Lionel Terray

Lionel Terray (Grenoble 1921–Vercors 1965)

A very young Lionel (on the right) with Louis Lachenal (on the left) and Renè Beckert (in the middle)

Lionel (on the left) with Carlo Mauri during 1957 Eiger Rescue

A modern hero: Lionel Terray and his age



In the second post-war period the French mountaineering, which had previously played quite a secondary role, without having participated in the run to the conquest of the great North walls and in the roaring Sixth Grade’s epos, really lived one of its best historic moments.
In that age a group of young transalpine alpinists, greatly motivated and free from the rhetoric and nationalism which had characterized the European mountaineering during the pre-war times, “rode the wave”, realizing some important undertakings in the Alps, in Himalaya, Patagonia and Peruvian Cordillera Blanca. Among them Lionel Terray, between 1945 and 1965, year of his premature death, quickly became an outstanding protagonist, bringing great prestige to the French mountaineering. He was one of the greatest alpinists in that age and a model which inspired a whole generation of mountaineers, but not only: history tells us, through his behavior during some definite events, as Annapurna Expedition in the year 1950, that he also was a true mountain’s hero. In 1957 he took part in the great rescue of four climbers trapped on the Eiger North Face, among them the italians Corti and Longhi, enterprise told by Jack Olsen in the book "To climb up to Hell", in which his technical skill and human qualities are widely put into relief.

His ideals

The title of his best-seller “Les conquerants de l’inutile” (“Conquistadors of the useless”), a book published in 1961, still nowadays is one of the most glamorous way to define the mountaineering; notwithstanding had become Alpine Guide, Lionel absolutely maintained that "the true mountaineer’s worth is inherent to its gratuitousness": this one is the main Terray’s ideal as well explained in his book’s title. As the same Lionel wrote: "My life has been nothing but a long and difficult balance race between the free action through which i pursued ideals of my youth and a kind of honorable prostitution which assured me the daily bread".

History and main undertakings

Lionel Terray was born of good family on July 25th 1921 in Grenoble, a town situated at the foot of the French Alps, and he was still a child when he started to climb and ski. He was not yet thirteen years old when he took on for the first time the role of the rope's leader. Fever peaks never left him. In the beginning of the II World War Lionel joined the organization “Jeunesse et Montagne”, where he perfected his technique and befriended with Gaston Rebuffat. Afterwards he was an active participant in the alpine war against Germany, serving in the “Stéphane Company” in Haute-Maurienne on the French-Italian border. After the German surrender, Lionel moved to Chamonix, where he met Louis Lachenal, becoming instructor of skiing and mountaineering guide and joining the prestigious "Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix". Soon he became one of the best mountaineers and alpine guides in Chamonix, famous for his quick ascents, often roped with Lachenal, of some of the most challenging faces in the Alps, like Walker Spur on Grandes Jorasses, Aiguille Noire de Peuterey South ridge, Badile North-East face and the first repetion of Eiger North face. Naturally, the two young mountaineers were selected to participate to the Annapurna French expedition in Nepal in 1950. The first 8000s ever climbed by the man had been won, but the price payed was very high: Herzog and Lachenal, the summiters, reported serious frostbite. Lionel Terray remained at Camp V with Gaston Rébuffat, helping him and the other companions to save their skin.
From Annapurna Terray brings a nickname found by Sherpas: the "Strong Man". After the dramatic adventure on Annapurna, Rebuffat left the high level mountaineering and dedicated himself to the Alpine Guide’s profession and to the climbing’s divulgation, becoming an appreciated mountain’s writer and director, while Lachenal was compelled to leave the mountaineering. Terray on the contrary in the following years continues his brilliant career, climbing peaks around the world. He achieved some of the most memorable Himalayan and Andean undertakings of that period.

