Alpina x Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc, the world’s most challenging international sled dog race

The world’s most challenging international sled dog race arouses tremendous enthusiasm, attested by the millions of television viewers and 80,000 spectators in attendance at each edition.

An extraordinary adventure that shares the “alpinist” values of Alpina

Swiss watchmaker Alpina has teamed up with La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc, for which it is named as the official timekeeper for the 2019 edition. Taking place from 12 to 23 January in the massifs of the French Alps, this mythic sled dog race is synonymous with high adventure.

The Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc is a dream imagined by Nicolas Vanier and Henry Kam that became a reality in January 2005. The dream of a great adventure that would cross the massifs of the French Alps, whereas the norm for this sport for decades had been to run across icy expanses with little topographical relief. The mountainous topography it runs through makes it the most challenging international sled dog race in the world. The 15th edition of this annual 12-day European event is expecting over 45 mushers with their 400 canine athletes from the United States, Russia and Europe (France, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Italy).

Equivalent to the Tour de France in the realm of sled dog racing, the Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc brings together some of the world’s best stage race mushers (dog team drivers). Once the finish line has been crossed, they will have covered nearly 400 kilometres with a change in positive altitude of more than 15,000 metres in stages of 27 to 48 kilometres. A complete sport, mushing calls for very precise knowledge and preparation: nutrition, strength training, endurance, speed, mental stamina, but also training under all kinds of different meteorological conditions.

The winners’ prizes: Alpina AlpinerX – one of the most beautiful 100% outdoor smartwatches on the market.

Equipped with five sensors, the Alpina AlpinerX smartwatch measures the UV index, temperature, pressure, altitude and direction. An alliance between the sporty design of a classic Alpina watch and smart technologies, it offers a wide range of functions, visible in real time on the digital screen, divided into three categories: environment, body, time and notifications.

The first category includes functions related to nature, including an altimeter, a barometer, a compass, a UV index indicator (a first in watchmaking), a thermometer and a smart GPS connected to the application. The second category relates to the user’s well-being, in particular by activity tracking and sleep monitoring, and in this way, providing dynamic coaching and smart alarms based on these results. Finally, the time and notification category provides innumerable options for recording time, notifications, world time and Cloud connection to save data.

Water resistant to 100 metres and shock resistant, this sporty watch is finished with a rubber strap in orange, black or blue depending on the version, for the perfect consummation of the adventurous spirit of this timepiece.