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Les conquérants de l'inutile #1-2
Conquistadors Of The Useless
‘I have given my whole life to the mountains. Born at the foot of the Alps, I have been a ski champion, a professional guide, an amateur of the greatest climbs in the Alps and a member of eight expeditions to the Andes and the Himalayas. If the word has any meaning at all, I am a mountaineer.’
So Terray begins Conquistadors of the Useless– not with arrogance, but with typical commitment. One of the most colourful characters of the mountaineering world, his writing is true to his uncompromising and jubilant love for the mountains.
Terray was one of the greatest alpinists of his time, and his autobiography is one of the finest and most important mountaineering books ever written. Climbing with legends Gaston Rébuffat, Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, Terray made first ascents in the Alps, Alaska, the Andes, and the Himalaya. He was at the centre of global mountaineering at a time when Europe was emerging from the shadow of World War II, and he came out a hero. Conquistadors tells of his war-time escapades, of life as an Alpine mountain guide, and of his climbs – including the second ascent of the Eiger North Face and his involvement in the first ever ascent of an 8,000-metre peak, Annapurna. His tales capture the energy of French post-war optimism, a time when France needed to re-assert herself and when climbing triumphs were more valued than at any other time in history.
Terray’s death, in the Vercors, robbed mountaineering of one of its most passionate and far-sighted figures. His energy, so obvious in Conquistadors of the Useless, will inspire for generations to come. A mountaineering classic.
So Terray begins Conquistadors of the Useless– not with arrogance, but with typical commitment. One of the most colourful characters of the mountaineering world, his writing is true to his uncompromising and jubilant love for the mountains.
Terray was one of the greatest alpinists of his time, and his autobiography is one of the finest and most important mountaineering books ever written. Climbing with legends Gaston Rébuffat, Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, Terray made first ascents in the Alps, Alaska, the Andes, and the Himalaya. He was at the centre of global mountaineering at a time when Europe was emerging from the shadow of World War II, and he came out a hero. Conquistadors tells of his war-time escapades, of life as an Alpine mountain guide, and of his climbs – including the second ascent of the Eiger North Face and his involvement in the first ever ascent of an 8,000-metre peak, Annapurna. His tales capture the energy of French post-war optimism, a time when France needed to re-assert herself and when climbing triumphs were more valued than at any other time in history.
Terray’s death, in the Vercors, robbed mountaineering of one of its most passionate and far-sighted figures. His energy, so obvious in Conquistadors of the Useless, will inspire for generations to come. A mountaineering classic.
433 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1961
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
February 21, 2010
I have a soft spot for climbing books - climbers (certainly those that write books) seem to have something of the poet about them and the activity of risking life and limb and enduring great suffering in places of magnificence of beauty seems to make, to me at least, for fascinating tales.
This book is a wonderful example. Terray who seems to have been one of those people for whom life as a mountaineer was inevitable rather than a choice writes with almost unreasonable modesty about a series of epic adventures. It gets a little hectic towards the end, particularly the last chapter, with the conquests of some peaks taking little more than a paragraph.
On the whole a fascinating read giving insight into the early days of climbing as the great mountains of the world were gradually conquered by men who would seem woefully under equipped by modern standards and who took many leaps into the unknown.
This book is a wonderful example. Terray who seems to have been one of those people for whom life as a mountaineer was inevitable rather than a choice writes with almost unreasonable modesty about a series of epic adventures. It gets a little hectic towards the end, particularly the last chapter, with the conquests of some peaks taking little more than a paragraph.
On the whole a fascinating read giving insight into the early days of climbing as the great mountains of the world were gradually conquered by men who would seem woefully under equipped by modern standards and who took many leaps into the unknown.
January 8, 2018
I just returned from 12 days in Joshua Tree National Park where I rock climbed and where I finished Conquistadores of the Useless. We were climbing a strenuous (for me) dihredral, it was a brilliant climb but I was tired and wasn’t making efficient movement. I was exhausting myself trying to layback a crack.
Aaron: Try Gastoning. Gaston to the left.
Me: Gaston?
Aaron demonstrates the move
Me: As in Gaston Rebuffat?
Aaron: Who? Concentrate. You’re at the crux.
Me, starting to slip: "Gaston Rebuffat. He climbed with Lachenal and Terray. He is in the book I’m-" slips off rock and rope catches me.
*** I looked this up on the drive home and, yes, the move is named after Gaston Rebuffat, and yes, I should focus more when I’m climbing this is one of several reasons that I’m just okay.***
Terray writes with a passion that is sure to entrance any rock climber or alpinist interested in the history of the sports and if you are going to start anywhere, then I would recommend right here. I found his work much more relatable and interesting that Herzog’s book on Annapurna, but I’ve yet to read anything from Messner. You’ll learn so much about the history, the cultural changes, and the premiere climbers of the age. Terray has a blunt honesty that belies his great accomplishments. If this is your topic, I would definitely recommend it.
Aaron: Try Gastoning. Gaston to the left.
Me: Gaston?
Aaron demonstrates the move
Me: As in Gaston Rebuffat?
Aaron: Who? Concentrate. You’re at the crux.
Me, starting to slip: "Gaston Rebuffat. He climbed with Lachenal and Terray. He is in the book I’m-" slips off rock and rope catches me.
*** I looked this up on the drive home and, yes, the move is named after Gaston Rebuffat, and yes, I should focus more when I’m climbing this is one of several reasons that I’m just okay.***
Terray writes with a passion that is sure to entrance any rock climber or alpinist interested in the history of the sports and if you are going to start anywhere, then I would recommend right here. I found his work much more relatable and interesting that Herzog’s book on Annapurna, but I’ve yet to read anything from Messner. You’ll learn so much about the history, the cultural changes, and the premiere climbers of the age. Terray has a blunt honesty that belies his great accomplishments. If this is your topic, I would definitely recommend it.
