Francois is the youngest of 5 boys, grew up in Montreal Canada, and has a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has built a successful business as a Financial Advisor, working with Merrill Lynch for the last 7 years. Sports and physical activities have always been an integral part of Francois' life. Some of his activities include:

--Rock climbing, mountain climbing and ice climbing

Francois had an affinity for the outdoors from a very young age, going on several camping and fishing trips with his father and brothers. He would often spend his summers in the north of Quebec and has worked as a tree planter during the summer holidays. He started taking an interest in rock climbing while in University, but became more active in the sport after graduation. His interest quickly spilled over into ice climbing and mountaineering as well.

Some of his climbing expeditions include:

--Mt. Rainier, Washington (14 400 ft)
--Liberty Bell, Washington, Rock climbing (8 000 ft)
--Rock climbing in Squamish B.C.
--Mt. Washington, New Hampshire, Ice climbing (6 000 ft)
--Eco-Challenge Training Camp, Whistler B.C., (a 60 hour long, non-stop event)
--Aconcagua, Argentina (23,000')--February 2000

Up-coming expeditions:
 
--Mt. McKinley, Alaska (20,320')--July 2000 
--Team training camps on Mt. Rainier (14,411'), during the summer of 2000
--Mt. Everest, Nepal (29,035')--Spring 2001

"To attempt a summit on Everest has been a profound dream of mine for a very long time. It represents so much more to me than merely climbing a difficult and high mountain. I could express many reasons for my decision: passion, challenge, commitment, accomplishment, and so on.  But none of these reasons measure up to the ultimate one: experience. Every Everest climb is unique and can't be duplicated.  No one can predict the outcome because of the numerous factors involved: weather, physiological reactions, timing, altitude, etc. And although the summit is not guaranteed, the experience is sure to be one worth sharing. Making it to the top of the world is certainly my goal, but it is the journey that will bring an invaluable dimension to my life."