This winter, I crossed paths with a queen. A legendary bird in the heart of Verbier. I met Géraldine Fasnacht. Champion freeride snowboarder, base-jumper and wingsuit pilot, microlight and glacier plane pilot. A virtuoso sportswoman in the skies above the Alps. An incredible career, an exceptional woman. An exchange at the summit , which I share with you here.
Géraldine Fasnacht: Birth of a high-flying champion
Géraldine, you've been a freeride snowboarder since you were very young. Where does your love of the air and adventure come from?
I grew up in a small village above Lausanne, surrounded by fields and pastures. From a very early age, my parents taught me the value of hard work and mutual aid. They passed on to me their deep love of nature. And even today, I feel inspired by this heritage. During the vacations and every weekend, summer and winter, we went to Verbier as a family, and I loved it. The walks, the skiing, the outdoor life. From the age of 8, I learned to snowboard. Sitting in my chair at school? It was mission impossible! I've always needed to move around, to interact with the world, and staying quiet in class was just a waste of time.
So my parents found a way to make me want to listen and learn: if I didn't do well, I wasn't allowed to go skiing in Verbier. The most terrible of punishments! As you can imagine, it didn't take me long to realize what was in it for me! So I started working hard, and I'm very happy about that today. This later enabled me to obtain my CFC in commerce and to be hired by Swissair. Working at Geneva airport gave me the chance to rub shoulders with the world of aviation, and to take part in some enriching training courses. I obtained my load controller diploma.
And then, as you can imagine, since I'd fulfilled my part of the contract, my parents let me pursue my passion for skiing and the high mountains. I took part in my first snowboarding competitions when I was 15. It was a time when freeride events were emerging all over the world. Then it all happened so fast! In March 2002, I was invited to take part in the Verbier Xtreme. It was an incredible experience: I won the competition in front of the greatest champions! All those athletes I admired so much. I even had posters of them on the walls of my teenage bedroom! I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it!
You already excelled at freeride snowboarding, so how did you discover base-jumping and wingsuit flying?
When I took part in my first freeride snowboarding competitions, there was no federation to supervise the discipline. In summer, the only way to train was to go to the other side of the world, where there was snow. And I couldn't afford to go that far. Climbing, biking and hiking didn't suit me, and I didn't know which sport to turn to.
Everything changed when I made my first parachute jump. I was barely 18, and I felt a new fire awaken within me. I didn't yet know when or how, but I knew I was close to my goal. And when I discovered base-jumping in 2001, I knew that was it. Flying downhill, as close to the ground as possible, was extraordinary! In the heart of the immensity of the Alps, one-on-one with the elements. I couldn't have dreamed of anything better!
I soon realized that the best way to practice base-jumping safely was to fly a wingsuit. So I took the plunge and, little by little, improved my technique. As the jumps progressed, I was able to draw lines flush with the ground without taking any risks. Mixing art and technique in the most beautiful way.
You're a champion snowboarder, base-jumper and wingsuit pilot. Why did you decide to become a microlight and glacier pilot? Was it the desire to go even higher?
Flying makes my childhood dream come true. I always wanted to be a pilot. It was my greatest wish: to take to the skies and feel free. To travel the world, to fly over the Alps, to embrace the Earth and its landscapes. As fate would have it, I couldn't become a pilot in the army. So I joined Swissair to live my life to the rhythm of the planes.
And then, one day, by chance, my path crossed that of a pilot instructor. Can we really speak of chance? I had just flown a wingsuit over the beautiful Aiguille de Varan cliff, which rises up against Mont Blanc. I'd landed very close to the Sallanches airfield and, of course, I wanted to go and see the planes fly. That's where I met him. He was getting ready to take off, and very kindly offered to take me along. I was overjoyed!
We were flying over Mont Blanc when he asked me: Géraldine, if you dream of flying so much, why don't you get your microlight license? I replied that I wasn't interested in flying a microlight, only in airplanes. Then, with a burst of laughter, he said these words that I'll never forget: " What kind of machine do you think you're flying in right now? You're in a three-axis microlight! If you get your microlight license, you'll be able to fly in that! I couldn't believe my ears! A whole new world was opening up to me. I'd hardly set foot on the ground when I registered with him for my license. And within weeks, I was a pilot. Life can be full of surprises! It's up to us to seize our opportunities.
