The 5th Combloranes Meetings

The Musée de la Pente association is hosting the fifth edition of the Rencontres Combloranes from Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 June 2026. The originality of this festival lies in its unusual combination of mountain and sea themes, explored through round tables, debates and screenings featuring women and men who live in and shape these often hostile environments. The idea is to bring together people from Savoie and Brittany around shared stories as part of the twinning between Combloux and Concarneau. Les Rencontres 2026 will focus on the theme: ‘Ice and glaciers, the mark of mankind’. Through documentary films and numerous round tables, this festival will explore the secrets of the Alpine glaciers and the Arctic and Antarctic poles, covering their historical, scientific, environmental and literary aspects. We will also address the theme of adventure and the challenges it presents. New this year: the festival will begin on Thursday evening with the screening of a magnificent documentary. As every year, we will be accompanied by two cartoonists, Georges Million from Savoie and Nono from Brittany, who will entertain us with their humorous drawings throughout the round tables. THURSDAY 25 JUNE: 5.30pm: Opening documentary film of the Mer-Montagne festival, 52 mins: ‘Petits graviers de St Pierre’ (Little Gravels of St Pierre) by Laurent Giraudineau, produced by Cercle Bleu Between 1820 and 1920, tens of thousands of young Bretons were treated like slaves. These children were sacrificed, then erased from the official history of the Grand Fishing in Newfoundland. Beyond a family tribute, Alexis Gloaguen will bring them out of oblivion. In the presence of Alexis Gloaguen, writer and participant in the film. FRIDAY 26 JUNE 4:00 p.m.: Documentary film: 52 mins ‘Light Under the Arctic’ by Vincent Pérazio, produced by ZED for Ushuaïa TV The first divers to descend below the North Pole, Ghislain and Emmanuelle Bardout attempt to cross the Northwest Passage, which is gradually opening up due to global warming. They set out in search of the first fluorescent organisms in the polar world. A luminous odyssey combining exceptional navigation, unprecedented dives and scientific discoveries. 5:00 p.m.: SCIENCE round table: From the Arctic and Antarctic poles to Alpine glaciers, centuries of fascination and study have been devoted to these worlds of solitude. What are the scientific secrets of the ice and glaciers in these territories? Guillaume Massé: climatologist and director of the Concarneau marine station Julien Brondex: glaciologist, Grenoble Éric Brossier: scientist aboard the polar sailing ship Vagabond SATURDAY 27 JUNE 9.30am: (at Ferme à Isidore) Presentation of the photographic exhibition ‘Ice and glaciers, the mark of mankind’ The perspective of Pascal Tournaire, author and photographer, is juxtaposed with that of Gabriel Loppé, the first mountaineer-painter and photographer (1825-1913). In the presence of Pascal Tournaire and Anne Friang, president of the Friends of Gabriel Loppé Association. 11:00 a.m.: Round table discussion HISTORY: The discovery of the poles and glaciers: five centuries of exploration during which a succession of often epic human adventures shaped the history of these two territories. Christian de Marliave: coordinator of the Tara-Arctic mission's scientific programme, editorial and scientific advisor for Éditions Paulsen. Claude Marin: mountain guide, former director of cultural affairs for the city of Chamonix. 2.30pm: Round table discussion on the ENVIRONMENT: How is the melting of the polar ice caps and glaciers, which is accelerating and symbolising climate change, reshaping the ecological balance? What are the risks, but also the solutions to limit its impact? Guillaume Massé: climatologist, director of the Concarneau marine station Laurent Mayet: co-author of the interministerial report on the national strategy on glacial and periglacial risks (ROGP) Pierre Allain Duvillard: Geomorphologist, specialising in permafrost, NAGA Geophysics Bourget du Lac 5:00 pm: Round table discussion ADVENTURE: From Greenland to the Alpine glaciers, human scientific and sporting adventures allow us to push the boundaries and enjoy extraordinary experiences. What is it about these extreme environments that makes them so fascinating? Alexandre Hénot: Finistère native, high-mountain guide, ice climber (Alps and Greenland) Christian de Marliave: coordinator of the Tara-Arctic mission's scientific programme France Pinczon du Sel and Éric Brossier: artist and scientist aboard the polar sailing ship Vagabond SUNDAY 28 JUNE 11:00 am: Round table discussion LITERATURE: The abundance and intensity of accounts of expeditions to the poles or mountains are remarkable; a need to write accompanies real or imaginary explorations of these frozen worlds. How does literature manage to reveal and bring to life the powerful bonds that are created between humans and these extreme environments? Alexis Gloaguen: philosopher-writer, Central Brittany Marc Courtieu: Doctor of Literature, Abondance Charlie Buffet: writer and publisher, Guerin-Paulsen Chamonix 2.30pm: Round table CHALLENGES: Long considered ‘marginal’, Alpine glaciers and the poles have become attractive and coveted spaces. What challenges do they represent? How can their exploitation be reconciled with their necessary protection? Laurent Mayet: founding member of the Polar Circle and project manager for Polar Issues Bernard Debarbieux: Professor of Geography at the University of Geneva, specialising in the imagery of mountains Eva Joly: Lawyer 5:00 p.m.: 36-minute documentary film ‘Les lumières de Vallot’ (The Lights of Vallot) by Bertrand Delapierre In 1887, to prove that it was possible to live there, Joseph Vallot and his guides spent three days and three nights at the summit of Mont Blanc. A geographer, naturalist and mountaineer, Joseph Vallot dedicated his life to Mont Blanc. He was the first person to measure the movements of glaciers. Director Bertrand Delapierre has made a fascinating film about him. In the presence of director Bertrand Delapierre Eliane Patriarca: journalist, author of ‘Joseph Vallot, l’histoire méconnue d’un savant alpiniste’ (Joseph Vallot, the little-known story of a scholar and mountaineer), published by Glénat in 2025 Anne Friang: president of the Friends of Gabriel Loppé association