Kristina
Discovery, the thirst for knowledge, and sharing, tie together my eclectic journey. Passionate about human culture, learning and the way of life in a bygone era, as a little girl on the West Coast of the United States I devoured books about life in the past like Little House on the Prairie and Heidi. When I wasn’t reading, my family and I would backpack for weeks, sometimes on cross country skis and often in a tent, and whitewater raft in Oregon on self-guided trips.
But it was not until years later when I met Benoît during a rock-climbing, camping trip in Yosemite, that I truly found the mountain spirit running in my veins. In the Alps I was finally able to reconcile my love for a rich cultural history and staggering mountain heights. (I even wrote my M.A thesis at the Univeristé de Savoie about rural alpine life at the end of the 19th century).
I have a passion for cooking and have wonderful memories canning and making jam with my grandmother. I went on to teach virtually every age, and ran a small bakery in California. I helped Benoît with our organic creamery by doing the farmer’s markets, outreach and recipe development. I love making things from scratch and have a special place in my heart for cooking and sharing knowledge.
Benoît
Living in the mountains gives you perspective and makes you focus on the essential. I grew up hiking the alpine peaks starting at age 3. I spent most of my time in the Ecrins National Park and the Mont Blanc range. After finishing my M.A., I began my career at Patagonia where I was inspired by Yvon Chouinard, and later joined the Lowe Alpine team in Annecy.
I moved to California in 2003, to start an organic creamery using reusable ceramic packaging that I ran for 15 years. However, I couldn’t resist the call of the mountains forever. Kristina and I started a new adventure with a bed and breakfast in the Sierra Nevada mountains located in the Tahoe National Forest before finally coming back to my roots with La Découverte lodge in Névache.