In 1952 he climbed with Guido Magnone the difficult Fitz Roy in Patagonia. The same year, he made the first ascent of Huantsan in Peru with two Dutch geologists. Two years later, during a reconnaissance in Nepal in preparation for an expedition to Makalu scheduled next year, Lionel and Jean Couzy, both Annapurna veterans, climbed Chomo Lonzo 7804 m in first ascent. In 1955 as expected, Terray returned to Makalu with a heavy team consisting of the best alpinists of the moment. Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy were the first to reach the summit of the fifth mountain in the world, the other six members of the team followed. It was one of the most brilliant victories in the history of 8000s conquest.

Cronology

His pal Jean Couzy on Makalu

On Chacraraju North-East face in 1956

Jannu m.7710

Makalu first ascent

1942-1943 Terray makes his first climbs in the Mont Blanc group, often roped with Gaston Rebuffat
1944-1945 Terray takes part in the alpine war against Germany
1946 – Grandes Jorasses Walker Spur, climbing a new variant, with Louis Lachenal
1947 – Eiger North Face with Louis Lachenal
1950 – Terray takes part in Annapurna French Expedition (Nepal) with his friends Louis Lachenal and Gaston Rebuffat; two members are getting to the summit, the first 8000 meters peak ever climbed. During the tragic descent Terray, with the Sherpa Adjiba, had a prominent part to help Lachenal, Rebuffat and Herzog seriously frozen.
1952 – Fitz Roy 1st ascent with Guido Magnone (2-2-1952); Nevado Huantsan m. 6359 (Cordillera Blanca, Perù);
1954 – During the Makalu recovery expedition he realizes the 1st ascent of Chomo Lonzo m. 7790 (Nepal)
1955 – Makalu French Expedition (Nepal); Lionel climbs the Makalu m. 8490, the fifth highest summit on earth (15-5-1955), roped with Jean Couzy.
1956 – Cordillera Blanca: Chacraraju Oeste (m. 6112) 1st ascent climbing the extreme North-East face (31-7-1956); this peak was named “the impossible peak” because of its extreme technical difficulties. During the same expedition Terray realizes the Taulliraju (m. 5840) 1st ascent climbing the North face (18-8-1956); this superb peak had not seen anyone else for twenty years
1957 - Terray is one of the main participants in the great attempt to rescue four mountaineers trapped on the Eiger North face.
1959 – Jannu French Expedition (Nepal); the ascent stops 300 m. before the summit.
1962 - Lionel leads a new expedition to the Jannu m. 7710 (Nepal) and realizes the 1st ascent (29-4-1962) 1964 - Mount Huntington m. 3731 1st ascent (Alaska)
1965 - Terray dies in the Vercors, south of Grenoble, during a rock climb’s accident on "Fissure en Arc de Cercle", Gerbier, on 19 September 1965, with his companion Marc Martinetti. His grave is situated in Chamonix.

Lionel's spirit of mountaineering

Two small "anecdotes" about him by Ericvola

Of all the great alpinists of this era, Lionel was the nicest, the most generous and the most unselfish one. Here are two small "anecdotes" about him.
First, a tiny one but which happened to me: in 1962, just 20, I went to climb the Walker spur, but as my friends thought my equipmment was too poor for a climb then considered as one of the greatest, they took me to Lionel to borrow some and particularly an "elephant foot" for our bivouac. When I took it back to Lionel it was punctured with a number of holes made by my crampons! But instead of getting angry, he congratulated me for having completed the ascent and offered me a drink.

The 2nd one happened on Annapurna.

After the bivouac in the crevasse they fell into during the descent, when Louis Lachenal his pal, whose frostbitten feet he had massaged all night long, tried to put back his shoes, he couldn't as they were frozen stiff and his feet too swollen. Lionel then gave him his shoes, two sizes larger and put Louis's ones two sizes smaller! Imagine doing that and at around 8000 m high. For Lionel his climbing pals were like brothers and all mountaineers were his pals.

As we say of him in France, Lionel was a 'Seigneur'. The equivalent in English would be: Lionel was the essence of the 'spirit of mountaineering'.

Comments

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Tijs - Apr 17, 2012 3:11 pm - Voted 10/10

Eleven days for 800 vertical meters!

