Bicycle ascent of Mauna Kea volcano, the achievement of Charles Ouimet | you saw?

Initially, the project had nothing to do with the crazy ascent of Mauna Kea, the second oldest among the five major volcanoes on the remote Pacific island. But in the end, a feature film will result from this adventure.

At first glance, it was a bike trip (cycling) for the couple, organized by Charles Ouimet and his girlfriend Gabrielle. The trip went according to plan, and then the 28-year-old athlete, a contender at heart, used his presence in Hawaii to tame Mount Wakea, nearly a million years.

Headed into the clouds, literally and figuratively, after cutting 110 kilometers separating the beach from the volcano’s summit and climbing 4,800 meters in a vertical descent, Montreal is stark: a massive half-day effort makes way for a bit of a break.

What is difficult about this climb is the constant ascent to the top. When we do big days of inequality in Quebec, there are a lot of Up and down, so it allows you to rest, he explains.

Sweeped by its landscapes are very different from each other. More than once, in the midst of 11 hours and 39 minutes of ascent, he felt exhausted, far from finished, making the achievement all the more satisfying.

« The paved road is known as one of the 10 most difficult paved roads in the world […] With the guy who was with me, Chris, we thought we’d do it on the gravel road, just to add a level of complexity, pain, and mental effort to avoid the rocks, and go through the potholes. It was really quite a challenge. Another component is the lack of oxygen in the air the higher it rises. »

Two birds with one stone

Lately passionate about cycling, Charles Ouimet has progressed at high speed over the past five years. Before he emigrated to cycling, he excelled in long descents on a skateboard on the World Cup circuit, earning several podiums in the process.

The reason I switched to cycling is because after riding in the Alps, in California, and back to Quebec, we don’t have the coasts or roads like we have anywhere else. So, I lost a bit of a passion, had no challenge in Quebec, whereas when I discovered cycling, I realized there are races in Quebec every weekend. Even twice a week, He says.

Photographer and videographer by profession, the elite athlete has worked in the commercial and advertising world for nearly eight years. He can now combine his passion for cycling and content creation to grow his career at the same time.

Charles Ouimet and a friend on their way to Mauna Kea

Photo: Charles Oymet

Charles Ouimet also started, in 2020, his own YouTube channel, which now has 17,600 followers, in which he presents his unusual career path towards professional ranks. Its platform will broadcast its feature film titled From the ocean to heaven.

Not until recently an expert in making a movie, the main interested party assembled a small team of photographer, driver, nutritionist and guide to accompany him on his approach to Hawaii.

Nevertheless, he himself carried the vast majority of aspects in the design of the feature film, a branch that he especially likes and allows him to project himself to attract the attention of professional training.

The production, pre-production, liaison with sponsors, negotiation, travel and post-production of the film, I each managed the film from the ground up. And even distribution., says Charles Oymett, full of pride and enthusiasm at the idea that his digital venture will see the light of day on Friday.