Crystal hunters were climbing the mountains around Chamonix long before the idea of mountain climbing existed. Risking injury and death to climb a mountain ‘just because it was there’ held no appeal to the subsistence farmers and hunters that lived a brutally hard existence in the Alps in the 18th century. Selling crystals in Geneva to watch manufacturers and chandelier makers however made perfect sense.
It was crystal hunter Jacques Balmat who claimed the historic first ascent of Mont Blanc with Dr Michel-Gabriel Paccard on August 8th 1786. And it was their success that established Chamonix as the birthplace of modern mountaineering. For Christophe it was perhaps more fate than plan. While hitch-hiking to Greece across France in his late teens, he had the chance to work in Chamonix for a few days. When days turned into weeks, then months, he discovered skiing and climbing and instantly knew that he had found his home. Then in his early twenties, a chance meeting with local crystal hunter Stephen Bizien started a new addiction – exploring the remote parts of the mountains for treasure. Caught somewhere between quiet jeweller and bold climber, Christophe’s eyes sparkle as he describes his passion.
“The real moment is when you pick the crystal from the rock.
Sometimes they come into your fingertips as easily as picking mushrooms. Other times you might spend a day suspended precariously on a cliff cleaning mud from around the base with a wooden spoon. But the magic happens in the mountains, unearthing something of real purity and natural beauty.” Like many of Chamonix’s treasure hunters, Christophe keeps his best pieces. They seem like perfect metaphors for the mountains he fell in love with in his teens. Each one a reminder of the moment of discovery, the days spent bivouacking and exploring above 3,000 metres with close friends – the risks and rewards of being a treasure hunter.
To see an amazing collection of Chamonix crystals and find out more, visit the Musée des Cristaux, Chamonix – chamonix.com Christophe can be contacted for high mountain guiding at aventurealpine.com And for an excellent choice of beautiful ski chalets and apartments in the Chamonix valley go to collineige.com