Concern Grows For Lafaille

© Mountain.ru
Mounteverest.net reports, "News broke Sunday morning in French media and Kairn.com that French Jean Christophe Lafaille ('JCL') is reported missing. Relatives of the climber have asked for a recognition search of the mountain by air.

Katia Lafaille had last contact with the climber on Thursday, over satellite telephone. Jean Christophe was at 7600 meters, and planned to leave for the final summit push on Thursday night, hoping to reach the summit on Friday. The climber has not been heard from since. According to Katia, JCL had low batteries when she spoke to him last."


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28 Jan, 2006
29 Jan, 2006
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.
29 Jan, 2006
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
29 Jan, 2006
Not a brilliant translation - but you get the main points I guess (c/o http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr )
29 Jan, 2006
Cheers TR....much appreciated. Mick
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