Géraldine Fasnacht: Golden-winged adventurer, extreme artist
In freeride snowboarding, from base-jumping to wingsuiting, nothing seems to stop you. How do these extreme sports make you feel? How do you feel when you go into the mountains?
You must have some idea, don't you? Snowboarding has taught me just how much it's possible to become one with an element. When I'm up there, I become one with the mountain. When I draw a line, I connect with nature, the rock, the snow, the winds and the sky. You know, I'm not search adrenalin or performance at any price. That's not what interests me. But I do vibrate to embrace the terrain, to embrace nature. I live my sport as an art, driven by the ambition to sublimate the splendors of the landscape. When a line invites me to draw it, I fly or ride to honor it. I feel guided by a thirst for aesthetics that constantly feeds on unfathomable beauty.
But conditions have to be right. So I stay on the lookout for the perfect moment, the perfect axis. And when the magic happens, when nature opens the doors of her soul to me, I set off to meet her. The bond that unites us is indissoluble. Bringing it to light is an adventure. And the work that emerges from our dance is never the same. I like to play with shadows and relief. I adapt my path to the vagaries of the wind and the landscape. So that each path is unique, each trajectory unforgettable. You and I are on the same quest. Through your photography, you also aspire to reveal the essence of the mountain. Its pure elegance and grandeur. Each in our own way, we are artists of the extreme, driven by our absolute love of heights.
That's true, Géraldine, but you've had a string of firsts all over the world. You were named adventuress of the year in 2001 by Paris Match. What's your greatest achievement?
There are so many! And I'd be hard-pressed to choose just one. They all mark a stage in my career. I immediately think of my victories at the Verbier Xtreme. Riding alongside my all-time heroes and winning the competition three times. It was a childhood dream!
Of course, I'm also thinking of my first wingsuit flight from the top of the Matterhorn. It was in 2014, and I still have fond memories of it. The Matterhorn is the queen mountain, the emblem of my country. Wherever I am in the world, when I see a photo of the Matterhorn, I see my home. Achieving this premiere was very moving.
And then there's my first wingsuit flight from the summit Les Drus, in 2012. It was the first time anyone had ever made a wingsuit flight in a high mountain environment from a wall that wasn't perfectly vertical. At the time, everyone thought it was impossible. But Julien Meyer and I did it! And I'm very proud of it. Back in 2005, my husband and I opened the Grand Chavalard, which wasn't vertical either. It was the world's first wingsuit flight over 2000 m of vertical drop. So I knew deep down that one day I'd be able to fly the Drus.
In 2007, I also left the Alps to join an expedition to Baffin Island. Discovering Inuit culture, talking with them, sleeping on a frozen inlet facing mountains that seemed to rise out of the ice. It was an exceptional experience. We opened six wingsuit summits there, and it was during these first ones that we achieved the highest vertical flight in the history of the sport. A perfect 1850 m vertical!
When we talk about firsts, I also think of the 2009 opening of the Holstinnd and Holtanna, two Antarctic summits . The images I brought back from the Holtanna are similar to those I had in my bedroom as a child. The day I started base-jumping, I promised myself that one day I'd reach this immense mountain and launch myself off its summit. Once again, my dream has come true!
And I can't talk about my explorations without mentioning my first on Mount Rose. In 2016, when I opened the Nordend in a wingsuit, I covered 3,000 m of vertical drop. It was one of the longest flights in the world. But that was only the beginning! For on the Nordend, I took my art to the extreme. In 2024, I landed an ultralight on the highest point in the Alps, at 14,000 feet, to climb the north-west face of Nordend, before snowboarding down this steep slope of over 50°. The sequence was incredible! And we'd come full circle. I see this adventure as the culmination of a journey in perfect symbiosis with nature.
Between you and me, I couldn't have imagined a more complex project! Years of waiting to bring it to fruition. A crazy gamble. There had to be little wind and good snow conditions to enable me to land safely and take off again the next day with my little 300 kg, 100 HP microlight. I also had to get the snow to stick to the ice on this steep north-west-facing slope before I could descend it. A real headache! I never thought I could do it. Until one day, nature granted me this privilege. I seized my chance and I'm so glad I did. So many times, I've felt dreams being born deep inside me, growing and maturing. I knew how to bring them to life and make them come true. No one is more significant than another. They're all part of me and I'm richer for having lived them.
Géraldine Fasnacht: A life of passion as the ultimate challenge
Snowboarding, base-jumping or wingsuiting, you practice extreme sports. What's your relationship with risk?