December 8, 2017
3,5 arrotondato per eccesso
Prima parte con uno stile poco scorreve, ingessato, più da enciclopedia che da narrativa. Poi, dalla ripetizione della nord dell'Eiger, l'Himalaya, la Patagonia, diventa più sciolto e divertente. Non è uno scrittore e si sente, manca dell'autoironia e dell'arguzia di Simpson per esempio, che può essere piacevole e interessante anche per chi non si interessa di alpinismo; in compenso non "se la tira", non si spaccia da eroe, la conquista di una cima è una vittoria personale, fondamentalmente inutile e parla con curiosità e interesse delle culture e delle persone che incontra nei suoi viaggi. Ho poi trovato interessante il racconto del mondo dell'alpinismo della prima metà del 1900: persone, stili, amicizie e rivalità, progetti. Pochissimo parla della sua vita privata, della moglie non dice mai nemmeno il nome.
Se veramente nessuna pietra, nessun seracco, nessun crepaccio mi stanno attendendo da qualche parte del mondo per fermare la mia corsa, verrà il giorno in cui, vecchio e stanco, saprò trovare la pace tra gli animali e i fiori. Il cerchio si chiuderà e, alla fine, potrò essere il semplice pastore che sognavo di diventare da bambino.
Purtroppo non è andata così: mi ha fatto tristezza leggere delle sue imprese di grande scalatore, la sua gioia al solo essere in montagna, gli 8000 incalzato dal vento e dal gelo, i mesi della Resistenza, i suoi interventi di soccorso al limite dell'umano, sapendo che poco tempo dopo sarebbe andato a morire col suo compagno di cordata a soli 44 anni ai piedi di una non impossibile via di una falesia della Francia meridionale.
E' una passionaccia, nemmeno l'idea di poter lasciare moglie e figli soli, la placa. Vedi Nones, Unterkircher, il marito di una mia amica, che ha tirato su una figlioletta di 2 mesi da sola, spiegandole che "non è vero che il papà voleva più bene alla montagna che a te". (e il punto è che li capisco pure)
Prima parte con uno stile poco scorreve, ingessato, più da enciclopedia che da narrativa. Poi, dalla ripetizione della nord dell'Eiger, l'Himalaya, la Patagonia, diventa più sciolto e divertente. Non è uno scrittore e si sente, manca dell'autoironia e dell'arguzia di Simpson per esempio, che può essere piacevole e interessante anche per chi non si interessa di alpinismo; in compenso non "se la tira", non si spaccia da eroe, la conquista di una cima è una vittoria personale, fondamentalmente inutile e parla con curiosità e interesse delle culture e delle persone che incontra nei suoi viaggi. Ho poi trovato interessante il racconto del mondo dell'alpinismo della prima metà del 1900: persone, stili, amicizie e rivalità, progetti. Pochissimo parla della sua vita privata, della moglie non dice mai nemmeno il nome.
Se veramente nessuna pietra, nessun seracco, nessun crepaccio mi stanno attendendo da qualche parte del mondo per fermare la mia corsa, verrà il giorno in cui, vecchio e stanco, saprò trovare la pace tra gli animali e i fiori. Il cerchio si chiuderà e, alla fine, potrò essere il semplice pastore che sognavo di diventare da bambino.
Purtroppo non è andata così: mi ha fatto tristezza leggere delle sue imprese di grande scalatore, la sua gioia al solo essere in montagna, gli 8000 incalzato dal vento e dal gelo, i mesi della Resistenza, i suoi interventi di soccorso al limite dell'umano, sapendo che poco tempo dopo sarebbe andato a morire col suo compagno di cordata a soli 44 anni ai piedi di una non impossibile via di una falesia della Francia meridionale.
E' una passionaccia, nemmeno l'idea di poter lasciare moglie e figli soli, la placa. Vedi Nones, Unterkircher, il marito di una mia amica, che ha tirato su una figlioletta di 2 mesi da sola, spiegandole che "non è vero che il papà voleva più bene alla montagna che a te". (e il punto è che li capisco pure)
September 19, 2011
Terray is an unexpectedly excellent writer. Understood to be a much more honest and factual account of the first ascent of Annapurna than Herzog's. I enjoyed this book quite a bit.
February 22, 2020
Wonderful account of a true life spent in the mountains. Terray, while at first sounding up on his high horse, writes in a way that transcends his ego in an account of some truly remarkable feats. From WWII in the Alps, to the highest summits in the world, this book is not lacking in adventure!
He throws in some neat philosophical nuggets throughout the stories, so keep an eye out!
He throws in some neat philosophical nuggets throughout the stories, so keep an eye out!
August 27, 2021
1) If you read and liked Maurice Herzog's Annapurna: Lionel Terray is one of the other noted French climbers who did not summit with Herzog (Lawrence L. did). If you had no interest, don't waste your time reading my comment, you would be wasting your time.
2) Then I started climbing, I was aware that this book had been published and translated into English just a few years earlier and that Terray had died about that time. It shortly went out of print (a controversy). I did not make an effort to attempt to track this book down and merely read period pieces. I did read Gaston Rébuffat's various translations like Starlight and Storm, and other books (like read Hermann Buhl's comments about how the older more experienced established French wore down parkas (duvets) on their Eiger bivvies while the Austrians froze {tougher stuff}). Climbing is more interesting that reading about climbing.
3) Fast forward almost 3 decades to my first trip to Chamonix where Terray lived and is now buried. He has a "square" named after him (you don't really see this in the USA or even the UK). I was there at the start of ski season (low season), and I walk into Photo Tairraz. Terray was finally reprinted by Editions Guerins. You have to understand the French printed Editions Guerins: Guerins was a rich dude who oversaw high-expense printing of classics mountaineering/Alpinist works. You will not find them on amazon.com, but you may find some on amazon.fr. I don't speak or read French (very well), but I can recognize a high-quality hardbound book (even includes cloth page markers). Guerins did this for love. You can tell. Many other classic (English (e.g., Roper) and non-English language) Alpine works were reproduced by Guerins.
