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The renowned French alpinist Chantal Mauduit, who would have celebrated her 61st birthday today, met an untimely end at the age of 34, due to her unwavering commitment to high-altitude mountaineering. This article revisits her impressive climbing achievements and her final expedition to Dhaulagiri I.
Early Life
Born on March 24, 1964, in Paris, Mauduit’s family relocated to Chambery in the Savoie region of the French Alps when she was five. This move fostered her connection to the mountains, inspiring her to hike during the summer months and ski in winter.
Tragedy struck when Mauduit’s mother succumbed to cancer when she was just 15. In search of comfort, she found solace in climbing, beginning her journey in the Alps. By the age of 17, Mauduit had already conquered notable climbs such as the North Face of the Grandes Jorasses, the Drus, and the Matterhorn.
In the early 1990s, she made her mark by ascending the Directissime Jori Bardill route on the Central Pillar of Freney in the Mont Blanc massif alongside French climber Ernest Blade. In July 1992, she and her team, including Blade, Araceli Segarra, and Albert Castellet, completed the Bonatti Pillar on the Petit Dru in an impressive eight hours. The following year, she achieved a remarkable ascent of the Walker Spur on the Grandes Jorasses in a single day.
Mauduit continued to push her limits in the mid-1990s, completing the challenging Devies-Gervasutti route on the northwest face of Ailefroide Occidentale (3,954m) in the Écrins massif, which is known for its technical difficulties and remoteness.
Expanding Horizons: The Andes
Continuing her quest for new challenges, Mauduit ventured to the Andes, where she scaled the 5,495m Nevado Urus and participated in an expedition to the towering 6,768m Huascaran. She also completed the Sajama Traverse in Bolivia (6,542m) and ascended Mount William in Antarctica, showcasing her versatility and determination as a climber.
The Himalayas and Karakoram
Transitioning her focus towards the Himalayas, Mauduit adopted a philosophy of climbing without supplemental oxygen. She believed that this approach allowed her to fully experience the mountains.
“Climbing without oxygen is my ethics. When you use it during an ascent, you necessarily miss very strong, very intense moments… All the senses are then heightened,” she explained in an interview.
On August 3, 1992, Mauduit summited K2 via the Abruzzi Route, becoming the fourth woman to reach its peak without supplemental oxygen. Her descent, however, was fraught with peril when a storm struck, leaving her snowblind. In a remarkable display of camaraderie, fellow climbers Ed Viesturs and Scott Fischer abandoned their summit attempt to assist her back to safety.
Controversial Celebrations
Upon returning to Base Camp, however, Mauduit’s reaction sparked controversy. Instead of acknowledging the assistance she received, she celebrated her summit achievements with other climbers, to the dismay of Viesturs and Fischer, who felt overlooked during her moment of triumph.
Continued Ascents
In the subsequent years, Mauduit continued to make her mark by summiting Shisha Pangma and Cho Oyu without supplemental oxygen in 1993, further enhancing her reputation with 8,000-meter peaks.
On April 28, 1996, she reached the summit of Pumori (7,138m) before continuing to Lhotse a few weeks later. Despite the hazardous conditions and the chaos of the infamous 1996 Everest disaster occurring concurrently, she was officially recognized as the first woman to summit Lhotse, although her ascent faced scrutiny due to a lack of corroborative evidence.
Following Lhotse, Mauduit also achieved a successful ascent of Manaslu, which marked her fifth 8,000-meter summit. In 1997, she continued her ascent streak with a climb of Gasherbrum II, again without bottled oxygen.
Attempts on Everest
Throughout 1989 to 1995, Mauduit made seven attempts to conquer Everest without supplemental oxygen, yet she never reached the summit. Her final attempt in 1995 was marred by severe altitude sickness, leading to dramatic rescues that ignited debates regarding her reliance on fellow climbers.
Despite these challenges, Mauduit’s legacy as one of the elite climbers of her time endures through her impressive achievements on numerous high peaks.
Tragic Demise on Dhaulagiri I
Mauduit’s final expedition took place on Dhaulagiri I in spring 1998, following a previous aborted attempt the year prior. Tragically, both she and 45-year-old Ang Tshering Sherpa lost their lives, with their bodies later discovered in their tent at Camp 2 (6,500m). Autopsy results indicated a broken neck as the cause of death, potentially resulting from a rockfall or avalanche.
While Ed Viesturs speculated that carbon monoxide poisoning from a stove could have been another cause, the family chose to regard the autopsy findings as conclusive.
A Poet at Heart
Besides her climbing prowess, Mauduit had a profound appreciation for literature and poetry. She studied physiotherapy before ultimately choosing life in the mountains, often bringing works by Rimbaud and Baudelaire on her climbs, using her experiences as inspiration for her poetry. In 1997, she published a book titled J’habite au Paradise (I Live in Paradise), combining reflections on her climbs with impressions of different cultures.
Elizabeth Hawley noted Mauduit’s vivacious character and unique approach to her expeditions, highlighting her tendency to name each journey after a flower, which she would draw on her tents.
Mauduit’s passion for personal experience, paired with her infectious enthusiasm for mountaineering, garnered her the affection and respect of her peers. In her memory, friends and family established the Association Chantal Mauduit Namaste, contributing to a school in Kathmandu that reflects her commitment to supporting the Nepalese community.
Source
explorersweb.com