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True Summit

Page 25

by David Roberts

Montagnes, 53, 181, 217, 220

  Mont-Blanc, Jardin Féerique (Rébuffat), 41, 147

  Mont Blanc tunnel, 140

  morphine, 121, 123, 125, 128, 132, 175

  Morzine, 24

  “motors,” 143

  Moulin, Henry, 34

  Mountain, 149

  mountain climbing:

  antiromantic approach to, 148–51

  birthplace of, 34

  distinction between guides and amateurs in, 29–30

  equipment for, 96–97, 119–20

  expedition leaders and, 29

  martial philosophy of, 37, 38, 39, 83, 124, 147

  nationalities and, 16–17, 30–31, 150, 216

  Rébuffat’s philosophy of, 37, 38, 39, 41, 83, 147

  specialized skills in, 203

  turning back from summit while, 223

  see also guides

  “mountain ranging,” 195

  “Mountains of the Moon,” 162

  Mount Everest Committee, 29

  Mummery, Alfred, 16, 29–30

  Mussolini, Benito, 31

  Nanda Devi, 16

  Nanga Parbat, 16, 23, 45, 222

  NASA, 147

  Nepal, 45, 131, 187, 196

  Nepal, Maharajah of, 46, 130, 131

  Neuilly, 21, 133, 138

  New Delhi, 43

  New Hampshire, 67

  New York, 67, 148

  nicotine, 120

  Nilgiris, 71, 72, 123, 196, 198

  Nimier, Roger, 206, 209

  Northwest Spur, 72, 73–76, 79, 174, 177

  Norton, E. F., 29

  novocaine, 21, 121, 125, 129

  Noyelle, Francis de, 22, 100, 112, 125, 129, 142

  Obaldia, René de, 186

  Odell, Noel, 115

  Ofexport, 140

  On Snow and Rock (Rébuffat), 41, 150

  Orly airport, 21, 42, 137

  Other Annapurna, The, see Autre Annapurna, L’

  Oudot, Jacques, 71, 99, 103, 112, 117, 119, 121, 122, 123

  Herzog and Lachenal’s amputations made by, 21, 125, 128–30, 132

  oxygen, bottled, 96–97, 120

  oxygen deprivation, 120

  Pacific Peak, 39

  Pansy, 88, 96, 97, 116, 183, 192

  Paris, 21, 30, 31, 82, 100, 136–37, 187, 189

  Paris-Match, 21, 127, 136, 137, 138, 204

  Patagonia, 65, 194, 199

  Patey, Tom, 149–51

  Payot, Elisabeth, 165, 168, 169, 218

  Payot, Jean-Pierre, 160, 161, 165, 168–69

  Peace Corps, 141

  penicillin, 122, 128

  Peruvian Andes, 65, 195, 196

  Petit Dru, 28, 37, 203

  Peuterey Ridge, 83

  pied d’éléphant, 96

  Piz Badile, 37, 65, 68, 165, 198

  Poincenot, Jacques, 194, 196

  Pointe de Clairy, 55

  porters, 16, 20, 21, 46, 49, 53, 72–73, 79, 123, 124, 125

  Potet, Frédéric, 180–81

  préalpes, 57, 203

  predawn starts, 96

  Puiseux, Jean, 144, 145

  Pyrenees, 142

  Rébuffat, Françoise, 41–44, 115, 131, 140, 146, 151–52, 154, 167, 184, 206, 217, 219

  marriage of Rébuffat and, 42

  Rébuffat’s letters to, 26, 43–44, 48, 123, 127, 179

  unpublished memoir of, 42, 155–57

  Rébuffat, Frédérique, 42

  Rébuffat, Gaston, 22, 23, 27, 33–38, 46, 47, 55–56, 65, 77, 78, 80, 82, 83, 85, 86, 88, 90, 91, 92–93, 136, 146–57, 167, 169, 176, 179, 183, 197, 204, 210, 217, 224

  background of, 33–34

  biography of, see Gaston Rébuffat: Une Vie pour la Montagne

  bitterness toward Herzog felt by, 76, 106, 126, 131, 151–52, 220–21

  character of, 35, 41, 49, 151

  death of, 41, 42, 154–57

  in descent of Annapurna, 19–20, 95–100, 102, 105, 106, 107–18

  disenchantment felt by, 146, 179

  as guide, 30, 34–35, 36, 42, 59, 147, 148

  homesickness suffered by, 49, 53

  in Jeunesse et Montagne, 35–37

  Lachenal’s relationship with, 34, 49, 51–52

  Legion of Honor and, 126, 159

  mountain climbing experience and ability of, 16–17, 28, 29, 34–38, 51–52, 59

  mountaineering philosophy of, 37, 38, 39, 41, 83, 147, 149–50

  as mountaineering photographer and cinematographer, 37, 39, 41, 42, 147–48, 150, 180