Conquistadors is Terray's autobiography about growing up, his brief time in the French resistance (he mostly trafficked messages but also did lug a machine gun high to shoot down upon Italian-vacationing German soldiers: he didn't feel good about this: he knew they were merely grunts like him; they packed up and went back to France). Terray did a number of notable North Faces and other noteworthy climbs in hindsight.
What's great about Terray's writings are that they are of a common man, a somewhat common guide, but also lucky. Terray knows that not every one can afford a life which we would regard as entertainment and recreation. So in additional to his various takes on documented climbs, he gives the less than glamorous take on instruction and mid-level client guiding. I think Terray writes amazingly modestly about his accomplishments. Terray writes about climbs and mountains which most non-climbers will have never heard about of seen nor have any basis for comparison like height or numeric difficulty: Cerro Fitzroy (if you see Mt. Fitzroy in print walk away) or Mt. Huntington (also written in Dave Robert's book Mountain of My Fear (West Face)); note I didn't write where Mt. Huntington was (I've also flown by it).
Conquistadors is an old time climbers book for climbers. (Sport climbers might not be interested in it.) The photo of Terray having to deal with a broken 16 mm film from Annapurna says something unspoken about the life of a guide trying to earn his keep for his family. This book is not for every one.
The unfortunate thing which most people aren't aware (this is a test case I used to better understand professional language translation and interpretation) is that the English {people} involved took very small liberties to vary their use of language a bit. This is not merely about the English language. Terray was probably not around long enough to notice this. What's nice is that the Mountaineers of Seattle did make the effort to reprint a classic work like Conquistadors. It's better than nothing.
I believe that David Roberts himself rated Conquistadors as the greatest climbing book published of all time in his reviews of classics in Ascent (the old Sierra Club climbing journal).
I treasure both my expensive French and cheaper slightly abridged English editions. The finish date was when I obtained my Editions Guerin. The English language version was a little later.
One English language equivalent might be Chris Bonington's I Chose to Climb (a little less glamorous, and he didn't decide to stick with the British Army). Bonnington's book was done before his really big and famous climbing expeditions like Annapurna South Face (a 20 year contrast to Herzog: e.g., Bic lighters vs matches) or Everest, South West Face (nothing close to slogging up the tourist route).
I should also note and thank Michael Chessler for a great telephone discussion about climbing and exploration published literature. English speakers really aren't the leaders of the world when it comes to climbing. Only climbers realize this.
2) Then I started climbing, I was aware that this book had been published and translated into English just a few years earlier and that Terray had died about that time. It shortly went out of print (a controversy). I did not make an effort to attempt to track this book down and merely read period pieces. I did read Gaston Rébuffat's various translations like Starlight and Storm, and other books (like read Hermann Buhl's comments about how the older more experienced established French wore down parkas (duvets) on their Eiger bivvies while the Austrians froze {tougher stuff}). Climbing is more interesting that reading about climbing.
3) Fast forward almost 3 decades to my first trip to Chamonix where Terray lived and is now buried. He has a "square" named after him (you don't really see this in the USA or even the UK). I was there at the start of ski season (low season), and I walk into Photo Tairraz. Terray was finally reprinted by Editions Guerins. You have to understand the French printed Editions Guerins: Guerins was a rich dude who oversaw high-expense printing of classics mountaineering/Alpinist works. You will not find them on amazon.com, but you may find some on amazon.fr. I don't speak or read French (very well), but I can recognize a high-quality hardbound book (even includes cloth page markers). Guerins did this for love. You can tell. Many other classic (English (e.g., Roper) and non-English language) Alpine works were reproduced by Guerins.
Conquistadors is Terray's autobiography about growing up, his brief time in the French resistance (he mostly trafficked messages but also did lug a machine gun high to shoot down upon Italian-vacationing German soldiers: he didn't feel good about this: he knew they were merely grunts like him; they packed up and went back to France). Terray did a number of notable North Faces and other noteworthy climbs in hindsight.
What's great about Terray's writings are that they are of a common man, a somewhat common guide, but also lucky. Terray knows that not every one can afford a life which we would regard as entertainment and recreation. So in additional to his various takes on documented climbs, he gives the less than glamorous take on instruction and mid-level client guiding. I think Terray writes amazingly modestly about his accomplishments. Terray writes about climbs and mountains which most non-climbers will have never heard about of seen nor have any basis for comparison like height or numeric difficulty: Cerro Fitzroy (if you see Mt. Fitzroy in print walk away) or Mt. Huntington (also written in Dave Robert's book Mountain of My Fear (West Face)); note I didn't write where Mt. Huntington was (I've also flown by it).
Conquistadors is an old time climbers book for climbers. (Sport climbers might not be interested in it.) The photo of Terray having to deal with a broken 16 mm film from Annapurna says something unspoken about the life of a guide trying to earn his keep for his family. This book is not for every one.
The unfortunate thing which most people aren't aware (this is a test case I used to better understand professional language translation and interpretation) is that the English {people} involved took very small liberties to vary their use of language a bit. This is not merely about the English language. Terray was probably not around long enough to notice this. What's nice is that the Mountaineers of Seattle did make the effort to reprint a classic work like Conquistadors. It's better than nothing.
I believe that David Roberts himself rated Conquistadors as the greatest climbing book published of all time in his reviews of classics in Ascent (the old Sierra Club climbing journal).
I treasure both my expensive French and cheaper slightly abridged English editions. The finish date was when I obtained my Editions Guerin. The English language version was a little later.
One English language equivalent might be Chris Bonington's I Chose to Climb (a little less glamorous, and he didn't decide to stick with the British Army). Bonnington's book was done before his really big and famous climbing expeditions like Annapurna South Face (a 20 year contrast to Herzog: e.g., Bic lighters vs matches) or Everest, South West Face (nothing close to slogging up the tourist route).
I should also note and thank Michael Chessler for a great telephone discussion about climbing and exploration published literature. English speakers really aren't the leaders of the world when it comes to climbing. Only climbers realize this.
