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Claude KoganFrench pioneering mountaineer
Date of Birth: 21.02.1919
Country:  France |
Content:
- Hélène Bouvier: Trailblazing French Alpinist
- Early Life and Introduction to Climbing
- Climbing and a New Chapter in Nice
- Expeditions in the Alps and Andes
- Solo Ascendance and Tragic Demise
Hélène Bouvier: Trailblazing French Alpinist
Hélène Bouvier, a pioneering French mountaineer, left an enduring legacy with her bold ascents in the Andes and Himalayas. Her life was tragically cut short in 1959 while leading an all-female expedition to Cho Oyu.
Early Life and Introduction to Climbing
Born in Paris in 1919, Bouvier hailed from humble beginnings. She left school at age 15 and became a seamstress. Her first climbing experience came in the Ardennes in Belgium during the war.
Climbing and a New Chapter in Nice
After relocating to Nice during the German occupation, Bouvier designed women's swimwear for clients including Christian Dior. During this time, she met and married mountaineer Georges Cogan, who ignited her passion for climbing.
Expeditions in the Alps and Andes
After the war, the couple joined the Groupe de Haute Montagne and made notable ascents in the Alps, including the north face of the Drus and the south ridge of the Aiguille Noire de Peuterey. In the early 1950s, they ventured to South America and made the first ascent of Alpamayo, as well as the summit of Kita-Harah (both with Nicole Leininger).
Solo Ascendance and Tragic Demise
Following her husband's untimely death in 1951, Bouvier returned to South America in 1952 and ascended Salcantay with an expedition led by Bernard Pierre. In 1953, she made her mark by becoming the first to climb Nun in India, reaching the summit with Pierre Vittoz after avalanches forced others to retreat.
The 1959 Cho Oyu expedition, notable for its all-female composition and international team of members, proved fateful. Bouvier, along with two Sherpas, was lost in an avalanche. The expedition was subsequently led by Dorothea Gravina.
