“How are you, little sister? Come here so I can give you a hug.” These are the opening lines of Toune d'automne, a song by Les Cowboys Fringants, a famous Quebec folk band. But since 2020, Toune d'automne has also been the name of a route opened by Didier Berthod and Nicole Berthod on the legendary summit of Petit Clocher du Portalet. Although the first few meters were climbed in 2020, the route was not completed until the fall of 2024. In the meantime, Nicole had to face a terrible ordeal in her life: breast cancer. Didier could have finished the project alone. Instead, he chose to wait until his “little sister” had regained her strength so that they could finish the project together and finally “embrace” each other at the summit of Petit Clocher du Portalet.
