Rab - For the most extreme conditions in the world | Jeff Mercier

Jeff Mercier

Jeff lives in Chamonix and works as a mountain guide and rescue instructor for the PGHM. Jeff is a highly talented climber across many disciplines; winning the 2008 Ouray Ice Festival and the first spur-less ascent of one of the world's hardest mixed routes, Jedi Mind Tricks, near Lake City, Colo, a route that Mercier confirmed to be rated M14.

Find out more about Jeff at http://jeffmercier.blogspot.com/

(picture - Jeff Mercier cruising Tequilla Stuntman, M7 WI6, Ben Winston 2011)

Jeff took a few minutes to answer some questions for us and give us an insight in to what it takes to climb at the highest levels for 25 years.

Where were you born and where’s home now? I'm born at Sallanches, Haute-Savoie, close to the Mont Blanc. I live in Chamonix

Tell us about your work? I work for the mountain rescue of Chamonix, the well known Pghm

How long have you been climbing? 25 years

Describe your very first climb: The first climb i've done was on a small crag and I was alone, the second time I was abseiling from a single piton and I ripped it, I went to the hospital for a week with head trauma.

Describe your climbing career : At the beginning I was basically involved in rock climbing, then I started touching a bit of everything.  At 23 I joined the French national team of young  alpinists (FFME). At the same time I started ice climbing. I discovered dry tooling back in 1998. From 1998 to 2002 I participate to the Ice Climbing World cup. At 30 I became Mountain Guide. Back then I was very focused in Mixed Sport Climbing and climbed routes up to M14 ,the first in the US, a few years ago. Since then I have repeated another then I put up a couple more,only 1 of them hasbeen repeated. Nowadays at 40 I'm still able to redpoint 8a but my motivation is more orientated to alpinism. Here in the Alps a lot of routes generally climbed with a fair amount of aid climbing happens to be climbable using dry tooling techniques and therefore testing the climber skills in a environment more serious than a dry tooling cave. That's how we climbed routes like Gabarrou-Silvy on Aiguille Sans Nom and the Dru couloir Direct. That's tomorrow Alpinism.

What are your most memorable climbs? The most memorable was also the most frightening one, it was on the legendary waterfall called La Lyre in the Fer Cheval cirque,the climb went smooth but on the way down while rappelling the route ahuge ice pillar a 100 meters above our  heads  collapsed.

Almost immediately we were hitby big blocks of ice one of them exploded on my face and I lost my vision for a few days, unfortunately the following day two guys were killed at the same place by a even bigger ice pillar.

What do you do when you’re not climbing?I try to spend as much time as possible with my wife and three children. I introduce them to mountain sports but slowly!  I would appreciate it if they like climbing but I hope they will be more interested by something less dangerous .

What’s your proudest moment? My family.  It's the thing I'm the most proud of.

Who or what at inspires you? I'm inspired by the motivation of people like Monsieur Patrick Gabarrou he's going to be 60 years old!  And the intensity of the young guys I climb with. But what inspires me the most are the incredible line I can imagine looking at the mountains.

Do you carry any regrets?  Not really.

What areyour future plans/goals? Definitely doing mixed routes as hard as possible in the mountains using traditional gear. Luckily enough living in Chamonix I can do that on the best wallsin the Alps.

What are your favourite pieces of Rab kit? Here's my mountain kit. Power stretch zip top / Xenon  Jacket / Latok  Jacket / Photon Belay  Jacket / Glove M14

Can't wait to see the next mountaineering Pants!!!

How else do you train? Climbing all year round, dry tooling from September to December

How do you think your friends would describe you? Always in the mountain, never at home.

Mars or Snicker?Neither! Mule bar

Beer or wine? Vodka redbull!

Tea or coffee? Yogi tea et cappucino

Carrot or ginger cake? Anything with apples or chocolate

Favourite book? Théorème de la peur de Greg Child

Favourite music? Les podcastsTrance de Johnny monsoon

Pie or salad?  Both!

Bivi or B&B?  B&B

Hot or cold? Winter is my favourite season, so I don't have the choice...

Cat, dog or goldfish? I hate cats, Goldfish are stupid. Love dog but I don't have room enough at home

Car or bike? I can't carry all my stuff with a bike!

Facebook or email? email

Christmas or New Year? Being a father, I can't choose between them .

Film or theatre? Film

Favourite joke? Bitter humour and for that my model is the famous french alpinist Francois Marsigny

Favourite quote?  just do it.