The Arc'teryx Alpine Academy kicked off Thursday in beautiful Chamonix. The weather was the story of the day, with heavy rain throughout, but a high level of stoke and a healthy dose of Gore-Tex ensured today's Mountain Clean Up went off without a hitch.

Over 100 particpants worked throughout Thursday to give back to the mountains we enjoy so much. Countless bags of refuse were cleared from the mountain and crews were sustained with warm offerings courtesy LYO Food and MSR.

Take a look at some of the shots from today, check out our Flickr Gallery, and don't forget to tag your photos on Instagram and Twitter with #arcteryxacademy. We'll be back tomorrow with highlights from the first full day of clinics and a jam packed Seminar Night schedule.

Photo: Hugo Vincent

Photo: Piotr Drozdz

Photo: Piotr Drozdz

Photo: Piotr Drozdz

Photo: Piotr Drozdz

Photo: Johannes Strobel

Photo: Hugo Vincent

Photo: Piotr Drozdz

Photo: Hugo Vincent

Photo: Hugo Vincent

Photo: Hugo Vincent

Source: Arc'teryx Blog