How was the crossing in France?
Arthur : For my part, it was great, we discovered magnificent landscapes. Although we are French, we don't really know our country. To do it on foot was incredible. At the beginning of our journey, I said to myself: "What are we going to do? What an idea! "Leaving with more than 25 kilos was really crazy but we had no choice; especially with all the camping, food and water stock... Well, no other solution than to carry them with us.
Mélodi : It was an incredible crossing, we made great encounters, whether with the locals or with the wild animals (deer, doe, fox, hare, chamois). This crossing reconnected us with the nature and the locals, who are very kind. We even discovered gastronomic specialities by region. Concerning the walk, it's crazy to think that we did from the West to the East of France, all that on foot. Passing through agricultural crops, villages, elevation changes, forests and woods. We started́ with Bretagne (Arthur's home region) with a coastal landscape, ending with the mountains in the Vosges, which prepares us for Switzerland soon.
Did you have any pain?
Arthur: You would think that carrying 25 kilos every day on your back is very complicated. The first few days were hard but my body adapted́ to this weight. My muscles got used to it. Despite the fact that I was no more than 105 kilos, but 130 kilos with my 55L bag, it was nevertheless really very comfortable. We also took regular breaks to avoid pain. Except at the end when we walked for 3 weeks without a break with the adrenaline of arriving in Switzerland. And that was too long. My hips were starting to burn a bit.
Mélodi: The beginning was very hard, I added 18 kilos to my feet, it took about 1 to 2 weeks for the body to assimilate the information and adapt to it. I had a lot of pain in my shoulders and trapezius as well as in my buttocks. It also took me some time to adjust the 55L backpack on me. Then I naturally strengthened my muscles while combining this with massages and stretching to recover. Today, I carry about 15 kg (with 2 kg of water), I don't feel the weight of the bag on me anymore, it is part of me.
Any blisters?
Arthur : On the feet, I felt mostly pain under the arch of the foot and I had a lot of corns. But I had to regularly massage them with a good moisturizing and anti-friction cream, there are some good ones, NOK or Alvadierme. Also, after several days of walking in the rain and without rest, I had blisters but they disappeared by themselves.
Melodi: I didn't have any blisters, except for one day when we walked a lot in the rain and humidity, while sweating, a blister formed naturally. It was a really extreme day. Chlorophylle's Marini socks were a great help in protecting our feet. With an average of 30,000 steps per day, our feet still have baby skin.
What are the positive points of this project?
Arthur : The sympathy and the kindness of the people ! It is something incredible on our walk, even though we have our tent to make bivouac. We like to meet the locals; and in each region of France the mentality changes but not the welcome received by all!
Mélodi : I surpassed myself a lot, thanks to Arthur, I learned to better apprehend the differences in altitude (the breath, the active rests). But also we are happy to have kept the same rhythm of walking throughout the crossing in spite of the changes of weather and the variations of temperature. It is true that in 3 months of crossing, we had from -7 degrees to 30 degrees but nothing slowed us down. Moreover, concerning one of the positive points, I mention the Chlorophylle clothes that helped us to be efficient all along (CHL underwear, socks, shirts, down jacket, jacket, etc.) as well as all the equipment and accessories that we carefully chose in the preparation phase.
And what about the negative points?
Arthur : I wouldn't say there are any negative points, except if, supporting Melodi is one of them (haha!). But no, none. Or the weight of the bag, or the weather, but you can't choose it! But with good Chlorophylle clothes, you don't feel the coolness or the humidity.
Mélodi: Stopping and taking off the bag to go to the toilets is one of the less funny things about our hike. But also, it is necessary to adapt the clothing according to the changing weather. For example, deciding to walk in a t-shirt and then the rain starts so we have to stop and put on the jacket. Another negative point: the lack of infrastructure on some parts of the hiking trails (you have to know that in France there are more than 180 000 kilometers of marked hiking trails, so it's also normal that sometimes you can't find grocery stores or toilets every day).
What do you expect for the future?
Arthur : To have a better weather, because during the 3 months we had a lot of cold at the beginning then rain in May. We were not very lucky. And otherwise I expect the same as the beginning. There we will arrive in Switzerland in the next days, we will see magnificent mountains, the Alps. We have just finished the Vosges mountains which was sublime and now we are going to discover breathtaking landscapes and different cultures, different languages. It's going to be great!
Mélodi: I am looking forward to being in total immersion in the culture of other European countries and to share moments with locals from all over the world. Moreover, since we collect waste on the paths, we are waiting to see what the cleanliness of the hiking trails is in other countries.
Come on, we are waiting for you on the path with us.
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