July 6, 2015
I decided on a three-star review because I really did enjoy so much of the first part of the book. The problem is, the book should have ended about 3/4 of the way in. Not only does it just get old and start to drag, but it even feels like Terray starts to lose interest in writing it. It begins to feel much more like a personal log of accomplishments rather than a story.
I did enjoy the insight into how modern mountaineering and climbing came to be. There were plenty of entertaining stories about his early life and accomplishments that kept the pages turning. I did scoff at him a couple times - he seemed to be the king of the "humble-brag".
I do agree that this book belongs high on the list of mountaineering classics, but it can take a long time to get through.
I did enjoy the insight into how modern mountaineering and climbing came to be. There were plenty of entertaining stories about his early life and accomplishments that kept the pages turning. I did scoff at him a couple times - he seemed to be the king of the "humble-brag".
I do agree that this book belongs high on the list of mountaineering classics, but it can take a long time to get through.
November 24, 2018
The memoires of French mountaineer Lionel Terray (1921-1965), from his debuts before and during the war to his expeditions in South America. The writing is excellent and forces a kind of admiration for a man who was not only an outstanding skier and climber but also a true humanist in his way to consider the world. The Nepalese Sherpas of the 1950 Annapurna expedition are no washed out of history. The account of the second climb of the Eiger’s north face is compelling. When Terray was working as a ski instructor to Canada’s national team, the cultural clash between French and Quebecers is narrated with a high dose of humor.
January 31, 2017
Lionel Terray makes solid work of describing his experiences mountaineering. I particularly enjoyed the depth in which he described his and the role of the French mountaineers in World War II and the historical and cultural additions throughout the book. At times it felt both long and drawn out and rushed and underdeveloped; the end in particular, so much so that Terray leaves an afterward to explain to readers why it reads so rushed. Overall-- enjoyed the read.
May 20, 2007
Simply the best mountaineering book ever written
February 22, 2024
First Draft
Conquistadors of the Useless is just an autobiography, but Lionel Terray’s life is a natural three act play. His formative years allow the reader to gain insight into the character and personality of a mountain climber who, at great peril, proved that humanity could conquer 8000ers. His attitude towards death was blasé, very much the product of growing up in the aftermath of WW1 and fighting in WW2.
This historical snapshot is most enjoyable when Terray opines on the world. I loved how the Frenchman disliked Canadian French accents, and felt that Canada was an untapped land filled with people obsessed with worldly possessions. He was one of the first to enter rural Nepal, and those memoirs read like explorers from the 1800s. As I write this in the 2020s, the globe feels fully mapped and lacking unknowns, but Terray’s world was one of mystery and adventure. North America was still part of the frontier.
Unfortunately, I wanted to read about Terray’s experiences in the Himalayas. There’s very little of that — nothing about approaching Annapurna or Makalu, or his route finding and plans of attack. Conquistadors of the Useless is an entertaining read because Terray’s life happened to tell a story, but the writing fails to do more than document his life. Were this released in the modern era, the book would have done double duty. Editors would have ensured coverage of conquering the Alps or the reopening of Nepal to foreigners. Unfortunately, Terray’s death-defying lifestyle caught up with him all too soon.
Recommended, with Reservations.
Conquistadors of the Useless is just an autobiography, but Lionel Terray’s life is a natural three act play. His formative years allow the reader to gain insight into the character and personality of a mountain climber who, at great peril, proved that humanity could conquer 8000ers. His attitude towards death was blasé, very much the product of growing up in the aftermath of WW1 and fighting in WW2.
This historical snapshot is most enjoyable when Terray opines on the world. I loved how the Frenchman disliked Canadian French accents, and felt that Canada was an untapped land filled with people obsessed with worldly possessions. He was one of the first to enter rural Nepal, and those memoirs read like explorers from the 1800s. As I write this in the 2020s, the globe feels fully mapped and lacking unknowns, but Terray’s world was one of mystery and adventure. North America was still part of the frontier.
Unfortunately, I wanted to read about Terray’s experiences in the Himalayas. There’s very little of that — nothing about approaching Annapurna or Makalu, or his route finding and plans of attack. Conquistadors of the Useless is an entertaining read because Terray’s life happened to tell a story, but the writing fails to do more than document his life. Were this released in the modern era, the book would have done double duty. Editors would have ensured coverage of conquering the Alps or the reopening of Nepal to foreigners. Unfortunately, Terray’s death-defying lifestyle caught up with him all too soon.
Recommended, with Reservations.
November 23, 2020
I, occasionally, enjoy reading about mountain climbing and have read a handful of books that I really liked (The White Spider, Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster, No Way Down: Life and Death on K2). As I spent a while reading this book, I came to a couple conclusions: 1) Lionel Terray seemed like a more prolific climber than any of the three protagonists from the books listed above, and 2) I prefer a detailed account of a single climb rather than a biography of a climber. In general, where I wanted more detail, Terray would sum it up in one sentence like "so we went back down and found a road with traffic" to describe the descent from Camp 3 on Annapurna.
A short ways in I had to look up Terray on wikipedia and discovered that he died shortly after publishing the book. After summitting Mount Huntington with Marc Martinetti in 1964, the pair fell to their deaths while climbing in the Vercors the following year. Which gets me to my main criticism about this book - so much happened in the Alps that I hard a real hard time following what was going on. I spent as much time on Google and Wikipedia as I did reading the book. Terray comes off as a great guy, but I did wonder how his wife put up with him...
My main takeaway is how many climbers he mentions end up dying while climbing or from summitting an 8,000 peak. The pair who ascended Annapurna, Herzog and Louis Lachenal, ended up mutilated (Author's word) because of their frostbite injuries. Terray doesn't dwell on it, but only chance made it Lachenal instead of himself who made the summit with Herzog. Either this climb, or another, where he lists the crew, two more die over the next years from climbing injuries or falls. This genre seems to be full of tragedy. Especially the death of Terray, not covered much in the book, since his personality comes through the pages.
