Benoît Chamoux

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Benoît Chamoux (born February 19, 1961 in La Roche-sur-Foron ; † October 6, 1995 on Kangchenjunga ) was one of the most successful French high-altitude climbers and one of the most capable and fastest alpinists at extreme altitudes. He died trying to climb Kangchenjunga. According to his own statements, he would have climbed all 14 eight-thousanders . However, some of its climbs are questioned by chroniclers.

Ascents

In 1982 Benoît Chamoux began his expedition activity by climbing the "Diamond Couloir" on Mount Kenya , followed in 1983 by the Huascaran south face (6,768 m). In 1985 he climbed both Gasherbrum II , together with Eric Escoffier , and Hidden Peak in just 8 days . A year later, he said he was on the summit of Broad Peak , it only took him 17 hours from base camp to the summit. However, only the ascent of the pre-summit is recognized. In addition, he reached the summit of K2 in just 23 hours from base camp in the same year . In 1987 he climbed the Nanga Parbat , 23 hours after leaving base camp he was already at the summit, which he reached at 7 p.m., and was back in the late morning of the next day. In 1988 he reached with Soro Dorotei the Annapurna , it was the first repetition of the Bonington south face route. In 1989 the Manaslu followed . In 1990 he first tried to climb Cho Oyu , which he claims he managed. This ascent is also not recognized. Then he tried to climb Shishapangma , whose pre-summit he reached. Here Chamoux also stated that he had reached the highest point (central summit). Two years later, in 1992, he reached the summit of Mount Everest , where he was a member of a surveying expedition on the mountain. A summit height of 8846  m was determined. The following year he reached the Dhaulagiri . In 1994 the ascent of Lhotse followed . In the spring of 1995 he stood on the summit of Makalu . In the autumn of the same year, Chamoux wanted to climb the Kangchenjunga , which he said was the last eight-thousander he was missing. At the same time Erhard Loretan was also on the mountain, who also wanted to climb his fourteenth eight-thousander. So a kind of "race" to the summit broke out, which Erhard Loretan finally won. He wrote about Chamoux's performance on the mountain: “It is not possible that someone like Chamoux, who has made a name for himself through his speed, is so slow! If you have stormed K2 in 23 hours, you won't be two hours behind on a Kantsch ascent ... ”Chamoux probably suffered a stroke due to excessive fluid loss. He finally gave up in the summit area and bivouacked in the storm at over 8,400 meters. The following morning he was still able to contact the base camp despite severe frostbite. There was also a commercial French expedition on the mountain, also with mountain guides in higher camps, but no one provided any help. Benoît Chamoux was missing.

According to an independent count, Benoît Chamoux has stood on the main summit of an eight-thousander ten times.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Loretan, Erhard., Ammann, Jean .: Erhard Loretan: fell for the mountains . Paulusverl, Freiburg, Switzerland 1996, ISBN 3-7228-0396-9 .
  2. ↑ Description on www.Bergfieber.de
  3. ↑ Eberhard Jurgalski : Statistics with data on all mountaineers with ten or more 8000ers, www.8000ers.com

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Chamoux, Benoît
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French climber
DATE OF BIRTH 19th February 1961
PLACE OF BIRTH La Roche-sur-Foron
DATE OF DEATH October 6, 1995
Place of death Kangchenjunga