Alpinism without guide

the alpinism without guide (or movement of without guide ) is the practice of the alpinism without accompaniment by Guides of professional high mountain, the such famous guides of the Compagnie of the guides of Chamonix.

History

The alpinism of the XIXe century is primarily, even exclusively, the business of high bourgeoisies or aristocrats, British in particular (but also French, etc) accompanied by professional guides.

The development of the alpinism brings the birth of the movement of the " without-guide" , by the will of amateurs wanting to only climb or with friends. The alpinism without guide will appear in France in two great phases:

First generation: in the years 1910, Jacques Wehrlin (death with the combat at the time of the First World War), Paul Job, Jacques de Lépiney, Paul Knight. They are the founders of the Groupe of Rochassiers, then Groupe of High mountain (GHM).

Second generation: in the years 1920-1930, the Group of Bleau including in particular Pierre Allain, Marcel Ichac, and much of others.

Culture of without guide

The difference between the culture of the guides and that of the without-guide arises dramatically through the opposite designs of Louis Lachenal (professional guide) and Maurice Herzog (mountaineer amateur) at the time of the last meters of the conquest of the Annapurna in 1950:

In front of the danger, Louis Lachenal evokes an ethics of prudence and responsibility (It says in substance: I did not owe my feet, which are my work tools, with French youth).
On the contrary, Maurice Herzog magnifie the sporting exploit and quasi-spiritual character of the conquest of the top.

The development of the alpinism without guide brought the realization and the diffusion of guides of written alpinisms, the famous Guide Vallot.

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