Everything or Nothing

Seeing the movie „La Liste - Everything or Nothing“ put a big grin on my face. Fast skiing was always part of my life, so seeing the fast skiing skills of Jérémie Heitz excited me. It was on the back of my mind for some time to run a story with this fast guy. He is one of those who can put the pedal to the metal and ski fast. But there is more about it if you want to ski fast on big mountains, which don’t have lifts or if you don’t use helicopters. You have to have the right skills set up and a backpack of passion for getting up these mountains, to asses the avy situation in the right way, and you also need to have a gut feeling for the extra bit of the safety margin.

There are neither nets protecting potential crashes nor air fences or patrollers around. When the photographer Jeremy Bernard dropped me some outstanding pictures from Jérémie Heitz and Samuel Anthamatten from their trip to Pakistan, I knew this was the opportunity to chat with this bold and fast guy and find out what is going on in his mind. We touched base on Insta and took it from there. Jérémie, Pakistan with Sam was the last part of your project, “La Liste - Everything or Nothing.“ What were the biggest joy and learnings from taking your style of skiing to higher altitudes? Taking fast skiing to Pakistan offered lessons every single day. Acclimatization is definitely an important topic.

We did our best to take it step by step and, at the same time, tried to stay in shape. To find the right mix between getting used to the altitude and recovering properly was indeed an interesting learning. Having the opportunity to share the time in these remote big mountains with friends was pure joy. We had a great time with Sam and the whole crew sharing the same passion. Why did you team up with Sam for the Pakistan trip? Sam and I skied and traveled together on the Freeride Tour. He is a cool dude who comes from alpinism. Besides the Tour, we skied together some 13.000-foot peaks in the Alps and became good friends. It was a logical step for us to team up.

Pushing the freeride limits on the highest mountains includes, of course, great skiing skills but also great experience in alpinism and expeditions. Which aspect gave you the biggest challenge? For me, it was gathering all the info about the snowpack and getting the full picture of all expositions. We partly skied our lines in one push. I was pretty surprised about our first one. It was perfect on the spine, and once I reached the end, it was super hard-packed. You need to consider these changes. Giving up an objective because of conditions or time is part of the game in the backcountry. But you also have to go the extra mile to push the limits. Did you feel like entering this zone? We turned around several times.

As for me, I felt I was acting within my means. Skiing in the middle of nowhere is a different game. Rescue or doctors are several days away; a small mistake can already take you and your mates into life-threatening trouble. So this is something we did consider. Overall given the long approach, the remote place far from civilization and the lines... Yeah – it felt like new horizons did open for me. Content production is also part of the game. How do you handle it as a sponsored athlete when you have to consider your limits and the expectations of the film crew and your partners? That’s something to consider. You are slower when you produce content. I also think that communication with partners and crew and good planning are important.

I also try to be as honest as possible with my sponsors. There is always the risk that you come back from a trip like this without a story or footage. A saying goes, “You can handle any HOW if you know the WHY.” What is your answer to the WHY when things get tough? You have to have that question in the back of your mind before you embark on your journey. My answer is simple, but works well for me. It’s the passion and curiosity to spend quality time in the mountains. Sam and I push each other and share the same passion. That’s what works for me. Do you already have concrete projects in mind for the future? I keep on skiing! I’m very motivated to ski hard lines, and fast. Sam and I have been asked if we want to go even higher and aim for some 26,000ers. Maybe not, has been my answer so far. For now, Pakistan and South America are good objectives.