Some quotes I highlighted:
- What we sought was the unbounded and essential joy that boils in the heart and penetrates every fibre of our being when, after long hours skirting the borders of death, we can again hug life to us with all our strength. Nietzsche defined it thus: ‘The secret of knowing the most fertile experiences and the greatest joys in life is to live dangerously’.
- It is often imagined that falling off is the greatest danger, but this is a complete mistake. The majority of accidents to experienced mountaineers are in fact caused by rocks and ice falling on them from above. [Terray died falling off]
- Like ugly girls, many of the ridges and faces which preserved their virginity until comparatively recently did so more from lack of attraction than from intrinsic difficulty.
- It would still have been possible to retreat without too much difficulty, instead of which they just trailed on at the same tedious pace as though they were not mortal and reasonable beings, but robots insensible to pain and death. [3 climbers later died trying to ascend Eiger]
- Ice hockey is the main sport. It attracts enormous crowds, and I must admit I know of no other game so fascinating to watch. But it is impossible for anyone who has not seen it with his own eyes to imagine the brutality and violence with which it is played in Canada.
- To succeed in the profession one must be something of a salesman! A number of my colleagues are by no means to be underrated in this department, and one of them has become a veritable past-master. His powers of advocacy have always been at once my admiration and my envy. To take one example: he is a fine climber, and he has discovered that the south face of the Dent du Géant is an excellent commercial proposition. It combines the virtues of brevity and quick accessibility, yet it is an undeniably impressive-looking peak, and as the actual climbing is quite difficult it commands a high tariff. When a new client approaches him you may rest assured that, whatever the former’s desires or ability, they will end up by setting out for the south face of the Géant. Sometimes all goes well, sometimes the climb turns out to be too hard. But no matter: one of the first skills one learns as a guide is how to hoist an exhausted man, and up goes the client like a rucksack.
- At the very last moment a sort of premonition made me decide to look for a crack where I could wedge one of them without needing to hammer it in. Having found somewhere suitable, I called to my second to come on. He advanced six feet, then, for no reason at all, let go and swung twenty feet through the air on the rope. I was able to hold him thanks to the piton, though I had some trouble getting him up to me again, but without it my name would certainly now be on the obituary list.
-All my wise resolutions of the autumn were thrown to the winds, and I dreamed of nothing but new adventures.
- The roped bodies of Lionel Terray and Marc Martinetti were found below this difficult 400-metre rock climb in the Vercors, suggesting a fall while they were moving together (roped but unbelayed) on the easy upper section.
A short ways in I had to look up Terray on wikipedia and discovered that he died shortly after publishing the book. After summitting Mount Huntington with Marc Martinetti in 1964, the pair fell to their deaths while climbing in the Vercors the following year. Which gets me to my main criticism about this book - so much happened in the Alps that I hard a real hard time following what was going on. I spent as much time on Google and Wikipedia as I did reading the book. Terray comes off as a great guy, but I did wonder how his wife put up with him...
My main takeaway is how many climbers he mentions end up dying while climbing or from summitting an 8,000 peak. The pair who ascended Annapurna, Herzog and Louis Lachenal, ended up mutilated (Author's word) because of their frostbite injuries. Terray doesn't dwell on it, but only chance made it Lachenal instead of himself who made the summit with Herzog. Either this climb, or another, where he lists the crew, two more die over the next years from climbing injuries or falls. This genre seems to be full of tragedy. Especially the death of Terray, not covered much in the book, since his personality comes through the pages.
Some quotes I highlighted:
- What we sought was the unbounded and essential joy that boils in the heart and penetrates every fibre of our being when, after long hours skirting the borders of death, we can again hug life to us with all our strength. Nietzsche defined it thus: ‘The secret of knowing the most fertile experiences and the greatest joys in life is to live dangerously’.
- It is often imagined that falling off is the greatest danger, but this is a complete mistake. The majority of accidents to experienced mountaineers are in fact caused by rocks and ice falling on them from above. [Terray died falling off]
- Like ugly girls, many of the ridges and faces which preserved their virginity until comparatively recently did so more from lack of attraction than from intrinsic difficulty.
- It would still have been possible to retreat without too much difficulty, instead of which they just trailed on at the same tedious pace as though they were not mortal and reasonable beings, but robots insensible to pain and death. [3 climbers later died trying to ascend Eiger]
- Ice hockey is the main sport. It attracts enormous crowds, and I must admit I know of no other game so fascinating to watch. But it is impossible for anyone who has not seen it with his own eyes to imagine the brutality and violence with which it is played in Canada.
- To succeed in the profession one must be something of a salesman! A number of my colleagues are by no means to be underrated in this department, and one of them has become a veritable past-master. His powers of advocacy have always been at once my admiration and my envy. To take one example: he is a fine climber, and he has discovered that the south face of the Dent du Géant is an excellent commercial proposition. It combines the virtues of brevity and quick accessibility, yet it is an undeniably impressive-looking peak, and as the actual climbing is quite difficult it commands a high tariff. When a new client approaches him you may rest assured that, whatever the former’s desires or ability, they will end up by setting out for the south face of the Géant. Sometimes all goes well, sometimes the climb turns out to be too hard. But no matter: one of the first skills one learns as a guide is how to hoist an exhausted man, and up goes the client like a rucksack.
- At the very last moment a sort of premonition made me decide to look for a crack where I could wedge one of them without needing to hammer it in. Having found somewhere suitable, I called to my second to come on. He advanced six feet, then, for no reason at all, let go and swung twenty feet through the air on the rope. I was able to hold him thanks to the piton, though I had some trouble getting him up to me again, but without it my name would certainly now be on the obituary list.
-All my wise resolutions of the autumn were thrown to the winds, and I dreamed of nothing but new adventures.
- The roped bodies of Lionel Terray and Marc Martinetti were found below this difficult 400-metre rock climb in the Vercors, suggesting a fall while they were moving together (roped but unbelayed) on the easy upper section.
