UKH

Just got off the phone to my girlfriend in Chamonix and she said that the big news at the moment is that Jean Christophe Lafaille has gone missing on Makalu. I can't find anything about this on google. Anyone else heard anything?

In reply to Phil Payne:

You could try:

http://www.jclafaille.com/

There doesn't seem to be anything but the last update was the 24th.

DJ

In reply to Deejay:

http://news.tf1.fr/news/monde/0,,3281305,00.html

This thread was started in the wrong forum and has now been moved.
Please could you try and post in the correct forum, it makes life easier for both users and moderators.

Forum descriptions - http://www.ukhillwalking.com/forums/info/forums.html

In reply to ericoides:

Anybody translate:

L'alpiniste français Jean-Christophe Lafaille, lancé en solitaire à l'assaut du Makalu (8.463 mètres), au Népal, n'a pas donné de ses nouvelles depuis 48 heures. Parti mardi de son camp de base, à 5.300 mètres, il a bivouaqué le soir même à 6.000 mètres, mercredi à 6.900 mètres et jeudi à 7.600 mètres, selon son épouse et manager sportif, Katia Lafaille, qui a eu un dernier contact avec lui jeudi, par téléphone satellitaire.

Il devait partir jeudi dans la nuit et gagner le sommet vendredi. Le contact prévu vendredi, au terme de cette tentative, n'a pas eu lieu, a indiqué Mme Lafaille. Jean-Christophe Lafaille, 39 ans, qui s'est lancé seul dans la voie normale, jusque là jamais gravie en solitaire hivernale, sans oxygène et en technique alpine (c'est-à-dire sans équipement préalable de la voie en cordes fixes et échelles et sans camps intermédiaires lourds), n'a pas non plus donné de ses nouvelles samedi.

"Il se sentait en forme et motivé"

Son silence pourrait s'expliquer par une panne technique, car les batteries de ses appareils étaient très basses lors du dernier contact, a-t-on expliqué dans son entourage. Il devait rejoindre samedi le camp de base, avec lequel ses proches ne sont pas en liaison.

Les conditions météorologiques étaient difficiles. Lors de sa conversation avec son épouse, Jean-Christophe Lafaille a précisé qu'il faisait moins trente degrés sous sa petite tente de bivouac et qu'il avait le visage givré. "Il n'a pas dormi toutes ces nuits, à cause de l'altitude et du froid", a encore expliqué Mme Lafaille. "Mais il se sentait en forme et motivé", a-t-elle ajouté.

Jean-Christophe Lafaille a déjà gravi onze sommets de plus de 8.000 mètres, la plupart en solitaire ou par des voies nouvelles. Il a déjà réussi en décembre 2004 une hivernale en solitaire et en style alpin au Sishapangma (8.064 mètres), jusque là jugée impossible sur les plus de 8.000 mètres. Le Makalu a été gravi pour la première fois en 1955 par une cordée française.

In reply to Mick - UKClimbing.com:

The French mountaineer Jean-Christophe Lafaille, launched as a recluse with the attack of Makalu (8.463 meters), to Nepal, has not given a his news for 48 hours. Party Tuesday of its base camp, with 5.300 meters, it bivouacked the evening even with 6.000 meters, Wednesday with 6.900 meters and Thursday with 7.600 meters, according to his wife and sporting manager, Katia Lafaille, which had a last contact with him Thursday, by satellite telephone. It was to leave Thursday in the night and to gain the top Friday. The contact envisaged Friday, at the end of this attempt, did not take place, indicated Mrs. Lafaille. Jean-Christophe Lafaille, 39 years, which launched out only in the normal way, until there ever climbed as a recluse winter, without oxygen and in alpine technique (i.e. without preliminary equipment of the way out of fixed cords and ladders and without heavy camps intermediate), did not give his new Saturday either. "It felt in form and justified" Its silence could be explained by a technical breakdown, because the batteries of its apparatuses were very low at the time of the last contact, one explained in his entourage. It was to join Saturday the base camp, with which its close relations are not in connection. The weather conditions were difficult. At the time of his conversation with his wife, Jean-Christophe Lafaille specified that it made less thirty degrees under his small tent of bivouac and that it had the frosted face. "It did not sleep all these nights, because of altitude and of the cold", still explained Mrs. Lafaille. "But it felt in form and justified", she added. Jean-Christophe Lafaille already climbed eleven tops of more than 8.000 meters, the majority as a recluse or by new ways. He already succeeded in December 2004 winter as a recluse and alpine style in Sishapangma (8.064 meters), until there considered to be impossible on the most 8.000 meters. Makalu was climbed for the first time in 1955 by a French cord

In reply to TRNovice:

Not a brilliant translation - but you get the main points I guess (c/o http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr )

In reply to TRNovice:

Cheers TR....much appreciated.

Mick

In reply to TRNovice: 'launched as a recluse' is a rather vivid way of saying he was attempting a solo climb!

In reply to Phil Payne:

Latest news is that he set off to the summit and hasn't been heard of since - he missed a telephone rendez-vous with his support team. The latter, his wife apparently, are saying they are not unduly worried as it could be just a battery problem (they were already low the day before) and it is not the first time this has happened. The temperature (-30°c and strong winds) doesn't help with electrical things....

I bet they are a bit worried all the same.

In reply to Phil Payne:

He's been missing for 72 hours now and his wife has asked for help... doesn't look brilliant. Here are a couple of links - in French, I'm afraid.

http://www.meteofrance.com/FR/actus/evenement/article.jsp?docid=19600

http://news.tf1.fr/news/monde/0,,3281305,00.html

In reply to Phil Payne: and Bruce Hooker
This is the situation as per mounteverest.net
http://www.mounteverest.net/news.php?id=1472

In reply to Cy Kaicener: Latest news will always be here but in French - still no sign.

http://news.google.fr/news?hl=fr&ned=fr&q=lafaille

In reply to Marc C: Does sound so much better though!

