Benoît Chamoux
Encyclopedia
Benoît Chamoux was a French
Alpinist
, who climbed 10 of the Eight-thousanders in the Himalayas.
Chamoux was born in La Roche-sur-Foron
near Mont Blanc
in the department of Haute-Savoie
, France
. He disappeared near the summit of his 14th Himalayan peak, Kangchenjunga
(8586m) on October 6, 1995 with photographer Pierre Royer and their Sherpa
Riku. Three other ascents were to either their fore-summits or the plateau, and the main summit thus was disputed.
The non-profit "Foundation Benoît Chamoux" was created in his memory under the auspices of the Foundation of France with the mission to educate Sherpa children who have lost their fathers in mountain expeditions.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Alpinist
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
, who climbed 10 of the Eight-thousanders in the Himalayas.
Chamoux was born in La Roche-sur-Foron
La Roche-sur-Foron
La Roche-sur-Foron is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-References:*...
near Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
in the department of Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie is a French department in the Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. It borders both Switzerland and Italy. The capital is Annecy. To the north is Lake Geneva and Switzerland; to the south and southeast are the Mont Blanc and Aravis mountain ranges and the French entrance to the Mont...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He disappeared near the summit of his 14th Himalayan peak, Kangchenjunga
Kangchenjunga
Kangchenjunga is the third highest mountain of the world with an elevation of and located along the India-Nepal border in the Himalayas.Kangchenjunga is also the name of the section of the Himalayas and means "The Five Treasures of Snows", as it contains five peaks, four of them over...
(8586m) on October 6, 1995 with photographer Pierre Royer and their Sherpa
Sherpa people
The Sherpa are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalayas. Sherpas migrated from the Kham region in eastern Tibet to Nepal within the last 300–400 years.The initial mountainous migration from Tibet was a search for beyul...
Riku. Three other ascents were to either their fore-summits or the plateau, and the main summit thus was disputed.
The non-profit "Foundation Benoît Chamoux" was created in his memory under the auspices of the Foundation of France with the mission to educate Sherpa children who have lost their fathers in mountain expeditions.
Principal achievements
- 1982: Diamond couloir on Mount KenyaMount KenyaMount Kenya is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian , Nelion and Point Lenana . Mount Kenya is located in central Kenya, just south of the equator, around north-northeast of the capital Nairobi...
- 1983: HuascaranHuascaránHuascarán or Nevado Huascarán is a mountain in the Peruvian province of Yungay, situated in the Cordillera Blanca range of the Western Andes. The highest southern summit of Huascarán is the highest point in Peru, and all the Earth's Tropics...
South in Peru
Solo ascents
- 1985: Gasherbrum IIGasherbrum IIGasherbrum II , also known as K4, is the 13th highest mountain on Earth, located on the border of Gilgit-Baltistan province, Pakistan and Xinjiang, China...
(8036m) on June 15 and Gasherbrum IGasherbrum IGasherbrum I , also known as Hidden Peak or K5, is the 11th highest peak on Earth, located on the Pakistan-China border in Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan and Xinjiang region of China. Gasherbrum I is part of the Gasherbrum massif, located in the Karakoram region of the Himalaya...
(8068m) on June 22. - 1986: Broad PeakBroad PeakBroad Peak , is the 12th highest mountain on Earth, with an elevation of 8,051 meters . The literal translation of "Broad Peak" to Faichan Kangri is not accepted among the Balti people.- Geography :...
(8047m) at 16:00 on June 20 and K2K2K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest...
(8611m) arête des Abruzzes at 23:00 on July 7. - 1987: Nanga ParbatNanga ParbatNanga Parbat is the ninth highest mountain on Earth, the second highest mountain in Pakistan and among the eight-thousanders with a summit elevation of 8,126 meters...
(8125m) via Diamir at 23:00 on July 7.
Expeditions leading the team l’Esprit d’Equipe
- 1988: AnnapurnaAnnapurnaAnnapurna is a section of the Himalayas in north-central Nepal that includes Annapurna I, thirteen additional peaks over and 16 more over ....
(8091m) via the South Face on May 10. Five men of the six man team reached the summit. - 1989: ManasluManasluManaslu , also known as Kutang) is the eighth highest mountain in the world, and is located in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in the west-central part of Nepal. Its name, which means "Mountain of the Spirit", comes from the Sanskrit word Manasa, meaning "intellect" or "soul"...
(8183m) via the South Face on May 12 and 15. Everyone in the eight man team reached the summit in four teams of two. - 1990: Cho OyuCho OyuCho Oyu is the sixth highest mountain in the world at above sea level. Cho Oyu lies in the Himalayas and is 20 km west of Mount Everest, at the border between China and Nepal...
(8201m) on April 30. Everyone in the seven man team reached the summit. Shisha Pangma (8013m) on May 12. Everyone in the seven man team reached the summit.
Scientific expeditions
- 1992: Measurement of Everest (8846m) on September 29.
- 1993: DhaulagiriDhaulagiriDhaulagiri is Earth's seventh highest mountain at ; one of fourteen over eight thousand metres. Dhaulagiri was first climbed May 13, 1960 by a Swiss/Austrian expedition....
(8167m) on October 6. - 1994: LhotseLhotseLhotse is the fourth highest mountain on Earth and is connected to Everest via the South Col. In addition to the main summit at 8,516 metres above sea level, Lhotse Middle is and Lhotse Shar is...
(8516m). - 1995: MakaluMakaluMakalu is the fifth highest mountain in the world at and is located southeast of Mount Everest, on the border between Nepal and China...
(8463m) on May 7. Disappeared on KangchenjungaKangchenjungaKangchenjunga is the third highest mountain of the world with an elevation of and located along the India-Nepal border in the Himalayas.Kangchenjunga is also the name of the section of the Himalayas and means "The Five Treasures of Snows", as it contains five peaks, four of them over...
(8586m) with Pierre Royer and their Sherpa on October 6 near the summit.
External links
- Benoit Chamoux The Montagnes Website
- Fondation Benoit Chamoux (in French)
- "La Grande Neige" (in French) book about the repercussions of Benoit's disappearance written by his widow, Fabienne Clauss