March 16, 2018
4 stelline solo perché il libro è bello non c’è che dire. Ma lui non mi ha convinto per niente. Un uomo decisamente di destra (sconcertanti le sue parole sulla conquista dell’Annapurna: “notre RACE si décriée avait donné au monde le plus bel example de ses vertus immortelles”giusto per citare l’esempio più eclatante), che legge (considera punto di riferimento) Guido Lammer, alpinista austriaco sostenitore del nazismo, che apprezza moltissimo l’accoglienza del dittatore Peron (dittatore – lo definisce persino Terray stesso) quando sbarcarono in Argentina per scalare il Fitz Roy, borghese fino al midollo (fino a sentirsi superiore a Gaston Rébuffat praticamente solo per una questione di albero genealogico visto che non poteva aggrapparsi ad altro – terribile) ma che poi alla fin fine non si è risolto personalmente: non riesce mai a trovare il suo centro. Ripudia la vita borghese (per arrivare però a chiedere aiuto economico a suo padre, alla fin fine, per costruirsi uno chalet vero e proprio, per far felice la moglie – che tira in ballo solo per le questioni economiche, ovvero: pare una donna che lo mettesse sotto pressione per avere una vita più agiata ma nulla più, nel senso che non scrive mai che è contento di rivederla, che le manca o cose del genere), senza però mai riuscire ad essere veramente, pienamente soddisfatto della sua scelta vita (alla fin fine pare che lo sci fosse quello a cui avrebbe voluto dedicarsi interamente o l’agricoltura): trova sempre da lamentarsi, trova sempre i lati deboli di tutto quello che fa e che vive senza riuscire invece a fare di questi momenti i suoi propri punti di forza. Unico germe puro di toccante sentimento è la sua grande e sincera amicizia per Louis Lachenal. Una volta rientrati dall’Annapurna, una volta che Lachenal poi muore, è come se anche Terray avesse finito di vivere, come se la parte saliente della sua vita si fosse concluso.
Non mi è piaciuto affatto poi che la nube che avvolge la sua non partecipazione alla seconda guerra mondiale (aveva vent’anni, era nel pieno del suo vigore e lavorava come istruttore dell’esercito per le squadre di montagna. Davvero era sufficiente? Come mai non era al fronte?) così come non mi è piaciuto per niente che nel suo (bellissimo) capitolo sul mestiere di guida metta al primo posto dei ruoli/doveri di guida quello di INSEGNARE delle tecniche ai suoi clienti. No, non era perché “ai suoi tempi” era così: Rébuffat parla di emozioni da condividere, da incanalare, da far vivere ai clienti. Questo è quello che devono fare soprattutto le guide. Questo è quello che distingue una brava guida da una che non lo è. Questo è quello che fa di Lionel Terray un mediocre, oltre a tutto quello che ho scritto sopra. Non mi è piaciuto quindi nemmeno il suo considerare l’alpinismo un gioco o una “conquista dell’inutile”: queste definizioni indicano una volta di più il suo mancare il bersaglio, il suo non essersi ritrovato in quello che faceva. Il vivere la sua vita come un ripiego da quello che lui, in fondo, pensava avrebbe dovuto fare: l’ingegnere, il medico, l’avvocato, come tutti i membri della sua famiglia. A Terray manca l’introspezione, il viaggio dentro di sé. Non che non abbia viaggiato, non che non abbia osservato con passione paesaggi e soprattutto le persone del luogo che incontrava, ma alla fin fine le apprezzava a distanza, da dietro un obiettivo. Non che non si sia posto domande su di sé, sul senso della sua vita, ma le risposte sono molto vagheggianti, molto enfatiche, molto eteree – perché non sue, ché solo in questo modo sarebbero solide. Mi viene da dire, parafrasando il grande Bonatti, che Terray la montagna più alta, quella che è dentro di noi, non l’abbia mai veramente scalata.
Non mi è piaciuto affatto poi che la nube che avvolge la sua non partecipazione alla seconda guerra mondiale (aveva vent’anni, era nel pieno del suo vigore e lavorava come istruttore dell’esercito per le squadre di montagna. Davvero era sufficiente? Come mai non era al fronte?) così come non mi è piaciuto per niente che nel suo (bellissimo) capitolo sul mestiere di guida metta al primo posto dei ruoli/doveri di guida quello di INSEGNARE delle tecniche ai suoi clienti. No, non era perché “ai suoi tempi” era così: Rébuffat parla di emozioni da condividere, da incanalare, da far vivere ai clienti. Questo è quello che devono fare soprattutto le guide. Questo è quello che distingue una brava guida da una che non lo è. Questo è quello che fa di Lionel Terray un mediocre, oltre a tutto quello che ho scritto sopra. Non mi è piaciuto quindi nemmeno il suo considerare l’alpinismo un gioco o una “conquista dell’inutile”: queste definizioni indicano una volta di più il suo mancare il bersaglio, il suo non essersi ritrovato in quello che faceva. Il vivere la sua vita come un ripiego da quello che lui, in fondo, pensava avrebbe dovuto fare: l’ingegnere, il medico, l’avvocato, come tutti i membri della sua famiglia. A Terray manca l’introspezione, il viaggio dentro di sé. Non che non abbia viaggiato, non che non abbia osservato con passione paesaggi e soprattutto le persone del luogo che incontrava, ma alla fin fine le apprezzava a distanza, da dietro un obiettivo. Non che non si sia posto domande su di sé, sul senso della sua vita, ma le risposte sono molto vagheggianti, molto enfatiche, molto eteree – perché non sue, ché solo in questo modo sarebbero solide. Mi viene da dire, parafrasando il grande Bonatti, che Terray la montagna più alta, quella che è dentro di noi, non l’abbia mai veramente scalata.
