Sophie Lavaud
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Sophie Lavaud | |
|---|---|
 Lavaud in her 2018 K2 expedition. | |
| Born | May 15, 1968 |
| Other names | 112000 Lady[a][1] |
| Citizenship | France Canada Switzerland |
| Occupations | Mountaineer, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Being the first French person, first Canadian person, and first Swiss woman to summit all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks |
| Awards | Ordre national du Mérite (2024) |
| Website | www.sophielavaud.com |
Sophie Lavaud (born 15 May 1968 in Lausanne) is a French-Canadian-Swiss mountaineer and entrepreneur. In June 2023, she became the sixth woman,[b] the first French person,[2] the first Canadian, and the first Swiss woman (second Swiss overall, after Erhard Loretan), to summit all 14 peaks of over 8,000 meters in elevation (eight-thousanders) and being 48th overall.[3][4][5]
As of March 2026, Lavaud is the only Canadian to have ever summitted all 14 eight-thousanders.
Sophie Lavaud was born on 15 May, 1968 in Lausanne, Switzerland to French-Canadian parents.[6] She spent her childhood at her parents' flat in Argentière, a town situated in the French Alps, and learned how to put on ski footwear at the age of 3.[6] At age 12, she attended classical dance classes.[7]
Between 1986 and 1989, she studied at a business school in Lyon, before going to Milan.[6] She worked in an inn, then a store selling luxury goods, and later moved to Geneva for her new job as the sales and marketing director for Le Richemond.[8][9]
Mountaineering career
In 2004, being offered a friendly challenge, Lavaud climbed the highest mountain in the Alps and discovered her passion for mountaineering, even though "nothing had really prepared her for it."[9]
Eight years later in 2012, Lavaud became the first Geneva woman to summit two peaks of over 8,000 meters in elevation (eight-thousanders) — Shishapangma (foresummit) and Cho Oyu — in a single season.[8] In 2016, she reached her fifth eight-thousander, becoming one of the very few women to do so.[9]
In May 2014, she attempted to summit the Everest through the northern path. Fellow mountaineer and high-elevation mountain guide François Damilano went with her to film a 52-minute documentary titled "On a climb to the Everest".[10] She later recalled her experience in the 2016 film "K2, Une journée particulière".[11][12]
In July 2018, after a 2-year delay due to an avalanche, she successfully summited the K2, becoming the first Swiss woman to do so.[12]
In Spring 2019, Lavaud broke her previous record of summiting two eight-thousanders in a season by an additional mountain, by summiting the Annapurna I (8091 m) in 23 April, then Kangchenjunga (8585 m) in 15 May, and later Gasherbrum I (8068 m) in 12 July.[6][13]
In May 2022, she reached the Lhotse (8516 m), the 4th tallest mountain in the world. A month later, she intended to attempt the Nanga Parbat (8126 m) in Pakistan, though this was never made until a year later.[14]
On 1 October 2022, she summited the Manaslu (8163 m),[15] and later re-summited Shishapangma to the true summit (8027 m) in April 2023.[16]
On 23 June 2023, Lavaud summited the Nanga Parbat, completing all 14 eight-thousanders, and becoming the first French person, first Canadian, and first Swiss woman to do so.[2] As a result, she was awarded the Ordre national du Mérite by the French government on 23 May 2024.[17]
Timeline of eight-thousander summits
- Shishapangma (foresummit, 8013 m), 14th tallest mountain, 11 May 2012
- Cho Oyu (8188 m), 6th tallest mountain, 25 May 2012[8][18]
- Everest, tallest mountain, 25 May 2014
- Gasherbrum II (8035 m), 13th tallest mountain, 16 July 2015
- Makalu (8485 m), 5th tallest mountain, 25 May 2016[19][20]
- Broad Peak (8051 m), 12th tallest mountain, 11 July 2017
- K2 (8611 m), 2nd tallest mountain, 21 July 2018[21][22][23][24][25]
- Annapurna I (8091 m), 10th tallest mountain, 23 April 2019
- Kangchenjunga (8586 m), 3rd tallest mountain, 15 May 2019
- Gasherbrum I (8068 m), 11th tallest mountain, 12 July 2019
- Dhaulagiri (8167 m, Nepal), 7th tallest mountain, 1 October 2021
- Lhotse (8516 m), 4th tallest mountain, 14 May 2022
- Manaslu, (8163 m), 8th tallest mountain, 1 October 2022[15]
- Shishapangma, (true summit, 8027 m), 14th tallest mountain, 26 April 2023[16]
- Nanga Parbat (8125 m), 9th tallest mountain, 26 June 2023[26]
