Patrick Vallencant
Encyclopedia
Patrick Vallençant was a French
alpinist
/skier and pioneer in ski mountaineering
.
He was a pioneer in ski mountaineering and leader of the French school of ski mountaineers. His motto was: "si tu tombes, tu meurs", translated as "you fall, you die". In addition to numerous first descents, he was responsible for the creation of the "Peddle Step Turn" and co-founded the Degré 7 ski apparel company.
He died on March 28, 1989, in a non-skiing related climbing accident as a result of a broken carabiner
, while abseiling
from the top of La Beaume Rouge, in France.
that had previously been considered too steep to ski. To achieve this he developed a ski technique known as the "Peddle Step Turn." His feats required him to first climb the mountain in order to make the descent on skis, at the time it was uncommon to use helicopters to reach the top. His climbing and skiing partner for many of these first descents was Anselme Baud. In achieving this he took up the mantel of Sylvain Saudan
("Le Skieur de l'Impossible") (French Wiki, Sylvain Saudan) and was a contemporary of other French extreme skiers, such as Jean-Marc Boivin
and Bruno Gouvy.
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
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
/skier and pioneer in ski mountaineering
Ski mountaineering
Ski mountaineering is form of ski touring that variously combines the sports of Telemark, Alpine, and backcountry skiing with that of mountaineering...
.
He was a pioneer in ski mountaineering and leader of the French school of ski mountaineers. His motto was: "si tu tombes, tu meurs", translated as "you fall, you die". In addition to numerous first descents, he was responsible for the creation of the "Peddle Step Turn" and co-founded the Degré 7 ski apparel company.
He died on March 28, 1989, in a non-skiing related climbing accident as a result of a broken carabiner
Carabiner
A carabiner or karabiner is a metal loop with a sprung or screwed gate that is used to quickly and reversibly connect components in safety-critical systems. The word comes from "Karabinerhaken", meaning "hook for a carbine" in German.-Use:...
, while abseiling
Abseiling
Abseiling , rappelling in American English, is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope; climbers use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.- Slang terms :...
from the top of La Beaume Rouge, in France.
Skiing
Vallençant became known for a number of first descents on skis within the French AlpsFrench Alps
The French Alps are those portions of the Alps mountain range which stand within France, located in the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions....
that had previously been considered too steep to ski. To achieve this he developed a ski technique known as the "Peddle Step Turn." His feats required him to first climb the mountain in order to make the descent on skis, at the time it was uncommon to use helicopters to reach the top. His climbing and skiing partner for many of these first descents was Anselme Baud. In achieving this he took up the mantel of Sylvain Saudan
Sylvain Saudan
Sylvain Saudan is an extreme skier, dubbed "skier of the impossible." He is noted for skiing down large and steep mountains, including those in the Himalayas. In 2007 he survived a helicopter crash in Kashmir....
("Le Skieur de l'Impossible") (French Wiki, Sylvain Saudan) and was a contemporary of other French extreme skiers, such as Jean-Marc Boivin
Jean-Marc Boivin
Jean-Marc Boivin was a French mountaineer, extreme skier, hang glider and paraglider pilot, speleologist, BASE jumper, award-winning film maker, and author...
and Bruno Gouvy.
| Year | Location | Descent | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | North face of the Grande Casse and the couloir des Italians | 1st descent | |
| 1971 | North Face of the Tour Ronde | 1st descent | |
| 1972 | North face of the Courtes Courtes Courtes is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.-Population:... |
with Marie-Jo | |
| 1973 | French Alps | Couloir en Y on the Aiguille d'Argentière | with Marie-Jo |
| 1973 | French Alps | Couturier couloir at l’Aiguille Verte | 2nd descent, with Anselme Baud |
| 1973 | French Alps | Couloir Whymper on the Aiguille Verte | 2nd descent, with Anselme Baud |
| 1977 | French Alps | Arête de Peuterey | 1st descent, with Anselme Baud, filmed |
| 1978 | Peru | South-west side of Huascaran South (6750 m) | |
| 1979 | Peru | South-east side of Artesonraju | |
| 1979 | Peru | First ascents/descents in the White Cordillera | |
| 1979 | Peru | West Side of Yerupaja Yerupaja Yerupajá or Nevado Yerupajá is a mountain of the Cordillera Huayhuash in west central Peru, part of the Andes. At 6,635 m/21,768 ft it is the second-highest in Peru and the highest in the Cordillera Huayhuash... (6630 m) |
Slopes of over 65 Degrees skiied |
| 1985(?) | Peru Peru Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.... |
Mt Huascaran | with Jean Marc Boivin, filmed |
Peddle Step Turn
To cope with skiing the step terrain (> than 60 degrees), Vallençant developed a new turning technique, known as the "Peddle Step Turn" (also "Peddle Hop Turn" and "Peddle Jump Turn"). The technique involved pushing off from the uphill ski, away from the slope and completing a portion of turn's rotation while in the air and then landing back on the downhill ski. With the advent of parabolic skis, using the uphill ski to initiate a turn is now a common technique for carved turns and racing. The key difference is in carving or racing the skier is traveling much faster, the terrain is not as steep and there is no need for such a dramatic thrust off the slope. The "Peddle Step Turn" was originally developed on traditional racing skis.Professional
Patrick Vallençant founded the Stages Vallençant in Chamonix to teach extreme skiing & co-founded the "Degré 7" ski apparel company in 1983 with Iingrid Buchner, a stylist. He sold his share in Degré 7" in 1988.External links
- "Degré 7" - Skiing Apparel co-founded by Patrick Vallencant
- Chris Noble - Photographed the Founders of Extreming Skiing
- Climbing Magazine Issue no. 106 - Patrick Vallencant skiing Pas de Chevre, above Chamonix (Photo by Chris Noble)
- YouTube - "French extreme ski legend Patrick Vallencant climbs and skis some serious stuff back in the 70's"
- Snow News 2003 - "Mountain Mavericks: Patrick Vallencant"
- Steep, Without Risk There Is No Adventure - A history of big mountain skiing, includes archival footage of Vallencant