Ever since I was a little girl, I've known the value of life. I've lost loved ones, I've lived through difficult times. And that made me realize that life is a gift. For me, there's no question of foolishly losing life. So, every time I embark on an adventure, I prepare myself thoroughly. Mentally, physically and technically. I don't want to be afraid when I'm doing something I love. I want to have fun and enjoy the moment. So, yes, there have been times when I've turned back, when conditions weren't right for a descent. Yes, I've felt frustrated and my ego has taken a beating. But today, I'm alive. And that's the most important thing.
I'm aware that I'm exposed to danger every day, and I know I'm taking risks, but they're measured. I try to make the right decisions and put all the chances on my side so that everything goes well. I always have to be in top form, with good reflexes, speed and the right equipment. All this takes time and investment. But if you want to achieve your goals, you have to give yourself the means. If you don't, you'd better make up your mind.
Many films illustrate your exploits. What message would you like to convey through these works?
Through my films, I want to tell everyone that, if our dreams are born, it's to be lived. I've always been lucky enough to be surrounded by people who are "switched on". So are you, Thomas ! And I like that term. Because, in your opinion, what's the opposite of switched on? Yes, you've understood me. I have no desire to be a turned-off woman. Extreme champions are often called nuts, but at least we live! We live our passion, we vibrate every day. We're happy, quite simply. Once again, this doesn't mean we have to be impulsive and unreasonable. We sit back, we reflect, we prepare, but we go for it! We dare, we move forward, we overcome obstacles to finally bring our greatest dreams to life.
The greatest risk we run is to lose our feet on the ground. The day you feel you have no limits, the day you think you're a superhero for whom anything is possible, then you're in danger. I'm lucky enough to have a life outside the mountains, other passions, a family and friends with whom I like to talk about everything and anything, and do simple things. They are my lifeline. Thanks to them, I remain attached to life and my humanity. They remind me at every moment that I'm just like everyone else. They give me the most precious gift of all, and I thank them for it.
You grew up in the Alps before setting off to explore the world. What is your relationship with the mountains of your childhood?
The Alps are my home! They're home to the world's most beautiful mountains, and the most aesthetically pleasing lines. You agree, don't you? The Alps remind me of the summits the Himalayas, but here the mountains are there for the taking. When I want to snowboard, all I have to do is put on my boots and, an hour later, I'm already on the summits ! Nowhere else in the world are high mountains as accessible as in the Alps. In 2009, when I skied and snowboarded from Chamonix to Zermatt , I descended 8 steep slopes. At each stage, I was accompanied by different riders, and on this occasion I made the first descent of the south face of the Weisshorn. It's only in the Alps that you can achieve such amazing feats! It was a fabulous experience! Our mountains are second to none. They have the stature of the greatest and the beauty of the wildest.
Géraldine, tell me, after so many feats around the world, what challenge do you still face?
There's one I can think of. The most beautiful of all. My next challenge will be to try to be as strong as my mom. She passed on to me her moral and human values and, thanks to her, I've been able to devote my life to my passion. It's the greatest gift I've ever been given. Whether in moments of joy or at the bottom of the abyss, my passion has always given me wings. Thanks to it, I've picked myself up and carried on. My mom gave me a treasure. Now it's my turn to pass it on. To offer this chance to my son. To pass on these priceless values to him, so that a burning flame will spring up in him. Something that will carry him through even the most difficult times.
When my son was born, everything changed. I chose to spend time with him and stopped my mountain activities. I gave myself time to take stock of my life and what I wanted for our future. And it was a revelation: my life is the mountains, and it always will be. It runs through my veins, and is essential to my balance and happiness. So I decided to go back, but at my own pace and according to my own desires. No more records, no more firsts, but the sheer pleasure of being up there, repeating the lines I love so much. The high mountains are the most beautiful thing on Earth. I contemplate it from morning to night. Many a time, I've wondered if I could live away from it. But now I know it's impossible. I need to know she's close to me, to feel my heart beating to the rhythm of a nature that can't be tamed. And it's only by being in my element that I'll be able to pass on to my son the essence of a happy life.
Géraldine Fasnacht continues to soar, carried by the winds of the Alps and beyond. Freeride snowboarder, base-jumper, wingsuit, microlight and glacier pilot, her passion guides her to the frontiers of the extreme. But free forever to live her own way, united with the elements and the high mountains.