  on oath of obedience, 32–33, 41, 43

  Patey on, 149–50

  physical appearance of, 34, 35, 42

  post-Annapurna climbing of, 146–47, 154, 165

  private notes and commentaries of, 26, 32–33, 41, 152–53, 221

  published works of, see Apprenti Montagnard, L’; Entre Terre et Ciel; Horizons Gagnés, Les; Mont-Blanc, Jardin Féerique; On Snow and Rock; Starlight and Storm

  in return from Annapurna, 119, 121, 123, 126, 133

  route up Annapurna found by, 75–76

  Sherpas’ nickname for, 87

  six classic Alpine north faces climbed by, 37–38, 39, 146

  snowblindness suffered by, 20, 111, 112, 116, 121

  summit photos and, 219–20

  Terray’s relationship with, 34, 35–37, 49, 58–59, 92, 146

  World War II experience of, 30, 184

  Regards vers l’Annapurna (Herzog and Ichac), 81

  Résistance, 30, 84

  “Road Not Taken, The” (Frost), 105

  Roberts, David, 22–27, 38–41, 62–65

  early mountaineering reading by, 22–23, 38, 39, 62

  Lachenal and Terray idolized by Jensen and, 64–65, 66–67, 188, 190, 201–2

  mountain climbing of, 23, 38–39, 62–64, 67, 148, 188, 200–202

  at Terray’s childhood home, 206–11

  Roc des Bergers, 144

  Rock and Ice, 148–49

  Rocky Mountain Rescue Group, 63

  Rocky Mountains, 23

  see also Colorado Rockies

  Rosa, Monte, 141, 165–67, 170

  Ruth Glacier, 199

  Ruwenzori (“Mountains of the Moon”), 162, 190

  “sahibs,” 49

  Saint Elias, Mount, 198

  Saint Elias Range, 63

  Saint-Exupéry, Antoine de, 147

  Salle Pleyel, 136, 137

  Samivel, 100

  Sarki, 14, 92, 93, 96, 116–17, 178, 183

  Sarthou, Sylvain, 200

  Schatz, Marcel, 16, 20, 71, 72, 77, 90, 95–96, 97, 108, 114, 115–16, 117, 122, 130, 142, 143, 144–45, 153, 193

  Annapurna role of, 78, 79

  physics career of, 78

  Second World War, see World War II

  Section des Eclaireurs et Skieurs (S.E.S.), 204

  septicemia, 122, 128

  seracs, 176, 197

  Seven Years in Tibet (Harrer), 31

  Shawangunk Cliffs, 67, 148

  Sherpas, 14, 20, 21, 46, 47–48, 49, 71, 74, 76, 79, 87, 88, 90–91, 93, 96, 108, 116–17, 120, 122, 127, 153, 178, 183, 187, 192

  Shishapangma, 45

  Sickle, 14, 20, 89, 90, 92, 93, 96, 107, 112, 116

  Sierra Club, 23

  Sierra Nevada, 64

  Simond, Alexis, 165

  Simond, Claudius, 124

  sirdar, 14

  sleeping pills, 120

  “Slouching Toward Everest” (Roberts), 24

  “sluggards,” 77, 91

  smoking, 120

  snowblindness, 114

  of Lachenal, 117

  of Rébuffat, 20, 111, 112, 116, 121

  of Terray, 20, 111, 112, 116, 117, 121

  Soray, 196

  Soubis, Jacques, 201

  Sport et Vie, 85

  Stanley Glacier, 163

  Starlight and Storm (Etoiles et Tempêtes) (Rébuffat), 39–40, 41, 51–52, 62, 63, 64, 66, 146, 147, 148

  stimulants, 120–21

  “supermen,” 88<
br />
  Swiss Alpine Club, 216

  Swiss mountain climbers, 216

  Switzerland, 38, 54, 65, 140

  “talus piles,” 23

  Taulliraju, 65, 196

  Tenmile Range, 39

  Tenzing Norgay, 45, 159

  Terray, Lionel, 22, 23, 32, 38, 46, 49, 53, 56–60, 83, 85, 86–87, 92–93, 136, 148, 159, 160, 180, 183, 188, 190, 192–211, 218, 222

