Adventure, the promise of pleasure in discomfort
One of Jonathan's specialities, ice stunt ©️ Alex Buisse
**Hello Jonathan! You can't escape the famous résumé 😂 ? Could you please introduce yourself briefly?**
My name is Jonathan, I'm 30 years old, and I've had a lot of different professional experiences: in the army, as a manager at Décathlon, as a fireman and then as a training manager. Finally, I took up mountaineering with the dream of becoming a mountain guide.
It was this latter training that led me, in 2021, to want to become [professional adventurer](<https://www.pihoqahiak.com/fr>).
Today, my ambition is to make a living from my expeditions, by creating content on the subject for brands, but also by offering conferences, workshops, survival courses...
**Where does this somewhat utopian desire come from?**
First of all, from a need to **sense**. To meet this need, I had to combine work and passion. I'm passionate about outdoor adventure, for its **sporting** and **surpassing oneself**.
My first break came when I read the book "Antarctica, the dream of a lifetime", by Swiss and South African explorer/adventurer Mike Horn, in 2018.
When I read it, I said to myself: "Ok, this is what I want to do". Then I read all his books... then a whole host of incredible books on the polar environment, notably by Børge Ousland, the legendary Norwegian explorer, and Alban Michon, our French polar explorer and extreme diving specialist. This environment fascinated me more than ever. I absolutely wanted to find out what it was like to be all alone in the middle of nature, with no outside resources.
## " What scares me is doing a job I don't like"
**Aren't you afraid of this hostile environment?**
You know, fear is different for everyone. What I'm afraid of is being locked into a job I don't like. It would kill me slowly to see my life go by like that.
In the mountains, I've had a few scares, adrenaline rushes and moments of stress. But that's exactly what you're looking for when you're an adventurer. What you want, precisely, is to tickle your comfort zone.
*Alone in the world, in contact with this icy nature that intoxicates him ©pihoqahiak*
**How do you combat your fears?**
In the mountains, I reached a good level, but for a long time I was afraid of heights. At first, I couldn't stand 3 metres above the ground, I was terrified. It took me a year to overcome that. I went metre by metre. I started by climbing, 5 metres, then 10 metres. With repetition, I finally felt comfortable. It's difficult, but you have to beat evil with evil. After that, I was able to climb walls several hundred meters high.
**What was your greatest adventure?**
The first time I went off on my own to cycle around Europe. This kind of trip gives you time to experience both effort and discomfort. **It's a mixture of suffering, pleasure and joy**. It's meditative. You're alone with your thoughts and it makes you think a lot about yourself. I evolved a lot during this adventure. I really loved being out there for four months.
*On his first bike trip across Europe ©pihoqahiak*
**How did you cope with your return to reality?**
It took me a few months to get used to sleeping in a real bed, in a house, with people. I'd found a seasonal job for eight months, but after three, I couldn't take it anymore!
**Aren't you afraid of being marginalized from society?**
No, we're all different, and that's precisely what's interesting. There's no point in trying to be like everyone else. Besides, I'm clearly not marginalized. I've kept my social circle, I see people all the time, I do lots of things.
I just prefer to live a little further from the city center and go to the stores less than I used to.
I think that, on the contrary, **I'm forging very strong links**. The proof is that I even met my girlfriend on my bike trip to Europe. It was 15 days before the end, but we kept in touch, saying we'd never see each other again. Improbably, a few weeks later, I was offered a job in the same town where she lived, in Norway.
We soon both set off on an expedition. Kari was a psychotherapist, but dreamed of living differently. We share the same passion for adventure and nature.
## " When you go away as a couple, you don't deal with your fears in the same way. But you have to adapt to each other's rhythm"
* With his partner, Kari, during one of their expeditions ©pihoqahiak*
**What changes when there are two of you on an adventure?**
You don't manage your fears in the same way. You know that the other person is always there to reassure you. You don't have the same rhythm either, so you also have to adapt to the other person. It's much more comfortable, because you're sharing everything with the other person.
**Can you tell us about your crossing of Europe by bike?**
I was preparing for the probationary period for my mountain guide diploma, during which **I had four "accidents"**, particularly in ice climbing, where the ice was collapsing. Honestly,\*\* I'm lucky to be alive\*\*.
My mental state took a big hit and I needed to rest. One day, I came across a report by a German who had cycled around the world, Pedal the World. It made me want to travel around Europe.
At the end of summer 2021, I set off to cover 7200 km without really following a route, taking lots of detours. It was a magical journey, full of human encounters and landscapes.
I passed through Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and finally Norway.
When I arrived in Stockholm in early October, my mother joined me for a weekend to bring back my winter gear, as I wanted to cross Norway in winter. The nights were getting colder and colder (down to minus 25), and the days were getting shorter. In the end, it was night H24. I loved it.
## " Today, everything is served to us on a platter. But the nature of human beings is to adapt, to learn, to discover"
*Bivouak on ice, sublime no? ©pihoqahiak*
**What was difficult about this trip?**
The cold! It was as cold as **minus 25°**. It soon got dark 24 hours a day, and I couldn't get any warmth from the sun. I suffered from frostbite on my feet, it was very hard on my morale and at the end of the trip, \*\* I often wondered if I should stop or continue. \*\*
I had good equipment, a great tent. I melted snow for water. I organized myself to eat my 6,000 calories a day, with freeze-dried food, cereal bars, and added butter for extra fat.
I had a military organization, but it was sometimes difficult. Some weeks, when I'd been riding for 10 days, I'd run out of motivation. I didn't feel like getting up in the morning and following that discipline.
But apart from those tough moments, it's a world I love. **I found it magical to ride through these landscapes.**
*We're in the forest! ©pihoqahiak*
**Do you have a special anecdote to tell about this trip?**
When I arrived in Oslo, it was dark. I took out my phone to find out which way to go. I spotted a man in his fifties staring at me. He didn't speak English, but he really wanted to communicate. He was asking me to follow him. I was confident, but a little apprehensive, because the environment wasn't very reassuring. He showed me his car. He took me to a pizzeria and went to the counter. The waiter brought us two beers. I could tell he was happy to be there. He said goodbye, thank you. Then he left me alone with my pizza! I had tears in my eyes at this gratuitous kindness.
*It's starting to curdle, Jonathan... ©pihoqahiak*
## "15 years ago, there was eternal snow at 2800m, even in summer. Today, there isn't any at all".
**You often say in interviews that "you're living your best life". Why is that?**
Today, everything is served to us on a platter. But the very essence of a human being is to adapt, to learn, to discover others and the planet. We live in a wonderful place with so much to discover. This contact with nature helps raise awareness of the planet. Reconnecting with nature offers the promise of pleasure in discomfort. Your mind wanders, you unplug your brain and you find answers to many of the questions that invade your mind...
**Was it during your expeditions that you became aware of climate change?**
Yes, definitely. The **Pyrenees**, where I grew up, in particular. 15 years ago, there was eternal snow above 2800 metres, even in summer. Today, there's none at all, even at 3400 meters!
It's sad. I want to help protect nature, even if I don't have all the keys. I'm not into the whole "we've got to change everything" thing, because I think we've got to move with the times, but there are things we can all do: buy less and buy better, give preference to cycling...
In terms of actions, for example, we work with the EcoTree organization (forest management and biodiversity): we finance the planting of trees. We've already planted 100 trees. We also aim to give a tree to every new customer.
And Kari and I are preparing**to explore Norway's second largest polar plateau**. We'll be making a 15-day crossing in total autonomy in February 2024. Our aim is to highlight **the importance of taking care of polar environments.**
## " Our limits are constantly changing. You have to test them constantly to know your tipping point"
**How do you know what your limits are?**
They are constantly evolving. You have to **experiment** to know them and find your tipping point. Little by little, by playing with your limits, by**'accepting fear and discomfort**, you tame your limits and push them back. It's all about setting realistic goals and surpassing them, little by little.
*The magic of the Aurora Borealis is still at work ©pihoqahiak*
Jonathan Labarre's culture minute
**Music for the climbs**: [Fun with two chords on the guitar](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3GWVlIzWMw>)
\*\*Music for the descents \*\*: Whistle! It makes you happy 😁
\*\*A book to understand cycling \*\*: I've only read books about adventure in general. But it's best not to ask yourself that question. Just get on your bike and go! And if you really need advice, check out my video[ Gravel bikepacking - the perfect setup.](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYBOFdrP3ug>)
