Salomon's Team Trail France shares its best moments of 2017

To close this year in style and before savoring the festive season and looking ahead to their next season, the French members of the Salomon trails teams look back on their best 2017 moments on the trails.

CAROLINE CHAVEROT - Alone in the middle of wild mountains

Even though this year was often difficult, it once again allowed me to experience many small and big joys like the one in July during a reconnaissance of the Hardrock, in Colorado. I was alone in the middle of wild mountains stretching as far as the eye could see, the weather was magnificent and I felt really fit, light and enthusiastic, with an extraordinary feeling of freedom. This outing sums up everything that makes me passionate about trail running: discovery and contemplation, but also simplicity and freedom of movement.

THIBAUT BARONIAN - Sharing, surpassing one's limits, emotions in the Basque Country

Just a few weeks after my energy-filled days in Chamonix at the end of August, I have special memories of my trip to the Basque Country for the Skyrhune. Moments with family and friends, sunbathing and ocean bathing, followed by a great slice of sport, in an atmosphere we love, with a big battle against the weather elements and the day's opponents. In short, sharing, surpassing one's limits, emotions with the people we love. We can't wait for 2018, when we'll be able to experience this kind of thrill again!

FRANCOIS D'HAENE - An unforgettable crossing of the John Muir Trail

2017 provided me with different, but equally intense experiences, and I was lucky enough to crown them with success. If I have to pick one, I'd go for my crossing of the John Muir Trail in the USA. This 350 km trail is incredibly beautiful. To be able to cover all these national parks and mountains, without ever crossing a road or a refuge, is simply unforgettable. It's also an opportunity to discover a two-and-a-half-day effort in the mountains and share it with my friends. We helped each other to finalize this adventure, which we had been preparing together for almost a year. The whole experience is important for me, because it brings together a lot of beautiful things from different horizons and allows me to envisage others in the future.

SACHA DEVILLAZ - The support of my whole family on the X-Alpine Verbier St-Bernard

Aside from the birth of my second child Nuria, I have excellent memories of my weekend from July 7 to 9 at the X-Alpine Verbier St-Bernard. All the ingredients were there for it to stay with me: a place I love dearly, where I spend a lot of time training, a warm welcome and the presence of my whole family to cheer me on. I have two images in my head: one of my son cheering me on at every feed station, with a little bell and his Chamonix embroidered cap, and the other of my partner Cindy managing my feed stations like a Formula 1 team. I can't forget my victory, which is the satisfaction of not having to run around like a madman in the evening after carrying bundles of planks across the rooftops all day!

NATHAN JOVET - Shared victory on the snow at Font-Romeu

Among my many memories, the white trail at Font-Romeu on January 22 stands out. On the start line, the temperature was close to minus ten degrees. The wind was icy cold. The previous two days had been snowing non-stop. The Romeufontaine course is reduced to 32 km. We take it in turns with Jordi Gamito to lead the way. The difficult weather conditions don't dampen our spirits. We chatted all along the route before deciding to share the victory. It's a good thing Jordi was there. Without him, the race would have seemed much longer and less jovial.

ROBIN JUILLAGUET - Discovering the Dolomites during the Dolomites Skyrace

In a rather difficult choice to make, given the incredible moments that trail running can offer, I'm sticking with discovering the Dolomites on the occasion of the Dolomites Skyrace. A truly magical place and a race I'd been dreaming of for a long time. I was not disappointed. The atmosphere at the summit was just incredible and the level impressive. It's a race I'd recommend doing at least once. In terms of results, I didn't put in a great performance. All the more reason to go back!

MICHEL LANNE - A magical moment on the TDS

This 2017 season has been very rich in emotions, the most intense of which are condensed on this incredible UTMB week. I always thought that my victory on the CCC a year earlier was a bit down to luck and a combination of factors in my favor. Logically, I wanted to try the TDS to prove to myself that I could repeat the ultra-distance experience. I certainly didn't expect to experience such a wonderful day of trail running with an incredibly large public, to enjoy every moment, to feel so much pleasure and to succeed once again in being the first to enter Chamonix. As in 2016, my greatest source of motivation was to find my little Giulia waiting for me at the finish line. Nothing could stop me from experiencing this magical moment, not even the pain and difficulty of the 120 km. Two days later, it was good old François' turn to give us a day that was just phenomenal on an emotional level, winning what is for me the most beautiful, intense, captivating and combative race I've ever seen in this sport. A truly unforgettable week.

GEDEON POCHAT - Explosive emotion on the UTMB

My best moment of 2017 trail remains theUTMB weekend. Along with Thibaut Baronian, I helped Jean-Michel Faure-Vincent assist François D'Haene. After the initial excitement of being able to follow the race, I got into the swing of things and felt the emotion rise when I saw François alone at the front. It became explosive from Vallorcine onwards, adding the fatigue of an all-nighter and the crowds along the route. A first experience on theUTMB which will certainly not be his last as a feeder and why not one day as a runner !

JEAN-MICHEL FAURE-VINCENT Team Manager Salomon France - A collective victory

More than a moment, it's the positive energy surrounding theUTMB races that spontaneously comes to mind. On the first day of the race, Michel won the TDS like a true boss, showing all his team-mates the way to victory. The next day, Thibaut tried his luck and took second place in theOCC with panache. On the final day, all the team 's riders were on the roadside, despite their aches and pains and lack of sleep, to support, encourage and push François on his journey. They all took it in turns to set times, cheer him on at the top of the passes, and support him with their eyes, their voices and their presence. In the end, François came out alone, the big winner of this UTMB, but it's this collective emotion that will remain engraved in my memories for a long time, because that day, everyone exchanged, shared and were there for each other.

Photo credits: Cyrille Quintard, Philipp Reiter and Damien Rosso www.droz-photo.com