Annapurna

Rises

First rise

June 3rd, 1950: Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal reaches the top, with a forwarding including/understanding Lionel Terray, Gaston Rébuffat, Marcel Ichac (scenario writer and the only one to have Himalayan experience thanks to the forwarding of 1936 to the Karakoram), Jean Couzy, Marcel Schatz, Jacques Oudot (doctor) and Francis de Noyelle (diplomatic ensuring coordination with the local authorities). This victory constituted the first conquest of the one of the 14 tops of: 8000 meters of the sphere. This forwarding constituted also the first entry of Europeans in the area of the central Nepal (the Nepal had opened in the world only in 1950). Its members will thus be brought to redraw the chart of the solid mass of Annapurna.

First of the southern face

The southern face of Annapurna was climbed for the first time in 1970 by a British forwarding taken along by Chris Bonington.

In 1991, the Belgian Ingrid Baeyens was the first woman to conquer Annapurna by the southern face.

French forwarding in Annapurna (1950)

The French victory in Annapurna in 1950 had a considerable repercussion in the world and particularly in France. Largely exceeding the small world of the mountain, its winners became true national heroes and this victory (the first “: 8000” climbed by the man) became a social phenomenon.

Preparation of forwarding

The forwarding of 1950 is lived like the continuation, and revenge, of the French forwarding of 1936 with the Karakoram. After the failure of the forwarding of 1936 with the Hidden Peak (8068 meters) in the solid mass of Karakoram (today in Pakistan), due on very premature arrival of the Monsoon, Lucien Devies does not want to leave the free field with the British and the Germans, authors respectively of about thirty forwardings in the Himalayas.

Certain authors propose the patriotic voluntarism of Lucien Devies, owner of the French federation of the mountain (FM), which would have liked “one: 8000 at all costs”.

Forwarding

As it is about the first penetration of Europeans in the central Nepal, the first task of forwarding is to explore the ground and to correct the existing charts. The explorers spend long weeks to try to find the tops to be conquered, find the means of reaching it and to measure on the various faces of the difficulties of surmounting. All that requires whole days of recognition by small groups of two or three mountaineers, while realizing with the passage of the “small” tops of: 5000 or 6000 meters. Marcel Ichac finds the way towards the solid mass to be conquered and baptizes an unforeseen valley Hidden Valley .

Then the choice comes from the objective (the Dhaulagiri or Annapurna? etc). The choice is made finally on Annapurna, considered to be easier.

Begin then the attack of the mountain itself. It is in general there that starts work for the current Alpiniste S, deposited in the bus or the helicopter with the foot of ways marked out well or studied in advance. At this time, the members of the forwarding of 1950, for their part, already thousands of meters of made uneven and many first in the legs. And yet, in spite of the tiredness and the absence of oxygen, the top of Annapurna is conquered by Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, on June 3rd, 1950. The opposition between the design of Maurice Herzog (the mystical bet of the mountaineer amateur) and that of Louis Lachenal (the responsibility and the prudence of the professional mountaineer) crystallizes at the time of the top.

The victory is transformed quickly into tragedy. During the descent, Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal have many cold fingers. During the long walk of the return - one month of race-continuation against the Monsoon through the mountain, the forest, the Rice plantation S of a country, the Nepal, with the medieval standard of living, casualties being carried to back of man -, the doctor Jacques Oudot tries to look after them without any hospital means.

A social phenomenon

In France, the news is announced on June 26th by Le Figaro. The following day, the whole of the press takes again information. But it is necessary to wait, on July 17th, the arrival with Orly. Then, on August 19th, the special issue of Paris Match. Then the details will be known. Then the adventure will be transformed into epopee. The photograph of Lionel Terray, carrying his/her companion Louis Lachenal in his arms, with the descent of the plane, makes the round the world tour.

Beyond the sporting exploit (the first 8000 meters overcome by the Man), this victory intervenes at one time when France needs hero. With the forwarding of Annapurna, it had found them. Then, in these shortly after war, in these disturbed and dubious times (Korea, Indo-China), France of the Marshall plan is discovered of the heroes.

The “Annapurna phenomenon” will be carried by its mediatization, which returns perfectly in the projects of the organizations of the mountain. Thanks to its receipts, those indeed will be able to finance several French forwardings in the years which follow. The mediatization will be carried in particular by:

the book (best-seller) of Maurice Herzog Annapurna, first: 8000 (1951).
the film of Marcel Ichac Victoire on Annapurna .
reports in Paris-Match. The first report of Marcel Ichac literally saved the weekly magazine of the bankruptcy which threatened it. The photograph of Maurice Herzog holding up the French flag on the top of Annapurna will remain one of the " Une" most famous of Paris-Match.
Lastly, as from January 1951, an interminable lecture tour starts (with film of Marcel Ichac, Victoire on Annapurna). In the Pleyel room, more: 100000 people has a presentiment of themselves with the 40 representations. In June 1952, 600 conferences will have taken place in all France. Popular success and financier are unexpected.

Finally, with the late publication (December 1951) of the book of Maurice Herzog, Annapurna first: 8000 , of which initial pulling (: 100000 specimens) is exhausted in less than one month, the album of Regards photographs towards Annapurna and the conference series, 87 million returned in the cases of the French federation of the mountain. What allowed, in the following years, to finance several remote forwardings.

The polemic (1990)

Kickback of a mediatization to excess in the Years 1950, the fiftieth anniversary of victorious forwarding on Annapurna gave place to a questioning of the official account (publication of the memories of Lachenal, a film on Canal+, etc). The principal raised points were the following:

the difference in point of view between the two winners Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal with the approach of the top. Two ethics was opposed within the action: the realism of the Lachenal professional against the voluntarism of the amateur or the “policy” Herzog who wished a national or personal victory (Maurice Herzog would have been in that the relay within the forwarding of the absolute voluntarism of Lucien Devies).
the contract, signed by all the members of forwarding before the departure, in virtue of which they gave up at the French federation of the mountain (FM) all their rights of publication of memories of forwarding during five years. There the ones wanted to see a censure of the members of the team to the profit of the only official voice. Others, an essential means to finance French forwardings which will follow.
the personalization of the victory around the only person of Maurice Herzog, chief of forwarding, with the detriment in particular of Louis Lachenal, however also arrived to him at the top. For the ones, it is the fruit of an overflowing personal ambition (Maurice Herzog will become Minister of sport). For the others, it is the one time old reflection proposing the figure of the “chief”.
Herzog would have endangered its life and those of his/her companions while wanting at all costs to arrive at the top.
the conquest of the top itself is sometimes called into question (Lachenal, Lafaille).
Some of these polemics were put forward in books and, carried by the beneficiaries, finished with the court.

Trekking

The area of Annapurna is known for its possibilities of Trekking (the turn of Annapurna, etc).

Fast development and badly controlled excursions in altitude, to which devote themselves each year more: 30000 followers poses many ecological problems (Nepal, poor and rural, has neither time nor the means of preparing with such a rush of hikers), of pollution (many campers give up packing of plastic and empty boxes) and of hygiene (installation of precarious latrines which flow directly in the torrents).

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