July 17

Louis Lachenal (1921–1955) was a pioneering French alpinist known for making history on June 3, 1950, when he and Maurice Herzog completed the first ascent of Annapurna I, the world’s first climb of an eight-thousander. Lachenal’s technical skill and endurance at extreme altitude were instrumental to the expedition’s success. He continued to push climbing boundaries in the Alps, but his career was tragically cut short by a mountaineering accident on Mont Blanc du Tacul. Lachenal’s achievement on Annapurna inspired a new era in high-altitude mountaineering and cemented his legacy among climbing greats.