Acting
Feb 18, 1961
La-Roche-sur-Foron, Haute-Savoie, France
Benoît Chamoux
Acting
Biography
Benoît Chamoux was a French mountaineer, born on February 19, 1961, in La Roche-sur-Foron, Haute-Savoie, and died on October 6, 1995, at the age of 34, on Kangchenjunga in Nepal. A reserved but curious child, he grew up in a mountain environment where peaks were part of the daily landscape and developed a strong taste for physical exertion, navigation, and the outdoors from a very young age. As a teenager, he discovered mountaineering in local clubs, trained in climbing and ice climbing techniques, and quickly demonstrated extraordinary abilities, both in terms of his endurance and his determination. Drawn to high mountains from a young age, he climbed the Diamond Couloir on Mount Kenya, Kenya, in 1982. The following year, in 1983, he climbed the south face of Huascarán in Peru, before turning his attention to the Himalayas, where he quickly established himself as one of the most brilliant mountaineers of his generation. From 1985 onwards, he summited a string of 8,000-meter peaks, climbing thirteen of the fourteen 8,000-meter peaks in the world between 1985 and 1995—a feat that made him a major figure in French mountaineering. A proponent of fast and lightweight ascents, which he called "express ascents," he completed several high-level solo climbs, notably on Gasherbrum II, Gasherbrum I, Broad Peak, and K2, which he summited in record time. A leader of international teams in extreme conditions, he also spearheaded the "Team Spirit" project, where he demonstrated his leadership qualities as well as his commitment to humanity. In 1992, Chamoux distinguished himself by directing the first satellite measurement of Everest's altitude from the summit, installing some fifteen kilograms of instruments on the peak to obtain a reading of 8,846 meters with unprecedented precision. He then continued his scientific and sporting expeditions, notably climbing Dhaulagiri in 1993 and Lhotse in 1994, while also participating in high-altitude medical research. On May 7, 1995, he reached the summit of Makalu, his thirteenth 8,000-meter peak, although this ascent would later be debated by some Himalayan mountaineering commentators. In the autumn of 1995, he set out for his fourteenth and final major summit, Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak at 8,586 meters. On October 6, 1995, just a few dozen meters from the summit, he disappeared along with cameraman Pierre Royer and their Sherpa Riku, leaving his quest to summit all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks unfinished. Five months after his death, his widow, Fabienne Clauss, established the Benoît Chamoux Foundation, under the auspices of the Fondation de France, to honor his memory and continue his commitment to the communities of the high Himalayan valleys. Through his sporting achievements, his penchant for taking risks, and his reflections on the meaning of commitment in the mountains, Benoît Chamoux remains an emblematic figure of modern Himalayan mountaineering, often referred to as a “little prince of the Himalayas.”
Feature Films (4)
An international expedition led by French mountaineer Benoit Chamoux reached the summit of Annapurna (8091 m) on Tuesday, May 10, 1988, via its south face, one of the most difficult routes in the Himalayas. The expedition, named "L'Esprit d'Equipe" (The Spirit of Team), financed by the computer company Bull (Chamoux thus secured one of the largest contracts in the history of mountaineering: twenty million francs to carry out his project), aimed to reach six peaks over 8,000 meters, as a full team, within three years: Annapurna, Everest, Manaslu, Cho Oyu, Makalu, and Kangchenjunga. The challenge results: in 1988: Annapurna (8091 m) - 5 out of 6 men reached the summit, 1988: failed on Everest, 200 m below the summit, 1989: Manaslu (8183 m) - 8 out of 8 men reached the summit in 4 teams of 2, 1990: Cho Oyu (8201 m) - 7 out of 7 men reached the summit, 1990: Shisha Pangma (8013 m) - 7 out of 7 men reached the summit.
Annapurna 88
To understand the difficulties of an ascent to over eight thousand metres, it is enough to remember the almost 300 victims these peaks have claimed. The Swiss alpinist Ehrart Loretan, the third alpinist in the world to have climbed all 14 8,000, and the Austrian alpinist Kurt Diemgerger cover the whole history of the conquest of the world’s 8,000, from the fifties to the present day, together with other alpinists and film directors who have climbed them. They talk about their experienced when they ventured into the death zone.
The Death Zone
K2 Chasing Shadows chronicles Benjamin Védrines' record-breaking 2024 ascent of K2 (8,611m) in 10 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds, without supplemental oxygen: a story that unfolds as much in the mind as on the mountain. In human exploration, each boundary pushed awakens a new thirst. Each feat paves the way for a deeper quest. It is this tension between extreme performance and inner aspiration that drives K2 Chasing Shadows. For Benjamin Védrines, it is a journey of humility, resilience, and a search for meaning amidst the raw beauty of the Pakistani Karakoram. The film exposes the physical demands of a formidable summit, while also exploring fear, loss, and the perilous nature of dreams that demand total commitment. Between unforeseen obstacles, forced retreats and new attempts, Védrines faces the most trying and exhilarating aspects of mountaineering, constantly questioning where true accomplishment lies.
K2 Chasing Shadows
Television & Series (2)
"Bains de minuit" (Midnight Baths) was a late-night talk show hosted by Thierry Ardisson on La Cinq in the late 1980s, filmed in the famous Parisian nightclub Les Bains Douches. Ardisson interviewed personalities from the worlds of music, film, fashion, literature, sports, and politics, seated among the audience in the club's authentic atmosphere. The concept was to immerse these personalities in the world of nightlife and festivities, far removed from traditional television studios. The interviews were often irreverent and direct, with a provocative tone that would become Ardisson's trademark. He considers this show one of his freest and most audacious creations. It helped solidify his image as a cosmopolitan, transgressive, and highly scripted late-night talk show host.
Bains de Minuit
This is the story, in eight episodes, of the conquest of Mount Everest in the Himalayas and its impact on the world. We meet the climbers who reached the summit and those who perished attempting the ascent. We encounter the Sherpa people, an ethnic group originating from Tibet, explore high-altitude mountaineering techniques, and hear the stories of expedition leaders and team members throughout their journey, while cameras capture every danger on the icy peaks. Viewers will remember that Everest is a world of illusions, a world that can become hostile in an instant, swept by fierce winds and deadly ice slides. A more recent, political, ecological, and economic perspective focuses primarily on present-day Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan and their economies, including the Tibetan carpet industry and the Chinese occupation.