December 20, 2020
I have just re-read this book. It hasn't been out of my mind for more than a few months since I first (and last) read it more than 50 years ago. Written by the French Alpine guide, Lionel Terray, it's autobiographical. He climbed in the late 1930s to the early 60s. When the book first came out it was thought that it had been ghost written. How could a French peasant write so beautifully, intelligently and knowledgeably? However, when those attending to his affairs after he died happened, among the mess of other things in his humble abode, on the original handwritten manuscript all doubt was removed: Terray was indeed the author. The translation into English is a work of art equal to the original French according to those comfortable in both languages. Terray made the first post war ascent of the North Face of the Eiger with Louis Lachenal. It had been climbed only once before, just before the war by an Austro-German team of four. He was also instrumental in the successful but disastrous ascent of Annapurna in 1950 in the team led by Maurice Herzog. Numerous Alpine first ascents and on four continents. Each is beautifully described. The reader is there with him, in the most remote of places feeling the cold and the wind and the snow and the discomforts of sleeping in a small tent on a vertiginous ledge. From an American point of view the description of the first ascent of Mount Huntington in Alaska is particularly interesting. He climbed in the transition between the golden age of mountaineering and the modern technical approach and bridged the gap between them. He has a serious but joyous philosophy that comes out in this book. It's a moving, uplifting, heroic book. I am glad to have re-read it.
December 22, 2018
Terray's autobiography really shines in the first half, particularly in his descriptions of the mountaineer's mindset and his relationship with his numerous climbing partners. In addition, his descriptions of his first several big ascents in the Alps and the chapter on Annapurna are particularly riveting. He comes across as very down to earth and a bit of a salt of the earth personality, which gives his reflections on interactions with different cultures around the world a charming character.
At times the book becomes rather repetitive, and I was disappointed at the lack of detail on his ascents in the Andes. It seems as though he was getting tired of writing in the last chapter and rushed through it.
As a climber, I was comfortable with the jargon that he throws around, but even for the layman there are usually enough footnotes to give a good-enough description of what he's referring to when he gets particularly technical.
I would recommend this book to any rock climbers who are interested in the history of the sport, and of alpinism as a whole.
At times the book becomes rather repetitive, and I was disappointed at the lack of detail on his ascents in the Andes. It seems as though he was getting tired of writing in the last chapter and rushed through it.
As a climber, I was comfortable with the jargon that he throws around, but even for the layman there are usually enough footnotes to give a good-enough description of what he's referring to when he gets particularly technical.
I would recommend this book to any rock climbers who are interested in the history of the sport, and of alpinism as a whole.
April 29, 2021
Considered a true, essential classic of mountaineering literature; as David Roberts writes in TRUE SUMMIT, "more than a few aficionados of mountain literature regard [Conquistadors of the Useless] as the finest climbing autobiography ever written."
But Roberts also points out, correctly, that Terray's book "has its faults. From the outset, Terray set too leisurely a pace, so that halfway through the book he was only on the north face of the Eiger in 1947, with all his greatest climbs ahead. Recognizing this too late, he crammed his astounding decade of expeditionary triumphs after Annapurna into a mere forty-one pages."
And Annapurna is given relatively brief attention, as well, if perhaps enough. Essentially, I found the first two-thirds of the book (aside from his alpine war stories) something of a slog, but the last third quite thrilling. And Roberts is once again correct when he writes that Terray "bursts again and again into sudden passages of startling eloquence."
But Roberts also points out, correctly, that Terray's book "has its faults. From the outset, Terray set too leisurely a pace, so that halfway through the book he was only on the north face of the Eiger in 1947, with all his greatest climbs ahead. Recognizing this too late, he crammed his astounding decade of expeditionary triumphs after Annapurna into a mere forty-one pages."
And Annapurna is given relatively brief attention, as well, if perhaps enough. Essentially, I found the first two-thirds of the book (aside from his alpine war stories) something of a slog, but the last third quite thrilling. And Roberts is once again correct when he writes that Terray "bursts again and again into sudden passages of startling eloquence."
September 30, 2011
(If you were not a climber, this would likely only merit 4 stars). You may not have heard of Lionel Terray, but his autobiography makes you think you should have - for the number of peaks he climbed if nothing else. This is an excellently written/translated book written in a bygone era of the modern sport of mountaineering - when all protection damaged the rock, siege tactics were the norm for mountains, and climbing was a lifestyle rather than a sport. In addition to the excellent descriptions of individual climbs, Terray’s look at life in WWII Europe, the Himalayas, Quebec, and the Andes is fascinating, particularly since he wrote it with only 5 years of further development, rather than 40 years afterwards.
Also, this book is rather hard to find today - an interlibrary loan is probably your best bet.
Also, this book is rather hard to find today - an interlibrary loan is probably your best bet.
July 14, 2018
Amazing psychological insight over the birth of a mountaineering addicted soul.
Why we love and climb the highest and the hardest peaks? Why do we play on death playground? Is it a choice or a destiny?
Lionel Terray described not only the beauty of the untouched territory, but also the historical frame of these conquests with delightful irony and humor.
For the reader who never had a mountaineering experience on mixed terrain, the description of routes and climbing technicalities may be a bit hard to enjoy, but the reader who experienced at least once the crampons, ice axe, rock climbing and glacier dangers...the book is a true dive into the mental processes and fears that makes a man to want to conquer the useless. Fabulous literary style, a journey inside a great man's inner world. Definitely on the "must read" list of anybody who loves mountains.
Why we love and climb the highest and the hardest peaks? Why do we play on death playground? Is it a choice or a destiny?
Lionel Terray described not only the beauty of the untouched territory, but also the historical frame of these conquests with delightful irony and humor.
For the reader who never had a mountaineering experience on mixed terrain, the description of routes and climbing technicalities may be a bit hard to enjoy, but the reader who experienced at least once the crampons, ice axe, rock climbing and glacier dangers...the book is a true dive into the mental processes and fears that makes a man to want to conquer the useless. Fabulous literary style, a journey inside a great man's inner world. Definitely on the "must read" list of anybody who loves mountains.
September 13, 2015
The quantity and quality of the accomplishments in mountaineering reached by Lionel Terray (and several other climbers of his generation), most of them before he was not even 40 years old, is really hard to take in. Especially keeping in mind that all this was also accomplished when mountaineering was in its infancy regarding technique, equipment, clothing, cartography, technology, and almost any other aspect of the sport.
