UKC

To quote:

"Rene Desmaison, a French alpinist honoured as a pioneer of modern mountaineering for tackling more than 1,000 peaks since the 1950s, has died at the age of 77"

There can't be many left of his generation now... He died in bed, even he couldn't win though this time.

In reply to Bruce Hooker:

"It's so difficult to accept nothingness... You would like to know how things really are beyond life, be sure it's not all a big joke, but, as big as it may be, how can a joke survive for millennia?

Look how beautiful are the stars in the coal black sky, those little twinkling gems, those little fantastic worlds. You've Creation before your eyes, here, on this same mountain that's taking your life and you can't hate, not even now. And what if truth is really here, amongst these pyramids of granite?"

(excerpt from Desmaison "342 hours on the Grandes Jorasses")

http://www.summitpost.org/images/original/141408.jpg

In reply to Bruce Hooker:

Sad news, that is big loss to mountaineering. Total Alpinism (containing the Grande Jorasses epic, and it was an epic) was one of the first mountaineering books I read, and I haven't read very much since that has matched it for such powerful visceral narrative in describing the mountains and life among them. He also voiced a chip on his shoulder against the Chamonix establishment that made Stevie Haston look like a turn-the-other-cheek monk.

RIP Le Big Man.

In reply to Bruce Hooker:

http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3382,36-960899,0.html?xtor=RSS-32...

In reply to Bruce Hooker:


Yes, the "class of '30", the best year for a climber to be born last century.

Of that class, I may think of Bonatti and Joe Brown as still being with us...

In reply to Removed User:


Yes, the consequences of the '66 Dru rescue - and expecially the '71 Jorasses mess were defining moment of his life. In many ways the latter is still a question to be resolved...

In reply to Bruce Hooker:

French wikipedia page:
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ren%C3%A9_Desmaison

RIP

In reply to Bruce Hooker:

One of the giants of post-war Alpinism. His description of the Jorasses tragedy remains the most achingly real and vivid piece of mountaineering writing I've read.

I suppose that for a true Alpinist to pass away in bed at a ripe old age, after a life well lived and a cutting-edge tick-list as long as his arm should be considered a good outcome.

In reply to Luca Signorelli:


Possibly the wrong time to be asking this, but what unanswered questions do you think remain?

In reply to Jamie B.:

There's still a sort of "gray zone" mainly related to what extent the Chamonix Rescue deliberately slowed down the operations (possibly in order to "punish" Desmaison) and if Desmaison was aware or not of Gousseault poor conditions before the climbing started. Also, it's not clear if the slowness of the ascent was the result of bad conditions (as Desmaison wrote) or was deliberate in order to maximize the media exposure of the climb, and the role Simone (then Desmaison's wife) had in the whole affair is still open to question.

Plus some minor item: i.e if the choice to try the Walker line was really a second option after Desmaison and Gousseault, and what happened to Gousseault body right after Desmaison was rescue, etc.

As you see, there's a lot to ponder about, and I've my own opinions on most of this, but as you said, it's not the right moment to air them...

In reply to Bruce Hooker:

How sad! His books have been with me since I was about 13.

In reply to Jamie B.:


I'd say the same.... he was a toughie alright and survival is a sign of competence in my book. His last book was good reading but I don't know if it's available in English.

In reply to Sandrine:

Quite, I don't know why as mostly the death of people I didn't know personally doesn't move me. Hearing about his did, although he lived to 77 which isn't bad considering the way he lived!

Terray, Rebuffat and now Desmaison... Bonatti must be feeling a bit lonely as someone on the Camp to Camp forum put it. For those interested here's the link:

http://alpinisme.camptocamp.com/forums/list.php?f=9

I suppose I feel concerned as it is a reminder of my own approaching demise... 77 wouldn't be a bad run though

In reply to Luca Signorelli:

From what I've read I'd take his side though... I always admire an outsider. I recently read something about Gousseault's death and according to his wife, if I remember correctly, he wasn't on top form but he hid this from Desmaison out of fear that he wouldn't have been on the climb otherwise.... either way these sort of things are always complex and both of them are big enough to be beyond this sort of "mesquinerie"

In reply to Bruce Hooker:

Richard Johnson and I became involved by chance with Desmaison on the South Ridge of the Aiguille Noire in 1970. We helped him with his client, who was struggling on the trickier rock sections, and in return he guided us all down the descent route. Consequently we completed the route without a bivi all except for Rene who bivouaced outside the hut in his pied d'elephant despite there being space inside.

