Top Steep Skier Accomplishes Mind-Boggling Feat

The effort drew the attention of greats in the mountain endurance community.

“Hats off!!” wrote long-distance runner and ski mountaineer Kilian Jornet below Bruchez’s post. “It's hard to put into words for this incredible physical, geographical, creative journey you've just completed. That's beautiful, my friend!!”

But Bruchez’s status was already assured. Known for tackling fearsome lines, he’s widely considered to be one of the world’s best steep skiers and ski mountaineers.

Bruchez appeared alongside fellow ski mountaineers Aurel Lardy and Jules Socié in the recent film Painting The Mountains, which chronicled the trio’s journey to notch new lines on Patagonia’s imposing Fitz Roy. Cody Townsend fans will know Bruchez, too. In The Fifty film POLAR STAR, the two skiers teamed up to tackle a remote Arctic route.

Born and raised in the steep skiing hotspot Chamonix, France, Bruchez first sought to become a ski racer like Bode Miller. Then, Candide Thovex—the renowned freeskier—became his idol.

For Bruchez, though, steep skiing would ultimately encapsulate the bulk of his skiing career. According to his sponsor, Mountain Hardware, he’s completed numerous ski first descents around the world, visiting far-flung locales like Norway, Baffin Island, and Argentina.

These endeavors, of course, require technique, skill, and an enormous amount of athleticism. But Bruchez told Mountain Hardware that he identifies himself “more like an “artist” than an ‘athlete.’” The complicated ski lines that few else are willing to touch, then, are his canvas.