I really admire this guy. Unfortunately he died too young, but he enjoyed, experienced, discovered and accomplished in just 44 years a ton more than many people who get to live twice that time.
The book has a good balance of facts, emotions and personal insight about his life as a mountaineer, and I enjoyed his writing style. He was a good story-teller, too.
I really admire this guy. Unfortunately he died too young, but he enjoyed, experienced, discovered and accomplished in just 44 years a ton more than many people who get to live twice that time.
The book has a good balance of facts, emotions and personal insight about his life as a mountaineer, and I enjoyed his writing style. He was a good story-teller, too.
September 1, 2016
Perhaps the best book on mountaineering I've read - certainly up there with the very best. Exceptional translating bring's Terray's writing alive in English, while still conveying a fantastic impression of his personal insights, ethics and French perspective. Beautifully written, insightful and thoughtful, it makes me wish I could pay him to guide me up a few of his humbler routes, and get to know him a little. While he is writing covers his climbing about mid-1940's to about 1960, it feels fresh and relevant, and I think any climber can identify with his thoughts, struggles, and physical and mental challenges. Fantastic.
October 5, 2020
A legendary alpinist’s autobiography, full of such gems as:
“All my problems evaporated and life became one long enchantment”.
“I had now reached the condition of divine madness which makes a man oblivious to danger and renders all things possible”.
“Though ready for death, I had no wish to survive mutilated”.
Just two days ago a friend and I set our tents up underneath an imposing 750m monolith that looks over the Capertee Valley. Thanks to adventurers like Terray I felt emboldened to try, and we eventually found our way to the top. I’ll never be an alpinist but this book has certainly reminded me to go to life rather than to wait for it.
“All my problems evaporated and life became one long enchantment”.
“I had now reached the condition of divine madness which makes a man oblivious to danger and renders all things possible”.
“Though ready for death, I had no wish to survive mutilated”.
Just two days ago a friend and I set our tents up underneath an imposing 750m monolith that looks over the Capertee Valley. Thanks to adventurers like Terray I felt emboldened to try, and we eventually found our way to the top. I’ll never be an alpinist but this book has certainly reminded me to go to life rather than to wait for it.
May 28, 2020
Mon père m’a offert ce livre quand j’étais petit garçon, et je pense qu’il n’y a peut-être pas meilleur récit pour faire aimer la montagne.
La vie de Lionel Terray, jusqu’à sa mort venue trop tôt, a été un conte de fée. De sa participation à l’expédition à l’Annapurna jusqu’à son triomphe au Makalu, Mr. Terray a fait frémir le monde par ses exploits.
Dans ce long récit, il nous fait part de sa pensée, qui est belle, noble, et très poétique.
Un livre canonique et à ne pas manquer pour les amoureux de la montagne.
La vie de Lionel Terray, jusqu’à sa mort venue trop tôt, a été un conte de fée. De sa participation à l’expédition à l’Annapurna jusqu’à son triomphe au Makalu, Mr. Terray a fait frémir le monde par ses exploits.
Dans ce long récit, il nous fait part de sa pensée, qui est belle, noble, et très poétique.
Un livre canonique et à ne pas manquer pour les amoureux de la montagne.
September 28, 2020
Perfect book to read in those bad weather days, while stuck in a tent and need a boost of morale. Amazing stories from incredible pioneer in alpine climbing. I feel like each of his chapters could have been a separate book on itself. Terray gave me a deeper respect to pioneers of alpinism. Very humble person with fascinating achievements. That he decided to stay with Sherpas and learn their way of living rather then going back home to collect the glory tells a lot about him. Love the book, can't wait to read it again.
November 14, 2014
It seems to be a good read for those interested in the history of climbing up till the late 50s and little in the early 60s. The writing style didn't make me want to read the whole book in one sitting but I have to say the section on Annapurna was my favorite part. The large majority seems to be more distant or similar to reporting facts interspersed with insight into the life/mind of a mountaineer. As a climber, I'm glad I read it, but not necessarily written well in my opinion.
December 2, 2019
Sweet to finally read this one. It's referenced by so many other mountaineering and climbing books, with good reason. Terray writes honestly and describes his adventures in a humble and entertaining style. He does an excellent job putting feeling to paper - describing the pull that mountains have on the psyche of those that continuously venture out into them. No ego, no fame, just a pure love of climbing and being really out there.
July 30, 2020
"¡Ay, loco para el que la felicidad sólo estará en el deseo, goza al menos el instante presente, déjate embriagar por este instante único en el que, suspendido entre el cielo y la tierra, casi flotando en la caricia del viento, dominas el mundo! ¡Embriágate de cielo, que es lo único que detiene tu mirada! Bajo tus pies, y hasta el infinito, emergiendo apenas del mar de nubes, a miles se elevan hacia ti flechas de rocas y hielo…”
February 28, 2011
Good book about the early mountaineering exploits of French pioneer Lionel Terray. As I don't know much about mountaineering I found some of his descriptions of events a little opaque, but still, this is an entertaining book.
April 21, 2017
Exceptional. Talents extend into both the alpine and literary worlds. Terray's writing reminds me of a non-fictional Hemmingway. The brevity by which he remarks on a death for example triggers the brain to start creating stories around it. Even for non-climbers this is a good book!
November 29, 2018
Este libro es genial. El título sin duda es otro acierto. El relato es un poco lento en ciertas ocasiones, pero cada episodio te logra transportar a aquellas expediciones y aventuras caracterizadas por logros excepcionales e historias de cordadas únicas. Gran libro para los amantes de la montaña.
March 30, 2020
No me levanté del sofá desde que lo abrí hasta que lo terminé de leer.
Es un libro que me mantuvo enganchada y que me hizo imaginar paisajes idílicos.
Te hace entender la pasión por un deporte que pocos pueden ver si no la experimentan.
Es un libro que me mantuvo enganchada y que me hizo imaginar paisajes idílicos.
Te hace entender la pasión por un deporte que pocos pueden ver si no la experimentan.
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