It takes a long time to prepare for a Route des Grandes Alpes. Then comes the journey: the mountain passes, the kilometers, the people you meet, the burning legs, the occasional rain, the breathtaking landscapes, and the arrival in Nice.
And then what? The bike goes back in the garage, photos pile up on a phone, but the adventure lives on. And it’s often retold.
It is precisely this “after” that has captured the interest of Florent Puech, a “storyteller” and passionate cyclist. With Éclaircimes, the first creation from his brand Petite Colline, he sought to give tangible form to what remained of his own 2020 journey across the Alps—to give shape, substance, and light to his memories.
A trace, so to speak!
The Mountain, in Steel and Light
On the wall, a long line of burnished steel traces the outline of the Route des Grandes Alpes. The peaks correspond to the mountain passes crossed, whose names and elevations are engraved into the metal.
The artwork comes to life when you press a real bicycle pedal: the light turns on, and its brightness can be adjusted. A poetic way to illuminate one’s journey and the memories associated with it.
An engraved metal plaque, attached to the structure, allows you to personalize the artwork with details from your own journey: distance traveled, elevation gain, and, if desired, a logo or heraldic symbol.
Éclaircimes also comes with an engraved natural slate plaque, designed to be hung on the wall or placed on a stand. It features a text written by Florent about travel, memory, and wandering, in which everyone can find a bit of their own experience. The artist considers this text an integral part of the work, although viewers are free to display it or not.
This first edition, dedicated to the Route des Grandes Alpes, will be produced in a limited run of ten numbered copies, available starting September 20.
From a Personal Journey to a Work of Art
Behind Éclaircimes lies, first and foremost, a personal story. It is the story of Florent’s 2020 journey across the Alps and the lasting impact it had.
Like many cyclists who have traveled this legendary route, his experience continued long after the last mountain pass. It resurfaced in conversations, images, anecdotes, and the desire to share the story with those who weren’t there.
From this need to keep a record of what he had experienced, a creation was born, and then the Petite Colline project. Today, Florent works with wood and metal to give shape to stories, places, journeys, or personal memories. This is the very essence of his role as a “storyteller.”
And because everyone experiences THEIR own Route des Grandes Alpes, Éclaircimes does not necessarily follow the official route. The structure is based on the actual route taken and the mountain passes crossed. Its dimensions can also be adapted to fit the space where it will be displayed.
Extending the Experience
This is undoubtedly what we like most about the process: Éclaircimes was born from a journey before becoming a work of art.
Florent first wanted to keep a record of his own journey, then he imagined that other cyclists might also want to give shape to their own Route des Grandes Alpes.
It’s up to each person to imagine their own: their route, their mountain passes, their memories. Ten numbered Éclaircimes will be created for this first edition—ten different stories of the same great adventure.
And once the artwork is in your home, all it will take is a turn of the pedals to reignite the Route.
What if one of them told the story of YOUR Route des Grandes Alpes?
Discover Éclaircimes and the work of Petite Colline: petitecollinedesign.fr
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