Interesting portrait. That first ascent of Chacraraju was a true demonstration of perseverance. For the last 800 vertical meters, Terray and his six companions (Sennelier, Martin, Souriac, Davaille, Jenny and Gaudin) needed eleven days! They all reached the summit, like you say, on July 31 of 1956. That same year, he had already made first ascents of Humantay in the Cordillera Vilcabamba and Veronica in the Cordillera Urubamba, two seriously difficult peaks, though obviously not as impossible as Chacraraju. He climbed Humantay and Veronica with his good climbing friends Cees Egeler and Tom de Booy, the same two Dutchmen that had already joined him during his first on Nevado Huantsán. They reached that summit July 7, 1952.

Terray returned to Chacraraju in 1962 to climb the even more difficult East Peak. Yet another first.

Cf. Hermann Kiendler, Die Anden — Vom Chimborazo zum Marmolejo — Alle 6000er auf einen Blick, ISBN 978-3-936740-36-3, p. 54 (Chacraraju) and p. 82 (Huantsán).

Silvia Mazzani - Apr 18, 2012 10:26 am - Hasn't voted

Re: Eleven days for 800 vertical meters!

Thank you for your comment.
Cheers

silvia mazzani

rgg - Apr 18, 2012 11:18 am - Voted 10/10

Great article

... about an amazing man!

Silvia Mazzani - Apr 18, 2012 11:33 am - Hasn't voted

Re: Great article

thanks Rob!
cheers
silvia

pablo - Apr 19, 2012 4:48 am - Voted 10/10

Inspire

Super article Silvia. Lionel inspires me the best of mountaineers spirit.

Silvia Mazzani - Apr 19, 2012 1:27 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Inspire

He was really a great person... and not only in reason of his climbs.
Thank you for visiting.

p.s. Sorry but SP rules don't allow attaching other owners' pictures to a page, so i can't attach your picture: if you want only you are allowed to attach Lionel's grave picture to the page.

Silvia Mazzani - Dec 7, 2012 4:22 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Inspire

Hello Pablo, finally i have found the way to attach pictures submitted by other users, so i'm attaching your picture of Terray's grave to my article.
Hope you like it!
All the best.
silvia

ericvola - Apr 19, 2012 7:49 am - Voted 10/10

The spirit of mountaineering

Of all the great alpinists of this era, Lionel was the nicest, the most generous and the most unselfish one. Here are two small 'anecdotes' about him.

First, a tiny one but which happened to me: In 1962, just 20, I went to climb the Walker spur but as my friends thought my equipmment was too poor for a climb then considered as one of the greatest, they took me to Lionel to borrow some and particularly an 'elephant foot' for our bivouac. When I took it back to Lionel it was punctured with a number of holes made by my crampons! But instead of getty angry, he congratulated me for having completed the ascent and offered me a drink.

The 2nd one happened on Annapurna.

After the bivouac in the crevasse they fell into during the descent, when Louis Lachenal his pal, whose frostbitten feet he had massaged all night long, tried to put back his shoes, he couldn't as they were frozen stiff and his feet too swollen. Lionel then gave him his shoes, two sizes larger and put Louis's ones two sizes smaller! Imagine doing that and at around 8000 m high. For Lionel his climbing pals were like brothers and all mountaineers were his pals.

As we say of him in France, Lionel was a 'Seigneur'. The equivalent in English would be: Lionel was the essence of the 'spirit of mountaineering'.

Thanks for that article on this great man!

Silvia Mazzani - Apr 19, 2012 1:17 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: The spirit of mountaineering

I'm according with you about him! A answer: can i add this two small anecdotes inside the article?
Thanks and best regards.

silvia

ericvola - Apr 19, 2012 1:25 pm - Voted 10/10

Anecdotes

Please do.

Eventually if you want I will later send you some more and from one of his best pal, Jean-Louis Bernezat, but using suummitpost mail.

Best regards

Eric

Silvia Mazzani - Apr 19, 2012 1:31 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Anecdotes

Now i'm going to add this two ones, but if you want i will be happy to receive some more.
Thanks and have a good evening.
silvia

hansw - Apr 19, 2012 1:38 pm - Voted 10/10

Interesting article - and comments!

