Constance Schaerer and Everest: When personal adventure turns into a marketing product

Since her ascent of Everest in May, the 26-year-old woman from Alsace has become the youngest French woman to reach the Top of the World. She is actively engaging in media and commercial activities, even if it means downplaying the environmental impact of her expeditions.

The early morning sun is already casting its golden rays on the Roof of Europe, where at 4,809 meters, the temperature is soaring at the end of June. Below, the streets of Chamonix are bustling with thousands of “clones” carrying hydration packs on their shoulders, ready to take on the Mont Blanc marathon. Despite feeling stressed, Constance Schaerer puts on a brave face: a smile at the starting line arch, click, and the picture is instantly shared with her 75,000 Instagram followers. She eventually completes the 42 km race, with a positive elevation gain of 2,500 meters, in just over seven hours.

As an invitee of one of the trail race sponsors, the 26-year-old woman from Alsace has emerged dramatically from obscurity since her Everest climb on May 19. Described as a “modern-day heroine,” achieving an “unprecedented feat,” embarking on a “crazy challenge,” and tackling an “extraordinary endeavor,” a media storm of accolades has poured in for the youngest Frenchwoman to stand – with supplemental oxygen – on the Top of the World (8,848 meters above sea level).