Cardiff doctor Will Redmund raced the 2010 Trans Provence. Last year he returned to be the event doctor dealing with a thousand whingeing bastards for seven days on the tortuous, but ultimately enthralling, adventure through south east France’s stunning terrain. Always in the mountains, Will is about to embark on a Haute Route mission from Chamonix to Zermatt with his mates, hut to hut lightweight style. Here’s his kit…sutures, the lot:

DIRT ISSUE 125 – JULY 2012

Words by Steve Jones. Photo by Steve Jones

“I’ve been looking for a long distance high–alpine, point–to–point trip for quite some time now. I knew then that when a mate from Cumbria called me last December suggesting a sort of DIY haute route that I’d be in. The plan is fairly simple. Chamonix to Verbier, armed with a map and GPS. Keep precise route planning to a minimum, with the freedom to take whichever funky looking trail looks vaguely in the right direction. We knew the route could be hammered in four days it, but that would miss the point. We plan on taking seven days, hooking up with a guide for a day in Verbier and possibly another at other end in Zermatt. The first night in Chamonix will be booked in advance but after that we’d attempt to turn up to refuges on the day. Any unnecessary winched road climbs would be avoided if possible with a lift here or there. We’d then grab the train back to Chamonix for a job–well–done–beer before heading back to Geneva. Kit would need to be kept to a minimum so as not to interfere with what will hopefully be a great week of alpine singletrack. We aimed to share as much around the five of us as possible and try and keep things down to around 20–25 litres.”

KIT LIST: