A group of professional musicians and singers is trekking across the Aravis massif in Haute-Savoie, carrying heavy musical instruments on their backs to perform a roving concert tour from one mountain refuge to another.
The touring troupe, known as the Tournée des Refuges, has spent the past 13 years hiking nearly 7,500 kilometres across diverse regions, performing everywhere from the overseas island of Réunion to the high alpine routes of France.
Founded as an itinerant acoustic project, the ensemble avoids traditional festival stages in favour of remote mountain shelters accessible only on foot. Mountain refuges, known as refuges de montagne in France, are remote high-altitude huts designed to provide meals and shelter to alpine trekkers. In the Haute-Savoie region of southeastern France, the Aravis range features dozens of these isolated structures, which rely on footpaths or supply helicopters rather than motor roads.
Trekking with heavy instruments
Among the performers traversing the alpine trails is singer and double bass player Alexeï Derevitsky, who hikes with a 25-kilogram pack that includes his full-sized stringed instrument strapped to his back.
Derevitsky said carrying the tall instrument feels like having a ship mast on his back, giving him the sensation of being a sailboat. He added that whenever he sets the double bass down, he feels as though he is stepping off a vessel onto dry land as everything sways around him.
The sight of musicians hauling heavy equipment along steep mountain paths frequently draws astonished reactions from hikers along the route.
One female hiker watching the troupe pass said the effort was both surprising and impressive, noting that she could easily imagine the difficulty of carrying such weight. Another male hiker said he would never attempt such a trek, explaining that carrying anything over 10 or 15 kilograms was far too heavy before offering his compliments to the troupe.
Guitarist Gaspard Panfiloff, the founder of the Tournée des Refuges, said the annual summer trek pushes newer and less athletic musicians to surpass their physical limits. Panfiloff noted that team members unaccustomed to such exertion end up doing extraordinary things, walking for hours through challenging terrain.
Derevitsky described the roving performances as a return to artistic fundamentals, explaining that the journey mirrors the lives of medieval troubadours who walked with their instruments, stopped to play, and set off again each day.
Concerts in remote mountain shelters
During a recent leg of the tour, the musicians hiked to the Refuge de la Bombardelle, situated at an altitude of 1,600 metres in the mountain commune of Le Grand-Bornand in Haute-Savoie.
At each stop, the artists face the daily challenge of converting a simple rustic dining room into an impromptu concert space. Derevitsky said the group must improvise with whatever facilities are available, making every evening a new surprise.
The performance at the Refuge de la Bombardelle marked the troupe's 23rd concert of the summer season. Their musical repertoire incorporates diverse cultural styles inspired by traditional sounds from every continent.
Réunion Island, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean where the troupe previously performed, features steep volcanic terrain similar to the alpine routes that shaped the group's globe-spanning musical influences.
Intimate atmosphere and future plans
The intimate nature of the mountain shelter venues leaves only a few centimetres between the performers and their audience, creating a close connection with listeners.
One female spectator attending the Bombardelle performance said the music allowed her to forget everything, including who she was, where she came from, and what was happening, as she became completely absorbed in the sound.
Violin player Jean-Christophe Gairard, an organiser of the refuge tour, said performing in mountain huts brings deep satisfaction to the group. Gairard explained that as long as the music pleases people, moves them, or makes them laugh and cry, sharing the performance means something special to the artists.
The annual trek has built a dedicated following among outdoor enthusiasts. One long-time spectator said her family plans their summer holidays around the troupe's schedule, noting that following the concert route each year has transformed their lives.
Looking beyond their current Alpine itinerary, the musicians are preparing for new horizons, with upcoming concert tours planned across Breton islands off the coast of western France and an expedition to Nepal.
