Nicolas Jaeger

Jaeger was born on 20 October 1946{{Cite web |title=Nicolas Jaeger, alpiniste et médecin |url=http://www.nicolas-jaeger.com/ |access-date=2022-07-07 |website=www.nicolas-jaeger.com}} in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, the son of photographer Janine Niépce.

The numerous solo ascents (including several first ascents made whilst climbing solo) that he made of notable alpine routes in the early seventies{{cite book | title=World Climbing| editor-last= Birtles | editor-first= Geoff |year=1980 | publisher= Dark Peak Ltd | pages=134, 163, 164, 202, 210, 239, 241, 278 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=TXYKAQAAIAAJ&q=%22jaeger%22+ISBN9780950627236 | isbn=9780950627236}} led on to a solo crossing of the Grandes Jorasses and then the first solo traverse of the {{ill|Chamonix Aiguilles|fr|Aiguilles de Chamonix}} in 1973. Then in August 1975 he made the first major modern enchainment in the Western Alps when, in 17 hours over two days, he made the first solo ascent of the Bonatti-Gobbi route on the Grand Pilier d'Angle, descended to the Upper Freney Glacier and then made the second solo ascent of the Central Pillar of Freney, thereby reaching the summit of Mont Blanc.;{{cite journal | last1= Griffin |first1=Lindsay |title=Above the Val de Bagnes | pages= 197–200 | journal= Alpine Journal |volume= 101 |issue= 345 | isbn=9780948153433 |url=https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1996_files/AJ%201996%20197-200%20Griffin%20Bagnes.pdf#page=2 |date=1996 |access-date=31 March 2024 }} in the light of that accomplishment he has been referred to as "the inventor of modern enchainments".{{cite web |last1=Ferrari |first1=Ivo |title= Loretan and Georges' Imperial Crown, merely the thought inspires |url=https://www.planetmountain.com/en/news/alpinism/loretan-and-georges-imperial-crown-merely-the-thought-inspires.html | website= Planet Mountain | publisher= |date=15 January 2016 |access-date=31 March 2024 }}

He was a member of a combined Franco-German expedition which was jointly led by Pierre Mazeaud & {{ill|Karl Herligkoffer|de}} in 1978.{{cite journal |last1= Herrligkoffer |first1= Karl |title= The German-French Mount Everest Expedition, 1978 |url=https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/36/7/the-german-french-mount-everest-expedition-1978/| journal= Himalayan Journal |volume= 36 |issue= |pages= 27–28 |date= 1980 |access-date=28 February 2024 }} On 15 October 1978 Pierre Mazeaud, Nicolas Jaeger and {{ill|Jean Afanassieff|fr}} became the first French nationals to reach the summit of Everest, having ascended by the "normal" South Col route. Kurt Diemberger filmed on the summit, and during the course of the ascent, for the documentary "Everest 78: Les Français sur le toit du monde".{{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=Everest 78 |url=https://www.mntnfilm.com/en/film/everest-78-1978 | website=MNTNFilm|publisher= |date= |access-date=31 March 2024 }} A heavy smoker, Jaeger lit and smoked an unfiltered Gitanes cigarette at the summit of Everest, which may be the highest altitude smoke break on record.{{Cite web |last=Annapurna |first=Kris |date=2024-03-15 |title=Alpine Mystery: Nicolas Jaeger's 1980 Disappearance on Lhotse Shar » Explorersweb |url=https://explorersweb.com/nicolas-jaegers-disappearance-lhotse-shar/ |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=Explorersweb}} Jaeger and Afanassieff then became the first to summit an eight-thousander mountain and then descend by skiing down the mountain, which they did from 8200m (below the south summit) to camp 1 at 6200m.{{cite web|url=http://www.jean-afanassieff.c.la|title=Jean Afanassieff: Alpiniste aventurier|accessdate=16 February 2013 |language=French | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211127082140/http://jean-afanassieff.c.la/ | archive-date= 27 November 2021}}{{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=Nicolas Jaeger |url=https://www.nicolas-jaeger.com/nicolas-jaeger-eng.html | website= |publisher= |date= |access-date=29 February 2024 }}{{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=Jean Afanassieff, a special mountaineering figure |url=https://www.mountainwilderness.org/2015/01/18/jean-afanassieff-special-mountaineering-figure-gone/ | website=Mountain Wilderness |publisher= |date= 18 January 2015|access-date=29 February 2024 }}{{cite journal |last1= Erickson |first1=Kristoffer |title= Asia, Tibet, Himalaya, Cho Oyu Ski Descent and Discussion of 8,000-meter Ski Descents | url = http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12200341603/Asia-Tibet-Himalaya-Cho-Oyu-Ski-Descent-and-Discussion-of-8000-meter-Ski-Descents | journal= American Alpine Journal |volume=45 |issue=77 |pages = 416–418 | issn= 0065-6925 | isbn= 9780930410933 |date=2003 |access-date= 29 February 2024 }}