I enjoyed reading this!

The closest I came to Lionel Terray was to meet the Dutch climber Tom de Booy who also took part in the 1957 Eiger rescue. He claimed that he was the one who came up with the title “Conquistadors of the Useless” for Terray’s book. Seen up to the left on the picture.




Thanks,
/Hans

Silvia Mazzani - Apr 19, 2012 1:49 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Interesting article - and comments!

Hi Hans, thank you, i enjoy very much reading all your comments and contributions!
I'm really very happy!
Cheers and a good evening
silvia

Antonio Giani - Apr 19, 2012 1:51 pm - Voted 10/10

Grande...

e ottimo lavoro Silvia...

Complimenti

Ciao Antonio ((O:

Silvia Mazzani - Apr 20, 2012 4:28 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Grande...

Grazie Antonio, è stato un lavoro molto "sentito" perchè da sempre ho una grande ammirazione per lui.
un saluto

silvia

Silvia Mazzani - Apr 20, 2012 4:34 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: wow

Thank you very much, but i don't think this is really...7 stars!
My congratulations for all your ancient pictures.
cheers
silvia

ericvola - Apr 19, 2012 4:39 pm - Voted 10/10

Movies

Dear Silvia,

you could add some movies about Terray:

the full movie of his 1rst ski descent of Mont Blanc in 1952, quite well filmed for the time (4 or 5 cameramen): http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xi2ml1_la-grande-descente_sport?search_algo=1

The trailer of Gilles Chappaz's movie in memoriam of Lionel (2007) where some of his friends say a few words (all nice) about him: Pierre lesueur, Robert Paragot, Lucien Bérardini, Maurice Herzog, Guido magnone, Jean-Louis Bernezat, Paul Keller, Claude Jaccoux, Pierre Mazeaud,

His 1rst ascent of the Fitz Roy (1952) told by his companion Guido Magnone: http://www.tvmountain.com/video/voyage-expe/6767-fitz-roy-patagonie-lionel-terray-guido-magnone.html

A TV short movie made just after his death in 1965 in memoriam: http://www.tvmountain.com/article/videos-archives-ina/8294-hommage-lionel-terray.html

His ascent of Mount Huntington :http://www.tvmountain.com/article/videos-archives-ina/8276-alaska-mont-huntington-lionel-terray.html

and finally the beginning of another movie made in 1994 showing Lionel as a young child: http://www.ina.fr/economie-et-societe/environnement-et-urbanisme/video/CAC94065611/dossier-lionel-terray-le-conquerant.fr.html

They are in French but the images are still explicit in themselves and at least one can get a feel of the man.

Finally I strongly recommend to anyone who has not seen it 'Les étoiles de midi' (Stars at noon) from Marcel Ichac, one of the best mountain films ever in which Lionel plays the leading part.

All the best

Silvia Mazzani - Apr 20, 2012 4:40 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Movies

Thank you Eric, now i'm very busy because i'm starting for a climbing's trip to Les Calanques. When i'll come back i will add the movies.
All the best also to you.
silvia

Ejnar Fjerdingstad - Apr 22, 2012 7:17 am - Voted 10/10

Great Article!

Terray was one of the heroes of my teenage years, I have several books where he figures large, and appreciate getting more information about him. Sad that he should die at such a young age.

One of my books is about the 1952 climb of Huantsan, which was unusual as he was actually hired as a guide for two Dutch geologists, C.C. Egeler and T. de Booy who wanted to do this first ascent. They wound up becoming great friends, on the climb, which was not without dramatic incidents, as Egeler describes in his book "The Untrodden Andes" (Faber and Faber, London 1954)

macintosh - Apr 25, 2012 2:41 am - Hasn't voted

Re: Great Article!

My very first serious book about mountaineering was "Cuceritorii inutilului", the romanian version of "Les conquerants de l'inutile". I still have it in my library. Me too I have an very short and insignificant anecdote with Terray familly. When In 1979 I participated at the first exams to become trekking guide, one of my team mates was Nicolas Terray, Lionel's first son.

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