By supporting the IceLegacy project by Borge Ousland, the only man to have crossed the North and South poles alone, and Vincent Colliard, young adventurer and Borge Ousland's partner, the Alpina fine watchmaking manufacture hopes to promote the protection of the glaciers, an environmental and climate issue that is dire yet little known. Commitment, Respect and Communication - values that are near and dear to the brand famously represented by the red triangle - are echoed in this unprecedented challenge. It combines athletic prowess, human adventure and the sharing of knowledge about the polar environment with as many people as possible, so that future generations may enjoy the fascinating and priceless legacy of glaciers and icecaps.

Explorer-ambassadors of this ambitious project, legendary Norwegian Borge Ousland and Frenchman Vincent Colliard, his successor, will together cross 20 of the largest glaciers in the world on skis, in a nearly 10-year epic journey that will take them from Russia to Alaska, and from Patagonia to Pakistan. Relayed by social networks and media across the globe, the adventure will be shared to give maximum exposure to an issue that has become a crisis for humanity. The goal is to help raise public awareness, garner the attention of governments and give a louder voice to scientists, in the hope of increasing efforts to fight the disappearance of already dwindling glaciers. 

Get involved, protect and communicate. This in essence sums up the philosophy behind the IceLegacy project, supported by Alpina, which will kick off in June 2014 for the first two stages: the Novaya Zemlya Glacier, at the most eastern tip of Europe, in Russia. 75°30’N 60°00E. The largest glacier in Europe, never before crossed, where Borge and Vincent will chart their course between June and August 2014 and the Grant Ice Cap, Ellesmere Island, located in the Canadian Arctic, 82.45 N and 81.18 N. This glacier has never been crossed in its entirety before.

Their expedition will be relayed by www.icelegacy.com,  www.alpina-watches.com and www.nationalgeographic.com, as well as the brand's and the adventurers' social networks, including YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Key information, photos and videos will be posted on a daily basis over the course of the expedition.

This project is not only a question of men and values, but also of progress and technology. Borge and Vincent will gather previously unknown data on the state and specific properties of each glacier, which they will make available to the scientific community. At the same time, they will test the performance and resistance of the new Alpina timepiece, the Alpiner 4, which exemplifies the four fundamental qualities of a watch that is perfectly adapted to polar exploration under extreme conditions: anti-magnetic, shock-resistant, water-resistant and in stainless steel. 

Because, when you get close to the Earth's poles, the particularly strong magnetic fields require an ISO-certified anti-magnetic watch that is precise, accurately measuring time, and that can mitigate potential failures of electronic equipment. Borge and Vincent will put the two flagship models of Alpina's 2014 line - the Alpiner 4 Chrono and the Alpiner 4 GMT - to the ultimate test during their expeditions. No doubt, under these extreme exploration conditions, the innovative compass, a bonus feature in addition to the Alpina timepieces' four original features, will be an indispensable ally to the IceLegacy adventure.

Borge Ousland

Faithful to the values and ethics concerning sports, the brand is also very sensitive to the preservation of the environment, and particularly that of its home territory, the Alps. It is only natural that Alpina is committed today to protecting the essential resource offered to us by mountains and glaciers - water - by supporting the IceLegacy project and its two explorers, Borge Ousland and Vincent Colliard.

BORGE OUSLAND - THE LEGENDE

"Borge Ousland is undoubtedly the most experienced living polar explorer," National Geographic Adventure

With more than 20 years of record-breaking Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, Norwegian Borge Ousland became the first explorer to complete a solo expedition to the North Pole without resupplying. As a Nansen and Amundsen heir, he was also the first to cross the Antarctic continent alone. Borge is also a renowned photographer and documentary filmmaker who has already received numerous international awards for his films and expeditions.

Vincent Collliard

VINCENT COLLIARD - THE SUCCESSOR

"Vincent Colliard is a young adventurer, energetic and with a strong character, who has the unique ability to forge ahead when anyone else would give up." Borge Ousland

Frenchman Vincent Colliard, 28 years old, is an experienced adventurer, having participated in expeditions across Norway, Patagonia, Alaska and the Himalayas. In 2010, he was a crewmember aboard "Northern Passage" with his mentor Borge Ousland during the historic first expedition/circumnavigation of the Arctic Ocean ever completed in a single season. Once again with his mentor, he completed the first crossing of Nordauslandet glacier in Spitsbergen in 2012.