Team Simond athletes
Our technical partners
Simond works in close collaboration with a team of testing partners; professionals in mountaineering and climbing, who bring their experience from the rockface and very high standards for the daily use of safety equipment. ENSA trainer guides handle the training of future guides, climbing instructors who supervise young climbers (aged 4 and over), and young guides looking for adventure in the Himalayas or in the Andean Cordillera. The SIMOND Team is rich in different profiles, progressing in a variety of environments, but all driven by the same passion for climbing or mountaineering.
This bond between climbers and Simond had always led to innovative products that provide exponential increases in ease of use, comfort and performance.
Trainers of the French
national Ski-Mountaineering School
Our equipment is tested by the most stringent climbers at the rockface:
trainers at ENSA - the French National Skiing and Mountaineering School designed to prepare
the next generations of high-altitude guides.
Pierre Gourdin - Patrick Gamba - Alexis Mallon - Fred Valet - Alain Ghersen - Eric Magnin - François Marsigny
Benjamin Guigonnet
Piolet d'or 2018
For the first ascent of the Southern side of Nuptse - Himalaya, NEPAL 7,742m, 2200m, WI6, M5+; with the “gang des Moustaches” (moustache gang).
Trainer for the French National Excellence in Mountaineering Group (GEAN)of the FFCAM (Federation of Alpine and Mountaineering Clubs)
Elodie Lecomte
Instructor at the French National School of Skiing and Mountaineering (ensa)
Globe-trotting High-Altitude Mountain Guide, from the Himalayas in Peru, from Spitzberg to Russia via Kenya (Diamond Butress), the Sigunyang for opening a big wall or even India for the first all-female ascent of the Scottish route on Bhagirathi III... Gl
Thibault Lair
The team member from the Pyrenees
The climber from the Pyrenees who completes 9a routes one after the other: "To the Moon", "Soul surfer", "My Little Princess", "La Hija de la Luna", "La minute de rési", "Nilsbru"
Alistair duval
French lead climbing champion
The new guy on the team, this man from Savoy (Les Carroz) is establishing a presence on the international scene: French lead climbing champion (youth), French junior climbing champion (Marseille) and third place in the world youth lead climbing championship (Arco - Italy) in 2020.
Mathieu Detrie
Trainer at ENSA
Trainer for the French National Excellence in Mountaineering Group (GEAN) of the FFCAM
My route: “Peine plancher” 6700m - ED, 1100m, M6, W16 - North-East Face of the Pandra NEPAL: with Benjamin Vedrines and Pierre Labbre
Octave Garbolino
Former member of the GEAN
High-Altitude Mountain Guide in the Écrins.
My spots: The Écrins, of course! Fosslimonster in Norway for its frozen waterfall and Indian Creek for crack climbing.
Antoine Bletton
Former member of the high-altitude military group
High-altitude guide
"Jack of all trades but master of none, I try to be versatile in my mountaineering: steep incline, 8000m in alpine style, 8b on the rockface and 8a in bouldering, grade 7 in ice climbing, M9 in mixed"
Aurelie Didillon
Climbing instructor
This climbing instructor, originally from Chamonix, is naturally experienced in mountaineering. She is making climbing accessible for the greatest possible number of people, including setting up the equipment on the rockfaces at Burkina Faso.
Her route: "Logical progression" 7c+(900m), the world’s longest sport climbing route. El Gigante - Mexico
Marion Thomas
French ice climbing team
Member of the senior French frozen waterfall climbing team since 2016 in two disciplines: lead climbing (my favourite) and speed climbing.
fifth worldwide and second in Europe in the general lead climbing ranking / 6e Worldwide and third in speed climbing at the Denver World Cup 2019-2020
Tanguy Topin
Climbing instructor
Silver medallist at the French lead climbing championship in 2017, trainer at the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes centre for promising young climbers,
specialist in sporting coordination and optimising sporting performance
My spot: Bionassay (Haute-Savoie), that’s where I climbed my first 8c!
Arthur Guinet
A promising rock climbing talent
alias: “Vertaco the extreme climber”
Certified climbing trainer at Mineral Spirit, promising rock climbing talent ("Super finale", "La prophétie des grenouilles”, "Condé de choc", "Der Heilige Graal",etc.) but he prefers to climb at Vercors!
Thomas Morize
Route setter
Certified instructor, route setter, and Block’out coach, winner of the French bouldering cup in 2017/2018, second in the 2017 FISE (International Festival of Extreme Sports) bouldering series, winner of the Naturals Games 2018.
My bouldering routes: "Airstar" 8b+, "Sky" 8b, "El Corazón" 8a+/b (Rockland - South Africa).
Benoit Peyronnard
Former member of the French mountaineering high-performance group
High-altitude mountain guide and paragliding instructor, a mountain addict from an early age.
My top conquests: "Ali Baba" (250m, 8a+max, 7b obl, E2F1, III) & "Les 40 voleurs"(330m 8a+max, 7b obl, E3 F2 II+) at La Paroi Dérobée - (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur)
Christophe Dat
High-altitude guide
High-altitude guide at the Chamonix company, always ready to open up secret bouldering spots and develop new innovations!
Fabien Ibarra
Guide & La Chamoniarde instructor
High altitude guide, trainer for La Chamoniarde (off-piste skiing, icy terrain, and mountaineering safety), provider of shared mountaineering experiences for over 25 years in collaboration with the association"He is also involved in rescuing" people in difficulty on the mountain!
Nicolas Bezard
Instructor at the French national skiing & mountaineering training centre (cneas)
As a high-altitude guide, an instructor at the French National Ski and Mountaineering Centre (CNEAS) and the previous product manager, who better than Nicolas to co-design the most demanding products on the mountain?
Romain Wagner
CRS mountain rescue first-aider
High-altitude guide and CRS mountain rescue first aider "competent in the most punishing climbing endeavours"
My routes: No Siesta (1200m, ED, M7/A1/90°) and la Gousseault (1200m, ED2/5c/A1/85°) in the Grandes Jorasses in less than a month.