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sophie_lavaud

Mountainer / Speaker / Author
Completed 14 x 8000m | 𝟏𝐬𝐭 , 𝟏𝐬𝐭 , and 𝟏𝐬𝐭 woman
Climbing Annapurna II, III, IV in 2025!

Opening the Decade of Cryosphere Preservation ❄️🌍
Cryosphere Pavilion, United Nations Ocean Summit #UNOC3 #Nice

It was an honor to participate in the Cryosphere Pavilion alongside key voices from science, exploration, and policy — and a special moment to have President Emmanuel Macron 🇫🇷 present in support of this global cause.

This marks the beginning of a critical decade for the preservation of our cryosphere. The message is clear: we must act. For those of us who spend time in the high mountains 🏔️ — from the Baltoro to the Khumbu — the urgency is visible. Glaciers are disappearing, and the people who live alongside them, Sherpa and Balti communities especially, are already impacted 🧭.

Grateful to Dr. Heïdi Sevestre and Matthieu Tordeur for the invitation 🙏. It was a pleasure sharing this stage with Kristin. I will continue to contribute in any way I can to support this effort.

Version française:
Ouverture de la Décennie pour la Préservation de la Cryosphère ❄🌍
Pavillon Cryosphère, Sommet des Nations Unies sur l’Océan #UNOC3 #Nice
Ce fut un honneur de participer au Pavillon Cryosphère aux côtés de voix majeures issues de la science, de l’exploration et des politiques publiques — et un moment fort avec la présence du Président Emmanuel Macron 🇫🇷, en soutien à cette cause mondiale.
C’est le début d’une décennie cruciale pour la préservation de notre cryosphère. Le message est clair : il faut agir. Pour celles et ceux d’entre nous qui évoluent en haute montagne 🏔 — du Baltoro au Khumbu — l’urgence est visible. Les glaciers disparaissent, et les populations qui vivent à leurs côtés, notamment les communautés Sherpa et Balti, sont déjà affectées 🧭.
Reconnaissante envers Dr. Heïdi Sevestre et Matthieu Tordeur pour l’invitation 🙏. Ce fut un plaisir de partager cette scène avec Kristin. Je continuerai à m’engager, par tous les moyens possibles, pour soutenir cette initiative.

📸 Sophie Lavaud
#SophieLavaud #LetsGoSummit #CryospherePavilion #UNOC3 #GlacierPreservation #MountainsMatter #Himalaya #Baltoro #Khumbu #AlpinismHeritage #UNESCO2025 🧗‍♀️📘

Baltoro — The Glacier Road to Karakoram Giants!

The Cryosphere Pavilion and Alpinism Heritage! 🏔️
(version française en commentaire 🇫🇷)

This week, I’m taking part in the Cryosphere Pavilion (June 2–13, 2025), dedicated to the future of glaciers and snow-covered environments ❄️ — especially important this year, designated by UNESCO as the International Year of Glacier Preservation 🧊. The Cryosphere Pavilion, supported by the Albedo Cryosphere Foundation, will host conferences, exchanges, and international events 🌍.

In this video with UNESCO 🎥, I spoke about alpinism as an Intangible Cultural Heritage. For me, this recognition matters — it means we can preserve what’s been passed down, and share it with future generations 📜👣.

I’ll also be sharing stage with Kristin Harila on the 10th of June, to share our experiences and offer testimonial on how the Himalaya have changed over the years 🏞️. More to come on this...

#SophieLavaud #LetsGoSummit #CryospherePavilion #UNESCO2025 #GlacierPreservation #AlpinismHeritage #MountainsMatter #Himalaya #WomenWhoClimb #UNESCO #UNOC3 🧗‍♀️

Back

Manaslu 2022 — A Climb Against the O

Thoughts on a Changing Rhythm in Himalayan Climbin

When Not Climbing, I Share

Makalu, 23 May — A Day of Ascent and Remembrance

Why do we climb at night? One common questio

May 15 - A Special Day to Celebrate!

(Fre

May 15 - A Special Day to Celebrate! 🎉🎂 (French version in comment 🇫🇷)

A year ago today, I gracefully received the distinction of Chevalier de l'ordre national du Mérite (Knight of the National Order of Merit) 🎖️ from the French Republic in recognition of my contribution to Alpinism 🏔️.

Sharing this memory today, which also happens to be my birthday 🥳, with a thought — when you commit to something over time, it can create a meaningful ripple in society 🌍✨.

In mountaineering, there are no shortcuts. It is a pursuit grounded in hard work 💪, endurance 🧗‍♂️, consistency 🔁, and selflessness 💙.
Risk is constant ⚠️, the consequences are often fatal, and the process is slow. But when you keep going, recognition eventually arrives — not just in medals, but in how your work is valued and understood 🙌.

Just as the first ascent of Annapurna in 1950 inspired a generation and sparked the golden age of Himalayan climbing, we continue to draw meaning from the mountains — and from those who walk before us 👣.

Thank you 🙏 to all my sponsors, partners, teammates, friends, and family ❤️. Your support has made it possible to keep moving forward ➡️.

Looking ahead to the journeys to come ✨.

📸 @bertrandcarlier_photographe

#Gratitude #Alpinisme #Montagne #OrdreNationalDuMérite #LetsGoSummit #148000ers #Mountaineering #Annapurna2025 #celebration #recognition #transmission

Nanga Parbat’s Kinshofer Wall

The classi

Back Home — Reflecting on Annapurna IV and the H $Back Home — Reflecting on Annapurna IV and the Himalaya in General Back home now after our Annapurna IV expedition 🏔️ — safe 🙏 and with time to go through the photos and memories from the past weeks 📸. Looking back, I’m revisiting all the lessons from this climb 🧗‍♂️. The mountain was unusually dry, with large fractures and impassable crevasses that forced us to turn back 🔁. And hearing about the recent summit push difficulties elsewhere — including Annapurna I and rope fixing challenges on Everest — I can’t help but relate it to our own experience. It makes me wonder about the broader changes happening in our high mountains 🏔. Especially in 2025, declared the UNESCO International Year of Glacier Preservation 🌐, it feels like the right time for the mountaineering community to pause, reflect, and mobilize 🤝. The effects are frightening 😟 as 2024 was observed as the warmest year on record, and in 2023, glaciers suffered the largest recorded mass loss in five decades. The future of our mountains and glaciers concerns us all — climbers, guides, local communities and beyond 🌎. Thank you for your work and your involvement in this great cause Dr. Heïdi Sevestre & Matthieu Tordeur - Explorateur 📷 @sophie_lavaud & @dawasangay_ #SophieLavaud #LetsGoSummit #AnnapurnaIV #MountainsMatter #Himalaya #Glaciers2025 #yearofglacierspreservation #UNESCO$