Ray Genet
Raymond "Ray" Genet (* 25. July 1931 in Romandie , Switzerland ; † 2. October 1979 on Mount Everest ) was an American mountaineer Swiss origin.
biography
The mountain guide, who emigrated to Alaska , was one of the most famous mountaineers on Denali ( 6168 m ), the highest mountain in North America. In a 42-day expedition, he and Art Davidson and Dave Johnston made the first winter ascent of the mountain in February 1967. Due to the terrible climatic conditions, he acquired the reputation of a survivor. When they were surprised by a sudden fall in the weather, they survived for a few days in a snow cave with peak wind speeds of over 240 km / h and record temperatures of −73 ° C (−100 ° F) at an altitude of about 5500 m . Art Davidson recorded the ascent in his book Minus 148 Degrees , published in 1970 , and they were also accepted into the Alaska Sports Hall Of Fame.
Ray Genet has long held the record for most climbs of Denali. According to records from the Denali National Park Service, he led at least 26 expeditions to the summit, but is said to have stood on the summit up to 35 times. In June 1976 he took part in the first helicopter landing on the summit as part of a mountain rescue operation and in May 1979 he carried out the first summit ascent with dogs. He was accompanied by the famous dog sled driver Susan Butcher , as well as Joe Reddington, Brian Okonek and Robert Stapleton.
During an expedition to the summit in 1978 he met the German mountaineers Gerhard Schmatz and Hannelore Schmatz , who invited him to an international Mount Everest expedition in 1979, which was led by Gerhard Schmatz. He reached the summit of Mount Everest ( 8,848 m ) on October 1st . During the descent, however, he ran out of oxygen and, together with Hannelore Schmatz and a Sherpa, decided to bivouac on the southeast ridge at around 8500 m . There, however, they got caught in a sudden storm that cost Ray Genet and Hannelore Schmatz their lives.
A memorial stone with a plaque was erected at the Talkeetna Cemetery in Alaska, stating that his remains are still on Mount Everest.
family
Ray Genet was in a relationship with Wurtila Kilcher, sister of Art Davidson's wife. Wurtila was a daughter of the politician Yule Kilcher , who had also emigrated from Switzerland. Ray Genet was the grandfather of actress Q'orianka Kilcher and the uncle of singer Jewel Kilcher . His son Taras Genet was the youngest conqueror of Denali in 1991 at the age of 12.
literature
- Minus 148 Degrees by Art Davidson (1970)
- Mount McKinley - Icy Crown of North America by Fred Beckey (1993)
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Genet, Ray |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Genet, Raymond |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American climber |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 25, 1931 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | French- speaking Switzerland , Switzerland |
| DATE OF DEATH | 2nd October 1979 |
| Place of death | Mount Everest |