For our end of summer party at Chamonix All Year, the team donned wetsuits and hard hats for a fast paddle down the Arve – and an impromptu dip in the freezing rapids …
Photos by Vanessa Arpin Photography
Just because it was September doesn’t mean it’s time to pack away the swimsuit!
The team at Chamonix All Year decided to blow off some steam at the end of a busy, hot summer in the river this September – and what better way to do it than by splashing each other with glacier-cold water in a rubber boat?
Evolution 2, always bringing the fun (and the adrenaline), organised Rico and Manu to guide our two boats through the river Arve, to help us celebrate the Chamonix All Year end-of-summer-season staff party this autumn.
The waters were quite full, as a result of a lot of melting from up above, causing the river to flow quickly- we almost lost a couple of souls along the way, too, but thankfully a strong-armed Housekeeping Manager and our quick-thinking Accountant managed to pull them back to the fold just in time:
We paddled under the Rose du Pont and through to the fresh water spring in Les Houches where we had a sip to drink; paddling like your life depends on it is thirsty work.
Along the way our agile photographer Vanessa Arpin raced us down the river and managed to get to each pont just before us, capturing our Maintenance Team trying to make a jungle gym out of train tracks over the river:
Vanessa is local to Chamonix and keeps herself busy during all seasons snapping photos – you can check out her myriad of work here: Vanessa Arpin.
She managed to get some serious action shots, too – we were tutored by our guides on how to ‘flick’ our paddles most effectively to splash as much ice-water at our fellow teammates in the other boat. Although we accidentally caught some tourists as they admired the views, we were quite victorious – Lia was quite pleased with our efforts 💪 (as you can see…)
All in all, the Chamonix All Year team enjoyed a solid bonding experience – and we can definitely recommend booking your next adrenaline-seeking experience through Evolution 2 for a splendid day out, winter or summer – check out their website to see what wild activities they have upcoming, and have a look at our Winter Events blogs for what to look forward to.
The team will now use interseason to prepare for the Big Winter Ahead – but don’t worry, we’re still here 👋
Follow our social media for updates on what we’re doing, and if you haven’t already – have a look through our Chalets & Apartments for your winter treat in the valley 🏔️
