Jeff Mercier - Ice Climber His Words: So, I'm 35 year old and the father of 2 young boys: Titouan, 3, and Pablo, 1. I live in Chamonix where I work as a mountain guide and mountain rescuer instructor for the PGHM. I have chosen this job because it is one of the only where you just help people no questions asked, and you don’t need money from them. The Alpinist calls you, you go, you rescue them and you go back with them to the valley, and all of this is free. (It's not like in Switzerland where people have to pay a lot for the rescue). In my job of instructor, I teach security before technology to future mountain guides. At the same time, my day is made perfect when each of my "students" has enjoyed being on mountain. For 6 or 7 years I have practised dry tooling. It's something between rock and ice climbing. It's a really pumping activity…sometimes you can spend 1 hour on a 30 meters route. I have climbed a lot of very hard short pitches up to grade M13 and want to climb the hardest M14, that's why I will go to Austria this Autumn. Taking part in the Ice world Cup is not the challenge of my life but it will give me more motivation to become stronger. Underlying it all, my objective is to climb the hardest routes of the Alps. Les Grandes Jorasses, for example. The first stage took place last Spring in La Gabarou/Silvy  with my friend. We achieved the first on-site ascent. For 20 years I have lived in mountain areas and I'm fond of every activity you can do there. I started with rock climbing but now I practise different kind like aid climbing and ice climbing. I love Chamonix but I love to go climbing everywhere in the world. My best memories are in Nepal for the nights we spent on a rock face with 2 other friends with a view of Everest. Then there was Canada with its incredible ice falls and also the atmosphere in hockey matches! Yosemyth for the long trip (sometimes too long!) in rock ocean. Scotland for the colour of the landscape and face of the long hairs cows!! My dream is very simple: climbing the longest and best that I can and hoping that my girlfriend will always be patient. But before all this, I must teach to my children how to become men. Results: Free climbing: Best run 8a on site, best place: Les Calanques de Marseille Ice climbing: Best run, grade 7 called La Lyre, best place: Sixt-fer à cheval. Artificial climbing: A4, best place, Yosemyth. Alpinism: la "Walker" + la "Mac intyre" in les Grandes Jorasses, "Divine providence" at the Pilier d'angle, Face nord des droites, "Directe américaine" au dru, "Beyond the good and the evil"/"Pélerinage" aux Peigne, directe de la meije, face nord du rateau.