François Labande
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François Labande | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 May 1941 |
| Died | 20 March 2025 (aged 83) La Salle-les-Alpes, France |
| Education | Supélec |
| Occupations | Mountaineer, ecologist, writer |
François Labande (11 May 1941 – 20 March 2025) was a French mountaineer, ecologist and writer.[1][2]
Born in Toulon on 11 May 1941, Labande developed a passion for mountaineering in the Oisans mountains. He graduated from the Supélec engineering school in 1963 and became a math teacher.[3] He became familiar with mountaineering techniques with the Union nationale des centres sportifs de plein air and took part in major climbs in France and Switzerland, including the south face of the Meije, the South Pillar of the Barre des Écrins and the northeast face of Piz Badile.[3] In 1987, he succeeded Lucien Devies as editor of the Guide Vallot, which published the Guide du mont Blanc and the Guide du Haut-Dauphiné.[4]
Labande was a founding member of the French chapter of Mountain Wilderness and took leave from the Ministry of National Education to promote the NGO. He served as president from 1995 to 2002 before becoming honorary president and one of its international guarantors.[5] Additionally, he relaunched the French chapter of the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps and campaigned against development projects in Vanoise National Park.[6] His 2004 book Sauver la montagne advocated for the Tibetan cause across the French Alps from Nice to Geneva.[7]
François Labande died in La Salle-les-Alpes on 20 March 2025, at the age of 83.[8]
