Nathalie

How and when did you get into mountaineering?

"Mountaineering is something I grew up dreaming about. Most years, I’d have one, maybe two weeks in the mountains with my family and it was magical being surrounded by these snowy seemingly untouchable peaks. I moved to Lausanne last fall and wanted nothing more than to climb and explore them but it wasn’t until I met IAFL that I really had the chance to!"

Could you share one of your most memorable moments in the mountains?

"On January 13 2025, the day after my birthday, it was the full moon. We decided even though it was a Monday, it could be the perfect evening to escape from our usual weekday routines and explore the mountains together by night. It was a simple, short adventure — we were only there for a few hours. But it encapsulated a lot of what I love most about the mountains: being with friends in a place that feels far removed from the rest of the world and so eerily beautiful. After a brief ski tour, we picnicked in the snow and exchanged stories, food, and laughter. It was a night I’ll never forget."

Do you have any quirky or unusual pre or post outing rituals?

"It’s not entirely intentional, but I do sort of have one post-outing habit. I think nearly everyone, before going to the mountains, does an inventory check: sunglasses, check. headlamp, check. water, check. etc. and I do this too. But as most in IAFL know, I also have an unusual talent for losing one essential item every time I leave for the mountains (a single glove, an ice axe, a water gourd, a phone). Somehow, I almost always miraculously get it back. Given my aptitude for misplacing objects, I always do an equally thorough check when getting back to the mountains and also consider what I might change on my next mountain outing to avoid losing the same object. It’s worked well enough so far — I’ve never lost the same object twice!"

Raclette or fondue?

"A highly controversial question and one that plagues the mind of many. I would have to say fondue, if only because nothing quite beats sitting around a caquelon with friends in an unguarded refuge melting fondue over the fire after a long day in the mountains."

If you were a fruit, which one would you be and why?

"I think I’d be an apple. Apples are a simple fruit but can be used in so many different contexts: in pies, tarts, crumbles, apple sauces, apple juices. I love apples’ openness to any culinary adventure, they’re very adaptable and happy in many contexts. It also feels fitting that my nationalities all have their own ways of making apples shine: Dutch apple pies and apple beignet, tarte and chaussons aux pommes, or a classic American apple pie."