Somethings Never Change...
"The Manchester Guardian"
December 1956 / January 1957
'Just before Christmas 1956, two young men, Jean Vincendon (aspirant guide) of Paris and Francois Henri of Brussels, ignoring the advice from local guides set off from Chamonix to climb Mont Blanc, via the Col de la Brenva. On their return journey (they had successfully climbed the mountain via the Brenva Spur following another party including Italian mountain guide - Walter Bonatti) they found their route barred by ice and snow (on the Grand Platue) and were marooned on the mountain in the most hazardous circumstances.'
Down in Chamonix there was a marked reluctance among the guides to risk further loss of life in rescuing men who had not heeded the warning given. There was therefore considerable delay before rescue parties (an amatuer rescue party led by Lionel Terrey was the first to try - Terrey threw his 'badge' back at the guides association) were organised but soon after the guides set out the French Air Force conceived the bold plan of attempting a rescue by helicopter. Helicopters had not previously been used for such purposes on Mont Blanc due to a lack of engine power, and the initial attempts involved the crashing of one of the helicopters and the addition of a number of men to the original two awaiting rescue. Although those who were landed, either voluntary or involuntary, were able to reach Vincendon and Henri, owing to the (now) enfeebled condition of these two men they were unable to do other than provide food and get them into the very slight shelter of the crashed helicopter.
Susequently the rescuers themselves were saved but unfortunately the original climbers had to be abandoned. "The Manchester Guardian" give a most realistic account of the tragedy and drama enacted on Mont Blanc. On March 21st, 1957, the same newspaper reported that the bodies of Vincendon and Henri had been retrieved and brought down to Chamonix on the previous day.'
The two young climbers had done no wrong. Certainly nothing that warrented being abandoned. They had been told not to go to the Brenva Spur but being young and energetic, they just wanted to go and have a look. They arrived at the hut from where the Brenva Spur is approached via Col Moore and stayed the night. Next day, because they could not make up their minds, they finally decided to descend back to Chamonix. As they started to go down, they saw two figures climbing up to the hut. They returned to the hut to await the two strangers. The strangers turned out to be the world famous Italian mountain guide, Walter Bonatti and his friend Ghesser. They were going to climb the Brenva Spur and so, the lads would follow.
Their decision was in fact not a rash one born out of somekind of bravado. Here were two other climbers, vastly more experienced of course but climbers for all that. Everything would be alright. And so they climbed the Brenva Spur. Going over the summit of Mont Blanc, Bonatti broke the trail to the Vallot hut and safety. Unfortunately, the lads saw the lights of Chamonix and throught that they could descend that way to safety. Bonatti waited for them by the door, calling out into the wind. If he had know that the lads had left his trail to safety, he would have without doubt and without giving it a second thought, gone looking for them regardless of the storm. But, he had Ghesser to look after. Ghesser had frostbiten feet and Bonatti looked after him (Bonatti would not have known where to have started looking, the lads could have fallen of the summit ridge in the storm, they could have gone anywhere. Over the following days, Bonatti and Ghesser self rescued back to Courmayer via the Miarge Glacier where he and Ghesser were met by friends coming to - rescue them).
Because crucial time was being lost, Lionel Terrey assembled a group of 'amatuer' climbers together and they set off to try and effect a rescue of the two unfortunate men who, when the weather cleared momentarily, could be seen through telescopes from the main street of Chamonix, sitting in the snow. They were beaten by the weather. Lionel Terrey, threw his guides badge back at the Company of Chamonix Guides.
Walter Bonatti was blamed in some quarters, for the demise of Vincendon and Henry.? Walter's account was finally put into print in 1998, in his book: 'The Mountains Of My Life,' (published by Baldini & Castoldi) page 141. http://www.pistehors.com/articles/avalanche/vincendon-henry.htm
30 years On And Nothing Has Apparently Changed...
