mountains, freedom, expeditions

Aurélien quickly established himself as one of the most promising representatives of the new generation of French extreme skiers. Inspired by the pioneers of the sport, he accumulated committed descents in the Mont Blanc massif alongside other Julbo athletes such as Vivian Bruchez and Léo Slemett, while developing his mountaineering skills. But his explorer’s spirit pushed him farther: the Cordillera Blanca in Peru, Kyrgyzstan, then Alaska, where in 2023 he completed a spectacular full-autonomy traverse of the Denali range. That same year in Patagonia, he fulfilled one of his deepest dreams by repeating Fransson’s legendary descent, the true “final boss” that had mesmerized him as a teenager.

A survivor, a life force, and a search for meaning

Born prematurely with a high risk to his life, Aurélien considers himself lucky to be here, an experience he says “forged his will to live fully.” For him, each return from an expedition is a reminder that life is precious; he marks his body symbolically to express this deep connection to life and adventure. His unique journey shows how difficult beginnings can lead to a life guided by passion, self-transcendence, and love for the mountains.