Louis Lachenal
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Louis Lachenal | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 July 1921 Annecy, Haute-Savoie, France |
| Died | 25 November 1955 (aged 34) Vallée Blanche, Mer de Glace, France |
| Occupation | Mountain Guide |
| Known for | First ascent of Annapurna I |
Louis Lachenal (17 July 1921 – 25 November 1955), a French climber born in Annecy, Haute-Savoie, was one of the first two mountaineers to climb a summit of more than 8,000 meters.
On 3 June 1950 on the 1950 French Annapurna expedition, along with Maurice Herzog, he reached the summit of Annapurna I in Nepal at a height of 8,091 m (26,545 ft).[1] They endured a protracted descent and both men suffered from frostbite, all of Lachenal's toes had to be amputated to prevent further damage being caused by the gangrene which developed.[2](p21)
Lachenal's diary from the Annapurna expedition was published in 1956 as the book Carnets du vertige.[3] Lachenal's son, Jean-Claude, inherited the diaries and in 1996 he approved the publication of an unexpurgated version[4] which led to questions about significant aspects of the "official" account which had been published by the expedition leader Maurice Herzog[5] (who had also become a tuteur, a form of guardian, to Jean-Claude after his father's death).[6]
