Ice & Palms (Full Movie) from El Flamingo Films on Vimeo.
Jochen Mesle, Max Kroneck, and Philipp Becker are three German skiers and adventurers who wanted to do something a little different. After completing several expeditions across the world, both on bikes and skis, they decided to combine their passions on daunting adventure close to home: an expedition across the Alps, riding their bikes to access huge ski objectives and covering ground all under their own power. We caught up with the crew as they premiered their film Ice and Palms, produced by El Flamingo films which chronicles their journey across Europe’s famous mountains.
TGR: Where did the film’s concept come from? The Alps are a beautiful place with so much to do, and such easy access – a fully human powered adventure seems out of the norm!
Max: A journey like this had been a dream for both of us for some time. It came to mind when we were driving home from another shoot and talked about dreams that we have in mind when it comes to skiing and doing it in a different way. Surprisingly we had the same idea. And step by step this idea turned into a dream tour combining our main passions - the mountains, skiing and biking.
Just another day in the life. El Flamingo photo.
Philipp (Director/El Flamingo): Especially skiing cinematography is pushed to the limit at the most remote corners of our planet with a big amount of money and machinery these days. We wanted to show a completely different approach and show that you can experience a really unique adventure on your doorstep and by fair means.
Jochen: We’ve been to a lot of places in the Alps, but traveling like this really showed those mountains in a new perspective. Of course, it was always hard to chase the weather and be at the right spot at the right time. But on the other hand, cycling opened new opportunities for us. For example, in Turtmann Valley in Switzerland. The valley was still closed for cars in May, but the bikes gave us the chance to go all the way up and access mountains like Bishorn and Brunegghorn totally on our own. Funny side fact: some pro skiers were shooting in the same area that day and we saw their helicopter doing several laps while we were on the way up. It may sound strange but we were not jealous at all. It was a good feeling standing on the summit and knowing that we earned every single vertical meter on our own.
TGR: How was the route chosen? It seemed like Max and Jochen wanted to explore beyond the beaten path. Was it set in stone or was it more of a day-to-day decision process?
Jochen: If you look at the map, the main alpine ridge stretches from our start all the way down to Nice and the Mediterranean, so the general route was easy to find. The final route was not completely fixed before the start. We had some dream peaks in mind and had to adapt to the weather situation and regional snow conditions during the trip. In the end it was a day-to-day decision. And every wrong decision meant more sweat and kilometers on the bike.
Sometimes you have to improvise your mode of transportation. El Flamingo photo.
Max: Exploring off the beaten path always played an important role on this trip. We tried to explore regions that we haven’t been to before and even if we’ve been there, we tried to experience it in a new way. Of course cycling in general changes the perspective. We also used the bikes to get access to valleys that were still closed for cars at that time. For example the Turtmann Valley in Switzerland. Barre des Écrins in France was such an unexpected and special place for both of us as well. It is a region we have not been to before and it was incredible to stand on this 4000m peak and see the full alpine ridge including Mont Blanc on one side and the Mediterranean Sea at the other side.
TGR: What was the toughest part of the whole trip? Bikes breaking down, weather conditions, interpersonal conflicts?
Jochen: Both Max and I had to deal with two big injuries, which happened just briefly before the project start. So, we questioned the full mission and there was no time to get a lot of training between the injury and the tour. In the end being on the road was the best recovery for us. We kept getting stronger and stronger every day of the trip.
Max: Another big deal was the endless run after good weather windows. With a lot of moisture in the slopes and the rising temperature in May, we got chased by clouds as soon as we were about to reach the peaks. We’ve been waiting for four hours on top of Combin de Valsorey until the clouds opened up and we could ski the north face. To have a bigger chance of scoring descents in good light, we pretty much were always on the run and skipped the rest days. Going on a three-day skiing mission on a glacier in Switzerland after cycling for days is way harder than doing a one-day ski tour.
Imagine doing this after riding your bike for hundreds of miles. El Flamingo photo.
TGR: You mentioned Jochen and Max have been doing these kinds of things for a while, can you speak to previous adventures they have shared and how that grew into this particular journey?
Philipp: Jochen and Max have been producing different ski films together with us for about five years now. We are a dialed in team when it comes to shooting in the mountains. We planned and executed the project as a team of filmmakers and athletes. I think they both share a similar background of being on mountain trips with their parents early on, be it cycling, climbing or skiing. For example, Max cycled across the Himalaya with his father at the age of 17. In addition to this passion for mountain adventures Jochen and Max always try to combine mountaineering with their new school style.
TGR: Can you speak to lessons learned during the adventure, for the skiers and for the filmers?
Philipp: Max and Jochen had the idea to film each other while riding big mountain lines and at the same time they wanted to take some good photos - unfortunately this doesn't work. That’s why only one of those self-documented lines ended up in the movie. It was good to have us filmmakers around when the attended big mountains so they could focus on their skiing.
What a way to unwind after a long day in the saddle. El Flamingo photo.
Max: Another point is that too much planning doesn't make sense on a trip like this, because the weather will certainly put a stop to your calculations. And taking a day off doesn't hurt anyone, even if you want to go on. Take your time and enjoy. We avoided rest days for far too long while we were chasing good weather days.
TGR: What’s next for the team?
Phillip: We actually started shooting a new project in the alps two weeks ago. Same crew, but a little bit different format. Watch out for the release in fall 2019.
About The Author
stash member Max Ritter
I manage digital content here at TGR, run our gear testing program, and am stoked to be living the dream in the Tetons.