Legendary French Mountaineer Maurice Herzog Dies
One time Mayor of Chamonix and infamous alpinist to be buried in Chamonix
The legendary French mountaineer Maurice Herzog has died aged 93 yrs. Herzog and Louis Lachenal were the first people to ever climb an 8,000m peak when they summited the 10th highest mountain in the world - Annapurna (8,091m) in Nepal - on the 3rd of June 1950.
During the expedition both climbers suffered serious frostbite, losing all of their toes and Herzog most of his fingers. Herzog's ensuing book - Annapurna - became a mountaineering classic selling over 11 million copies. Details of the account were later challenged however on the basis that Herzog had not given enough credit to his expedition partners - Lachenal, Lionel Terray and Gaston Rebuffat.
Following the expedition, Herzog became a major public figure in France, serving not only as Minister of Youth and Sport (1958-1963) but also as a member of the International Olympic Committee. He also served as Mayor of Chamonix between 1968-1977 during which time he is credited with transforming the town and was instrumental in the creation of the sports centre, swimming pool, library and creche.
A service of remembrance will be held in Herzog's honour in Neuilly where he lived before he is buried in Chamonix.
For more information on other historical Chamonix pioneers, visit our history section.
