With his conference, Mathis Dumas wishes to create proximity with the public.
Youtube/Screenshot
Athlete, photographer, mountain guide and influencer, Mathis Dumas is unclassifiable. On his website, he is described as “a UFO. An unidentified swirling object that gravitates in the mountain universe, without being able to precisely define the orbit in which it evolves. The 31-year-old Frenchman spoke about his passion for the mountains and his desire to share it before his conference on January 28, 2025 at the Métropole room in Lausanne.
Do you like being described as a UFO?
It was a journalist who found this definition. What I liked was this side where they couldn’t put me in a box. I was not just an athlete or a photographer, but the combination of all these disciplines.
Where did this passion for the mountains come from?
I don’t know exactly, but it was when I was a teenager, thinking about studying and getting a job. I wanted to get closer to the mountains. I loved going skiing when I was young. I really discovered the world of the mountains and the different possible professions through my studies. It fascinated me, even though at the beginning I had no idea what being a mountain guide was.
How do you feel when you lead people to the top?
A huge feeling of satisfaction! Being able to make their dreams come true is extraordinary. We take them to discover incredible things, we help them achieve their goals and overcome their fears. We also have a bit of an educational role: transmitting the right messages in relation to the environment in which we find ourselves. I find it very satisfying.
You accompanied Inoxtag to the summit of Everest. What motivated you to do it?
Already, I liked taking on the challenge because it really started from scratch. We built the project a bit like a video game with stages. We first made a first summit at 4000 meters, then Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. Afterwards, we went to the Himalayas to do Ama Dablam then Everest. As he is an influencer, he has a huge impact on the younger generation. The idea was to convey to him the passion for the mountains and the right messages so that he could then share it with his subscribers in the best possible way: motivate them to go out, encourage them to explore nature and protect the environment.
You share your daily life a lot on Instagram. What made you want to lift the veil on your world?
What motivates me is that we are our own media. Basically, I didn’t put myself forward at all. I wasn’t in the influence at all. It was more to share my photos, the projects I was carrying out and to highlight athletes and people who were doing extraordinary things in the mountains. I also loved sharing the beauty of the landscapes. And since now I’m far from my family, it’s also a way to show my daily life. I admit that since the release of “Kaizen”, the change has been enormous! My networks exploded. So much the better if thanks to the documentary, we have a little more visibility on the mountain. And if it’s up to me to send the right messages and continue to make people dream so that they go to the mountains and protect this environment, I might as well do it.
Some take photos to share their vision of the world, others to show that they were in a certain place. Which category do you fall into?
(He laughs) For me, it’s more about showing the world and documenting it. That’s really what drives me. Once again, lately, I’ve been put in front of the camera a bit, but I’ve always been behind it, rather discreet. I never wanted to put myself forward. I wanted to show my work.
You will be in conference soon. Why is it important to also have this face-to-face contact with the public?
This is important because there is always a certain distance that is created through social media. Even if we are very close to our community, it is not the same as being physically present. I also want to create this proximity with the public so that we can exchange and so that I can share my experience and my vision of the field.
If someone came to you saying “I want to be like you,” what advice would you give them?
Want to be like me? I don’t know if that’s a good thing (He laughs). I really followed my dreams and did everything I could to make a living from my passion. But I made a lot of sacrifices, like moving away from my family and letting go of friends, to dedicate myself 100% to this. It’s not all positive, it requires investment.