In reply to Bill Davidson: Not sure - they say he should be back at base camp by now. I realise much could have happened which would delay him without concern. Here's to hope.

In reply to tchnorton:

Here's a quick translation (missing out the irrelevant bits) of the Express article:

L'Express: 30/1/06 11:45

Since last thursday when he spoke with his wife via satellite phone, there has been no further contact with JC Lafaille, attempting a solo ascent of Makalu.

His wife and manager have called for a helicopter which will take them tomorrow (Tuesday) to the base camp, from where Lafaille set off six days ago, and where a cook and two sherpas are waiting for him. They hope that he has returned to BC but has been unable to contact them, since there is no radio link with base camp and the batteries on his own satellite phone were very low when he last contacted them.

His weather adviser, based in Chamonix, was more pessimistic yesterday, saying "We have to consider that he has disappeared. There is a still a chance of finding him but it is very small." He went on to say that he thought "honestly that there isn't any hope".

However, in 1992 while climbing the south face of Annapurna his partner, Pierre Beghin, fell to his death at an altitude of 7000m leaving Lafaille injured and alone. Over five days he descended the mountain as far as base camp, where he had been assumed dead.

In reply to jimbo g:

And depending on which article you read, a small aeroplane may fly around the mountain today, to see if his tent is still in the last camp.

Also, there is supposed to be a second satellite phone in base camp, which maybe the sherpas don't know how to use (?) so if he has got back down he should have been able to get in touch... probably shouldn't read too much into unconfirmed facts though.

In reply to jimbo g:

Apparently a helicopter has now flown around the mountain, with no sign of him, and confirmed that he is not at base camp. They only saw a red tent at more than 7000m, with no sign of life, but it's not sure whether this belongs to Lafaille or not.

La Monde reports the following at around lunchtime Tuesday.(with my poor translation). Another tragic loss

Le Monde: No more hope for JCL

No chance remains of finding JCL alive, following his disappearance on Thursday 26 January near the summit of Makalu in Nepal. A helicopter left Katmandu on Tuesday morning for his base camp at 5300m. Two of the three Nepalis who had been waiting there for five days for the return of the alpinist were evacuated. The third, Ang Sera, stayed to await Katia Lafaille, who is is travelling there (expected on 4th February) to collect some personal effects and erect a memorial (?) to her husband.

"The helicopter, a powerful Nikoyan MI-17, was able to follow the route up to 7400m, and carried out many journeys" explains Serge Koenig who is coordinating the operation for the ministery of youth and sport. "The tent of his final camp was seen, but there was no sign of life at all. We must now accept the evidence. There is nothing else that can be done."

Alpine history throws up a few famous stories of 'rghosts' - such as Joe Simpson, the subject of the film Touching the Void. But this has never happened in winter at very high altitude and a similar scenario for JCL is merely an illusion. Since the evening of his summit attempt, Thursday, his silence predicted the worst. Only the potential breakdown of his satphone could evince a little hope.

When JCL left for the summit after his final communication with his wife Katia, temperatures below -30 deg C held sway above 8000m, with a wind of 40-50km/h according to his advisor Yann Giezendanner. In such conditions, living beings degrade very quickly in the thing are. The chance of survival is measured in hours, not days - there are sadly numerous examples, and JCL knew that better than most.

If his disappearance is confirmed, his body will probably not be retrieved before the Spring. Even then sherpas employed by the family or perhaps climbers attempting the same route may only find a clue, if the wind and snow have not erased everything.

It is possible that the body of JCL could never be found, like the majority of French Himalayan climbers who disappeared whilst following their passion. 8000m bagging is a very high risk activiy. For the last twenty years (since the disappearance of Lilianne and Mauric Barrard on K2 in 1986), all those who purported to me 'the most experience french himalayan climber' have died in the Himalaya.

In reply to tchnorton:

This is a real shame, thoughts go with his family, still holding out some hope.

In reply to tchnorton: More detail on mounteverest.net
http://www.mounteverest.net/news.php?id=1480

In reply to tchnorton:

Thanks.

News at UKC updated.....sadly.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/

In reply to Mick - UKClimbing.com: No problem - though it's the first time I've had a translation published.

If anyone can pull off an escape it would be him though i know it's unlikely and so very sad.

In reply to Mick - UKClimbing.com:

Terrible news. Really sad and my heart goes out to Katia and the kids. The few times I met him he always talked about his family, who seemed incredibly important to him. An inspirational man and climber who'll be really missed.

(Im on Giles's computer but its actually Ian Parnell posting)

In reply to Phil Payne:

Just to say I am really sad too...

In reply to Phil Payne:

Was just recently looking at him talking to Ian & Andy on the Cold Haul DVD. Very sad.

In reply to tchnorton:
How totally, awfully sad. I've always admired Jean-Christophe and thought of him as the ultimate survivor, coming back to climbing as he did after the loss of Pierre Beghin in the Annapurna accident. This is terrible. Condolences to all who knew this remarkable man, and thoughts to his family.

In reply to Mick - UKClimbing.com:

Terrible news. Condolences to all those who knew him. I'm sure he'll be greatly missed.

Andy

In reply to UKC:

Its awful news, and my heart goes out to his family and friends. Really sad news, he was, and still is such an inspirational guy.
Cheers,
Scott.

All my prayers goes out to J-C and his loved ones

In reply to Phil Payne:

Not good at all.

There's an article written by him in the latest issue of Alpinist. Timely.

In reply to Phil Payne:By by Lafaille.sincere condoleance to his familly and freinds.He wont be forgotten.