the skier racing for two
AN INTERVIEW WITH JULIEN COLONGE, A GEOPHYSICAL ENGINEER AND Touring SKI GUIDE, WHO CONTINUES TO SEEK THE EXHILARATION OF THE MOUNTAINS AFTER LOSING HIS BROTHER IN AN ACCIDENT IN CHILE. BETWEEN GRIEF, PASSION, AND UNWAVERING OBSESSION.
There are some partnerships that the mountains forge better than anything else. Julien Colonge and his brother Pierre were one such pair. Together, they had founded Ubac Images, filmed video projects from Japan to Norway, and dreamed of starting a travel agency to share their passion for ski Touring the world. In 2016, a fatal accident in Chile brought everything to a halt. Pierre was eight years younger. He never reached the summit of their shared project.
As for Julien, he hasn’t stopped climbing. Based in the Pyrenees and working as a geophysical engineer by day, he organizes his entire life around getting into the mountains. He guides, he shares, and he takes people to discover spots they would never have found on their own. What excites him today is that sparkle in someone’s eyes when they discover a hidden face, a secret couloir, or a descent they’ll never forget.
A conversation with a skier who's skiing for two.
You grew up in the Alps. How Touring ski Touring become an obsession for you?
J.C. — I grew up in Lélex, in Haute-Savoie, in the Portes du Soleil ski area. I spent a lot of time in the mountains as a kid, first with my parents, then with the ski club. As time went on, I grew to love the mountains more and more, and I got into ski Touring and freeriding. It was something I shared a lot with my brother Pierre. We started the Ubac Images association together, through which we did a lot of video projects and took many trips. In 2011, I moved to the Pyrenees, and that’s where we really began to get Ubac Images off the ground. We shot quite a few videos, both in France and abroad. We went to Japan, Norway, Iceland, and all sorts of different places that also helped us learn and gain a new perspective on the mountains.
You had a much bigger project together. What happened?
J.C. — In 2016, I decided to take a sabbatical. We had a plan to travel to several countries, scout out spots, and start a small travel agency to share our passion for ski Touring. Unfortunately, it all came to an end far too soon. Pierre had a fatal accident in Chile—an equipment malfunction. It was a huge setback. He passed away before we could achieve our goal of starting that small travel agency.
What has Pierre brought to your life, both on and off the mountain?
J.C. — We shared five or six incredible years together. He gave me a tremendous amount of confidence. He was eight years younger than me, and yet he gave me things that we sometimes look for in people who are older or more experienced. He had a slightly different perspective on the mountains than I did. We pushed each other. I tried to help him build confidence in certain technical skills. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to share that for long enough. It was a godsend to be so close and so in sync. But it didn’t last long enough.
What excites you most about the mountains these days?
J.C. — What I’m increasingly focusing on is taking people on ski Touring trips and organizing tours. That’s where I get the most enjoyment, where I share the most with people. What excites me the most is seeing that little spark in people’s eyes when you introduce them to a spot they’ve never seen before. A spot that’s a bit hidden. Or when you take people abroad—to a little Japanese specialty restaurant, or in Norway when you take them skiing from a boat. These are incredible experiences to share, and they leave you with unforgettable memories, whether for them or for me.
Travel clearly plays a central role. What does it offer you beyond skiing?
J.C. — Over the past few years, I’ve been lucky enough to travel extensively with my skis to explore new mountains, new snow conditions, and new approaches. It’s incredibly enriching from a mountaineering and skiing perspective. But traveling also means discovering a new culture, a new language, meeting people, and encountering a different outlook on life. From a personal growth perspective, it’s amazing. My dream would be to own a boat and be able to travel to all the spots around the world that way. I think it’s hard to get much more eco-friendly than that. It’ll never be perfect, but it would be amazing.
You're a geophysicist. How do you balance your work with your passion for the field?
J.C. — By training, I’m a geophysicist—someone who studies the subsurface. And it’s true that it wasn’t easy at first to balance this time-consuming job, my passion—which takes up a huge amount of time—and my relationship. It took five or six years of negotiation and organization. It wasn’t something that came easily right away. But I know that to be effective in my work, I need that balance. And that balance comes from going out to exercise, in the mountains or by the ocean. In the Southwest, there are so many possibilities and so many sports that I’m passionate about. I need to push myself physically to be 100% mentally focused when I’m at work.
What's your most challenging route?
J.C. — The Gaube Couloir, on the north face of Vignemale, in the Pyrenees. A solo adventure, in March 2025. Definitely one of those that will stay with me forever.
The place you come back to every year?
J.C. — The Lofoten Islands, in Norway. There’s something about that combination of the ocean and towering mountains that always draws me back there and instantly makes me feel good.
Who do you hang out with the most?
J.C. — Guillaume Arrieta. We became fathers at almost the same time, which brought us even closer together and ultimately led to the creation of *Aita*, our short film released in 2025.
A face you've always dreamed of?
J.C. — The north face of the Taillon, in the Cirque de Gavarnie. A route I’ve been thinking about for a while.
What skis are you using right now?
B.C. — Les UBAC 102. Assez légers pour les longues montées, assez larges pour la poudreuse, et assez solides pour te sentir en confiance dans le raide.
This interview is part of One More Line, a mini-series produced by ZAG that follows skiers driven by obsession, documenting how their addiction to the mountains makes them feel alive.