  altruistic deeds performed by, 87, 90–91, 105–6, 113, 195, 224

  autobiography of, see Conquistadors of the Useless

  background of, 56–58

  character of, 35, 48, 87

  childhood home of, 206–11

  climbing accidents of, 197, 199–200

  commemorative plaque for, 207

  death of, 203–4, 205–6

  deaths of climbing partners of, 193–94, 196, 197

  in descent of Annapurna, 19–21, 95–100, 102, 105–18

  in failed Northwest Spur attempt, 73–75, 77

  gear from fatal climb of, 210–11

  grave of, 209

  as guide, 30, 59–60, 82

  in Jeunesse et Montagne, 35–37, 58

  Lachenal’s relationship with, 48, 54–56, 58, 65, 68, 72, 73–74, 78, 170, 189, 190–91

  Legion of Honor and, 159, 181, 210

  mountain climbing experience and ability of, 16–17, 28, 29, 35–37, 57–59, 65, 66, 67–68, 72, 80, 142, 144, 202–3, 224

  Mount Huntington ascent of Roberts and Jensen questioned by, 202, 204

  physical appearance of, 57–58, 61

  porters’ nickname for, 53

  post-Annapurna climbing career of, 65, 138, 167, 193–200, 202–3, 220

  Rébuffat’s relationship with, 34, 35–37, 49, 58–59, 92, 146

  reputation of, 206

  in return from Annapurna, 119, 121, 123–25, 133

  snowblindness of, 20, 111, 112, 116, 117, 121

  strength of, 20, 121

  in World War II, 30, 54–55, 59, 84, 205, 210

  Terray, Marianne, 59, 161–62, 206, 208, 209–10, 211

  “tigers,” 78, 198

  Tilicho Col, 71

  Tokositna Glacier, 201

  Triton France, 140

  Tukucha, 46, 47, 68, 71, 72

  “uppers,” 120

  Vallée Blanche, 25, 168

  Vercors, 203, 204–6, 211

  verglas, 74

  Veronica, 196

  Vertical, 186, 217

  “victoriste,” 33

  Voyager II, 147

  Vulgarians, 148

  Waddington, Mount, 63

  Wales, 149

  Walker Spur, 31, 37, 40, 49, 51, 56, 65, 68, 83, 142, 198, 203

  “walk-ups,” 38

  Washburn, Bradford, 199, 201, 202, 210

  Washington, Mount, 67

  Whillans, Don, 149

  Who’s Who in France, 85

  Whymper, Edward, 29, 61, 189

  Wickersham Wall, 64, 148

  willow wands, 174

  World War II, 16, 30, 35, 54–55, 59, 62, 65, 84, 133, 184, 205, 210

  Youth and Mountains, see Jeunesse et Montagne

  Simon & Schuster

  Rockefeller Center

  1230 Avenue of the Americas

  New York, NY 10020

  www.SimonandSchuster.com

  Copyright © 2000 by David Roberts

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

  First Touchstone Edition 2002

  SIMON & SCHUSTER and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Designed by Edith Fowler

  Map by Jeffrey L. Ward

  The Library of Congress has cataloged the Simon & Schuster edition as follows:

  Roberts, David, date.

  True summit : what really happened on the legendary ascent of Annapurna / David Roberts.

  p. cm.

  Includes index.

  1. Mountaineering—Nepal—Annapurna. 2. Annapurna (Nepal)—Description and travel. 3. Herzog, Maurice, 1919– 4. Lachenal, Louis, 1921–1955. 5. Mountaineers—France—Biography. I. Title.

  GV199.44.N462 A5664 2000

  796.52'2'095496—dc21 00-027140

  ISBN 0-684-86757-5

  0-7432-0327-5 (Pbk)

  ISBN 13: 978-1-4767-3787-4 (eBook)

  PHOTO CREDITS

  Galen Rowell/Mountain Light: p. 13

  Dauphiné Libéré: p. 28

  Collection Rébuffat: pp. 45, 70, 135, 192

  Collection Ecole Nationale de Ski et d’Alpinisme: pp. 95, 158

  Collection Lachenal: pp. 119, 212

 

 

 


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