In the summer of 1987, I (Dennis Morrod - in some quarters apprently, using your own name is viewed as - self publicity?) was climbing the Index a sharp spire above Chamonix. Just one pitch from the narrow summit, I waited until the three British climbers in front of me finished that final pitch. In turn they disappeared from view. As I set off after them, there was a sudden crash of falling rocks and I climbed to the ridge in front of me to witness a huge rock avalanche along with a rucksack tearing down the 1,000ft gully below me, two figures, hanging upside down were also slowly moving. Quickly climbing the pitch ahead of me I turned into the short summit gully to be confronted with two, shredded ropes passing across the head of the gully. Passing them and reaching the summit platform, I was presented with a climber (the third member of the Brits) just sitting there ashen faced, staring at the damaged ropes in front of him. Over the edge, somewhere below, were his two friends. Following the tattered ropes I found the two climbers on ledges below, at the top of the 1,000ft gully. They were shaken, quite lacerated, but otherwise in sound condition. Passing fresh ropes down to them I brought them to summit platform. Everyone was badly shaken and the lads were not unaware that they no longer had ropes with which to make the 150ft free abseil from the summit into another easy gully system on the other side of the peak.
It was as I was bandaging their wounds, that I noticed the figure sitting on a rock not far away on the actual summit. He had been sat there during and after the accident. It was his very shiny badge that initally drew my attention to him. He had sat their and watched as the accident happen, made no move to assist with a rescue in very difficult circumstances, lifting not a finger to help. He further, made no gesture, nor offer to assist getting the shaken lads off the tiny summit. His shiny badge of coures, bore the message for all to see: 'UIAGM'.
Two More Young people Survive.
One evening, we were sitting outside the Couvercle hut as the evening faded and the clouds lowered. Suddenly, the guy next to me said: "Someone just sent six flashes with a torch.'" Looking up, he was pointing towards the descent route on the Triolet and as the view disappeared, faded, there were six more flashes. Walking into the hut I informed the guardian that someone was in trouble descending from the Triolet, he said that he would telephone the Gendarmere though of course it was now to late for a helicopter to fly. The next morning after a late breakfast, and because a helicopter had not appeared, we geared up and abandoning our day, walked up the glacier towards the Triolet. Hours later as we approached the line of peaks infront of us, we found a young Polish couple. They had no bivouac gear and had been sat on a rock all night trying to stay awake. They had climbed the North face of the Triolet the previous day only to tire on the long descent. They were all in. Having no food we gave them some. Because they were somewhat exhausted, we distributed their equipment amongst us and took them back to Chamonix. The helicopter, it never appeared.
Eric, I will call him Eric...
Eric's plight was drawn to my attention after one of my clients had a conversation with Eric's friend in the freezing Vallot Hut: "Dennis, these two German guy's have been in this hut for three days and the helicopter will not come for them." Walking to the emergency telephone on the wall, I rang it and told the operator the situation in the hut: "One of these guy's is ill. He has been here for three days!" "The weather is too bad," came the reply. "There are windows in the cloud on the Italian side. get a helicopter up here!" Twenty minutes later, the sound of an approaching helicopter could be heard, it was coming from the Italian side of Mont Blanc. Quickly, we packed Eric's rucksack and carried him outside of the hut. The helicopter touched down, we put Eric in it and the machine, as quickly, disappeared - leaving his rucksack behind... We had climbed Mont Blanc and were descending when we found Roland and Eric. Tying Roland to our rope, we took him back to Chamonix where he stayed with us for the night. Next morning, I took him to the Bar National where Maurice Simond's daughter Silve translated for me: "Dennis is trying to locate Eric in one of the hospitals." We eventually found Eric in Aosta Hospital: "Yes we have an Eric Grubber here, tell his friend that Mr Grubber is - dead." Roland was crushed. There were two wives somewhere in the valley and Roland had to break the avoidable, very sad news to them. Yes, Eric's death had been totally avoidable. Every summer, climbers deliberately go to the Vallot Hut and sleep inside it ready for a very early start the next morning. But what they do not know, is that the Vallot Hut is built wrongly (the original hut had a normal swinging door thus ventilating the hut). Descending the steps inside the cabin takes you into a well of - gas (people cooking, foul air etc.,). The building is not ventilated properly and people, some of them are already in trouble, actually seek long term protection within the hut. From the moment Eric entered and slept in the Vallot Hut for such a long time, for so many days, his fate was sealed. If he had been rescued earlier, and he could have been rescued earlier, he would probably have survived. To be continued:
