Winner of the Evolution of Balance Award 2016

Anne-Sophie Rodet (Canada) and Kelli Carley (USA) are the recipients of the 2016 Evolution of Balance Award! An’So and Kelli proposed a self-supported technical muni traverse in the Alps from the Chartreuse Range in France to Zermatt, Switzerland, via Chamonix-Mont Blanc. The proposed trip includes the famous Haute Route ski traverse and will cover about 500km and 25,000m of elevation gain, much of it singletrack in the high alpine. 

"Going as a self supported women duo in high alpine terrain, we want to push our limits and encourage and inspire other female riders to go on Muni adventures," says Anne-Sophie, who grew up at the the foot of the Chartreuse in the Alps until she was a teenager. Now that she lives in Canada, this trip is a return to her roots and an occasion to explore the Alps leading to the amazing Mont Blanc. The famous Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt has been in Anne-Sophie's mind for a few years, and seems like an incredible trail to tackle by mountain unicycle.

 

Anne-Sophie lives in the North Shore in British Columbia and rides technical trails weekly. She rode 4600km self-supported across Patagonia in 2013, experimenting with light packing and long distance on mostly dirt roads. Anne-Sophie will be acting as a mentor to Kelli, who has not experienced a trip like this before. Kelli lives in the mountains west of Denver, Colorado and rides technical trails weekly at an elevation of 2700m. In September of 2015 Kelli unicycled and hiked Mt. Elbert, Colorado's tallest peak at 

4401m. While she has only been unicycling for 1.5 years, she is physically fit and capable of the challenges this trip will present.

 

Right now, Anne-Sophie and Kelli are working on their packing list: "In order to make this traverse possible, we will be traveling with really light gear, most likely using a tarp instead of a tent for bivouacs or a stove made from a can for example."

 

Check out Anne-Sophie's blog, Facebook page or Twitter to follow her and Kelli on their upcoming adventure.

 

The Evolution of Balance Award is a bi-annual grant supporting riders seeking creative, self-supported muni adventures in remote places. The 2016 award is presented by Kris Holm Unicycles and co-sponsored by Unicycle.com, Five Ten, and the Hoover family.   It includes $1500 cash, a KH unicycle of the riders's choice, KH pads and gloves, Five Ten shoes, and a discount on additional KH gear.