A true hard man.

In reply to Bruce Hooker: That is huge and sad history, the man was a god, I even wore RD's just because of his name (great boots by the way). One of the worthy legends.

In reply to Bruce Hooker:

From the Alpinist newswire, probably most comprehensive English language obit so far

http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web07f/newswire-rene-desmaison

In reply to Luca Signorelli:

Thanks Luca.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/

In reply to Luca Signorelli: Been away in Britain for a few days and missed this, didn't see any mention in the UK press. I've not long finished his 'la force de la montagne' which I'd recommend to anyone, although I suspects its not been translated into English. He does come across as a pretty forceful character.

Reading his books, plus snippets in the press, on the web & elsewhere suggests there's a book to be written about the intrigue, infighting & politics within the world of alpinism in Chamonix - but would anyone dare & would it get published ? Luca ?

Like Al, I had a pair of 'his' boots, I wonder if they're still in the loft

In reply to Doug:

There have been quite a few books which touch on the question... especially the problems on and after the Annapurna expedition. Herzog came under a lot of attack and as he was mayor of Chamonix for a long time this is somewhat related... The boigraphies of Terray, Rebuffat and Desmaison touch on it all as well. A similar series of books concerning the rather shabby treatment of Walter Bonatti (my opinion) by the CAI and others on and after the K2 expedition are a parallels... nationalism, politics and personal ambition make a heady brew.

If you want to really have a peek at the dark side of Chamonix try and get in touch with a certain Ivano Ghirardini who fell foul of it (his statements, I haven't heard the other side!)... His web site seems to have disappeared but it may be around somewhere. This page gives a little info.

http://www.bivouak.net/articles/Ivano_Ghirardini_110.php?id_article=110&...

I exchanged a few emails with him some years ago as he mentioned a deceased friend of mine on a discussion forum on usenet... if half if what he said at the time is true then it it makes the Sopranos look like kindergarten (slight exaggeration perhaps).

In reply to Bruce Hooker:


Lachenal too. I have a copy of his at home; 'Carnets de Vertige' I think it's called. Not been translated into English as far as I know.

In reply to Bruce Hooker: 'makes the Sopranos look like kindergarten' reflects what I've heard/read but it would be interesting for someone to bring the various bits together - I'm sure it'd make a good story

And I really must get round to reading David Robert's book

In reply to Doug:

I forgot to mention Lachenal, he suffered more than most after Annapurna. I think bringing the various bits together could be a risky business! Even the story about the way Lachenal's book was prepared by the principal person he wanted to criticize (Herzog) makes depressing reading....

As to whether it's either possible or desirable for all the truth to come out, hard to say really. It would be nice to think that the truth always comes out in the end and that justice is done, but reality seems a little different.

None of these stories stuck concerning René Desmaison, which is what matters at the present moment in time though.

If you look at the camptocamp link above there are two threads and his 16 year old daughter has posted a couple of messages.... Considering he died at 77, elementary mathematics shows that wasn't only an exceptional mountaineer

In reply to Bruce Hooker: I've only read the original version of Lachenal's book & at times its clearly Herzog writing (often patronisingly) rather than based on Lachenal's notes.

Wasn't Herzog minister for sport & youth - when did a politician ever tell the truth ?

In reply to Bruce Hooker:

Total Alpinism is a memorable book - impressive stuff.

In reply to Jonny Tee 69: finally an orbituary in the UK press

http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article3028697.ece

thanks Colin

In reply to Doug: Ditto. Again, kudos to Colin Wells. One of the first mountaineering books I read - still feel it's one of the best too.

In reply to Doug:

Quite a good article, more complete than most I've seen in the French press.