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I’ve witnessed several odd ways people have descended slopes on skis and snowboards. There was a person in a gorilla suit, a range of superheroes and cartoon characters, a massive church youth club in bikinis and swimming trunks, and even a man in a tail suit playing a piano, which was also on skis – while sliding down a piste.
A couple of British men recently took this a step in another direction (pardon the pun) when the pair walked 801 miles from Oxford Circus in London to the French ski resort of Val Thorens in ski boots and each carrying a pair of skis!
The two friends, Reuben Gray, a singer songwriter who was a semi-finalist on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, and Matt Brinkley a British Army reservist, took 45 days to complete the journey, which saw them walk through the Kent countryside to Dover, followed by a channel ferry crossing to Dunkirk in France. Their walk then included Belgium, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, before they arrived in Val Thorens in the Three Valleys.
As well as raising thousands of pounds for two charities – Macmillan Cancer Support and Snow Camp, a UK charity which aims to transform young lives through snow sports – the duo also used this first-ever endurance challenge of its kind to officially launch King of the Hill, a new adventure sports app which is powered by AI. The app will be available from November.
The walk, which was dubbed ‘No Lifts, Just Legs’, was tracked in real-time via social media. Reuben said his inspiration for the journey came from his late godfather, Jerry Chilvers’ who battled against cancer.
He said: “This 801-mile trek is a raw demonstration of what everyday resilience looks like when faced with extraordinary circumstances.”
Matt added: “This challenge isn’t just about publicity and a few blisters; it’s about the grit, the camaraderie, and pushing what we each think is possible, as normal people.”
A large crowd of friends, family and members of the local community were waiting to celebrate with the duo when they arrived in Val Thorens at the end of their epic adventure.
Val Thorens, the highest ski area in Europe, is just one of seven resorts that makes up The Three Valleys in France. For more information on the resorts and the accommodation available during the ski season through Ski Line click on the name of the resort below:
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