His name is closely linked to mountaineering in the Peruvian Andes, his climbs in the Cordillera Blanca "represent one of the most sustained and serious spells of solo climbing yet accomplished". Over two visits, in 1977 & 1978 he made a number of solo and first ascents.{{cite journal |last1= Bouchard |first1= John |title= Cordillera Blanca, 1977 |url=http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12197848400/Cordillera-Blanca-1977 | journal= American Alpine Journal |volume=21 |issue=52 |pages = 484–488 | issn= 0065-6925 |date=1978 |access-date= 31 March 2024 }}{{cite journal | last1= Eckevarria |first1=E. |title=Notes: South America | pages= 244–245 | journal= Alpine Journal |volume= 83 |issue= 327 | url=https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1978_files/AJ%201978%20243-246%20Connor%20S%20America.pdf#page=2 |date=1978 |access-date=31 March 2024 }}{{cite journal | last1= |first1= |title=Notes: South America | page= 239| journal= Alpine Journal |volume= 84 |issue= 328 | url=https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1979_files/AJ%201979%20236-242%20Connor%20S%20America.pdf |date=1979 |access-date=31 March 2024 }} He returned in 1979, and from 27 July to 27 September 1979, he spent 60 days alone at {{convert|6700|m|ft}} altitude on Huascarán to study the effects of "super-acclimatisation" on himself. He filmed the documentary Opération survie as a record of his time on Huascarán{{cite web |last1= |first1= |title=Opération survie |url=https://www.mntnfilm.com/en/film/operation-survie-1979 | website=MNTNFilm|publisher= |date= |access-date=31 March 2024 }} and published an account of his experience in "Carnets de Solitude" later that year.{{cite web|url=http://www.masse-fr.com/critiques/carnets_jaeger.html|title=Carnets de Solitude|accessdate=16 February 2013 |language=French}}

On 27 April 1980, Jaeger was seen for the last time at {{convert|8200|m|ft}} altitude during an attempted ascent of Lhotse Shar in Nepal (8383m), and is presumed dead.{{cite news |last=Buffet |first=Charlie |title=Nicolas Jaeger au pays de l'oxygène rare |work=Le Monde |date=20 March 2005 |url=http://www.lemonde.fr/a-la-une/article/2005/03/20/nicolas-jaeger-au-pays-de-l-oxygene-rare_373250_3208.html?xtmc=nicolas_jaeger_au_pays_de_l_oxygene_rare&xtcr=1 |language=French |accessdate=29 June 2015 }}{{cite journal |last1= Cheney |first1= Michael J. |title= Lhotse Tragedy | url = http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198125401/Lhotse-Tragedy | journal= American Alpine Journal |volume=23 |issue=55 |page = 254 | issn= 0065-6925 | isbn=9780930410773 |date=1981 |access-date= 31 March 2024 }}

In 1983, climber Roger Marshall claimed to have found Jaeger's body 500m below the summit in a yellow and blue tent.{{Cite web |last=Annapurna |first=Kris |date=2024-03-15 |title=Alpine Mystery: Nicolas Jaeger's 1980 Disappearance on Lhotse Shar » Explorersweb |url=https://explorersweb.com/nicolas-jaegers-disappearance-lhotse-shar/ |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=Explorersweb}}

• 1972 – Arête Sans Nom on the Aiguille Verte, first solo ascent.{{cite magazine |last1= |first1= |title= INFO: The Alps – summer 1972 |url= | journal= Mountain |volume= |issue= 25 |pages = 14 |publisher= Mountain Magazine Ltd. |date= January 1973 | issn = 0964-3427 }}
• 1972 – North spur of Les Droites, first solo ascent.
• 1973 – North–south traverse of the {{ill|Chamonix Aiguilles|fr|Aiguilles de Chamonix}}, first solo traverse.{{cite magazine |last1= |first1= |title= INFO: The Alps |url= | journal= Mountain |volume= |issue= 30 |pages = 12 |publisher= Mountain Magazine Ltd. |date= November 1973 | issn = 0964-3427 }}
• 1975 – Bonatti–Gobbi route on the Grand Pilier d'Angle, first solo ascent.{{cite magazine |last1= |first1= |title= INFO: The Alps

|url= | journal= Mountain |volume= |issue= 45 |pages = 14 |publisher= Mountain Magazine Ltd. |date= September 1975 | issn = 0964-3427 }}

• 1977 – Santa Cruz Sur (6259m) by the N ridge, first ascent (solo), Cordillera Blanca, Peru.
• 1977 – Pucaranra (6147m) by the northwest ridge, first ascent (solo), Cordillera Blanca, Peru.{{cite magazine |last1= |first1= |title= INFO: The Andes |url= | journal= Mountain |volume= |issue= 58 |pages = 13 |publisher= Mountain Magazine Ltd. |date= November 1977 | issn = 0964-3427 }}
• 1977 – Palcaraju (6274m) by the Southeast Ridge, first ascent (solo), Cordillera Blanca, Peru.
• 1978 – Chacraraju Este (6001m), first solo of the peak, Cordillera Blanca, Peru.
• 1978 – Abasraju (5765m), solo and first ascent of the peak, Cordillera Blanca, Peru.
• 1978 – Taulliraju (5830m) by S face and SSE ridge, first ascent (solo), Cordillera Blanca, Peru.{{cite magazine |last1= |first1= |title= INFO: The Andes |url= | journal= Mountain |volume= |issue= 66 |pages = 11–12 |publisher= Mountain Magazine Ltd. |date= March 1979 | issn = 0964-3427 }}
• 1979 – Tsacra Grande Oeste (5774m) - first ascent of peak (with Al Rouse and Brian Hall),{{cite magazine |last1= |first1= |title= INFO: The Andes |url= | journal= Mountain |volume= |issue= 70 |pages = 14 |publisher= Mountain Magazine Ltd. |date= November 1979 | issn = 0964-3427 }} Cordillera Huayhuash, Peru.
• 1979 – Trapecio (5653m) by south-west ridge - first ascent (with Al Rouse and Brian Hall), Cordillera Huayhuash, Peru.

• List of ski descents of eight-thousanders
• List of 20th-century summiters of Mount Everest

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Category:1946 births

Category:1980 deaths

Category:Alpine guides

Category:French mountain climbers

Category:High-altitude medicine physicians

Category:Lost explorers

Category:Missing person cases in Nepal

Category:Mountaineering deaths

Category:Sport deaths in Nepal

Category:French ski mountaineers

Category:Deaths on Lhotse