François Devouassoud

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Francois Devouassoud in a photograph by William de Wiveleslie Abney Devouassoud22.jpg
François Devouassoud in a photograph by William de Wiveleslie Abney

François Devouassoud (September 1831 – 1905) was a French mountain guide who made many first ascents in the Alps, notably as guide to Douglas William Freshfield, who claimed that Devouassoud "was the first Alpine guide to carry his ice-axe to the snows of a distant range". [1]

Mountain guide mountaineering expert who guides travellers or other mountaineers on their path

A mountain guide is a specially trained and experienced professional mountaineer who is certified by national mountain guide associations which are affiliated to the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA). They are considered to be high-level experts in mountaineering, and are hired to instruct or lead individuals or small groups who require this advanced expertise. This professional class of guides arose in the middle of the 19th century when Alpine climbing became recognized as a sport.

Alps major mountain range system in Central Europe

The Alps are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, separating Southern from Central and Western Europe and stretching approximately 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) across eight Alpine countries : France, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia. The mountains were formed over tens of millions of years as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided. Extreme shortening caused by the event resulted in marine sedimentary rocks rising by thrusting and folding into high mountain peaks such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. Mont Blanc spans the French–Italian border, and at 4,810 m (15,781 ft) is the highest mountain in the Alps. The Alpine region area contains about a hundred peaks higher than 4,000 metres (13,000 ft).

Contents

Life

Devouassoud was born in 1831 in the hamlet of Les Barats [2] in the Chamonix valley. The eldest of three brothers, both of whom were also guides, Devouassoud was educated at Sallanches, and subsequently at Bonneville. [2] He passed some time in a Jesuit seminary in his youth and he contemplated becoming a priest [3] but returned to Chamonix.

Chamonix Commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, more commonly known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924.

Sallanches Commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Sallanches is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department of France with a resident population of over 16,000. Located close to the Mont Blanc massif, many visitors pass through the city en route to other well-known alps towns such as Chamonix, Megève or Saint-Gervais-les-Bains. Sallanches is also one of the cities of the Arve Valley, made popular by the presence of many high-tech industries. Over 300 stores are located in Sallanches, making this city a commercial hub.

Bonneville, Haute-Savoie Subprefecture and commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France

Bonneville is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.

Mountaineering

Alps

He was admitted to the Compagnie des guides de Chamonix in 1849. [4] Amongst those who sought his services in the Alps were Freshfield, W. A. B. Coolidge, Francis Fox Tuckett, Horace Walker, Adolphus Warburton Moore and Charles Comyns Tucker. Devouassoud was treasurer of the Compagnie des guides de Chamonix for ten years,<c&a2/> but refused the post of president.

W. A. B. Coolidge American historian, theologian and mountaineer

William Augustus Brevoort Coolidge was an American historian, theologian and mountaineer.

Francis Fox Tuckett English mountain climber

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Horace Walker English mountaineer

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Claire Engel offers the following portrait of Devouassoud, based on the account of Freshfield:

Though perhaps not an outstanding climber, Devouassoud was cetainly more than a good guide. He loved exploration and always felt at home in the mountains, whether in Sikkim or Algeria or on the Rowenzori.Though he started guiding very early, in 1849, he knew how to manage a rope and how to proceed on snow slopes. He was able to save the lives of several of his employers. He was at his best on ice. But this grave, refined man, who had a keen sense of humour and taste for culture, was not only an excellent leader on a mountain, he was an ideal companion on long expeditions. [5]

Greater Ranges

As Freshfield stated, Devouassoud was the first alpine guide to work in the greater ranges. Cunningham and Abney write that he was "the doyen of the pioneers who have set out at different times for the Caucasus, the Himalayas, New Zealand, or the Andes". [3] In 1868 he made the first ascents of Kazbek and the east summit of Elbrus in the Caucasus.

Caucasus region in Eurasia bordered on the south by Iran, on the southwest by Turkey, on the west by the Black Sea, on the east by the Caspian Sea, and on the north by Russia

The Caucasus or Caucasia is an area situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea and occupied by Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. It is home to the Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus mountain range, which has historically been considered a natural barrier between Eastern Europe and Western Asia.

In 1887 he was the subject of a photograph by Abney, possibly the one illustrating this article, entitled "A Chamounix Guide, Francois Devouassoud" at the 32nd Exhibition of Photographic Society of Great Britain. [6]

First ascents

Presanella mountain in Italy

Presanella is a mountain in the Adamello-Presanella range of the Italian Alps of northern Italy. Presanella has an elevation of 3,558 meters and is located in the Adamello Brenta National Park within the Trentino province of Italy.

Bietschhorn mountain in Switzerland


The Bietschhorn is a mountain in canton Wallis to the south of the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. The northeast and southern slopes of the mountain are part of the Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site that also includes the Jungfrau and the Aletsch Glacier. The Bietschhorn is located on the south side of the Lötschental valley and form part of the UNESCO World Heritage Region at the north end of the Bietschtal valley and Baltschiedertal valley. Most climbers approach the mountain from either the Bietschhornhütte or the Baltschiederklause.

Piz Badile mountain between Italy and Switzerland

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Bibliography

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Freshfield, 1902, p. 18.
  2. 1 2 Cunningham and Abney, 1888, p. 105
  3. 1 2 Cunningham and Abney, 1888, p. 28
  4. Cunningham and Abney, 1888, p. 107
  5. Claire Engel, Mountaineering in the Alps, London: George Allen and Unwin, 1971, p. 156.
  6. "Exhibitions of the Royal Photographic Society 1870-1915: Catalogue records from the annual exhibitions", erps.dmu.ac.uk. Accessed 23 August 2012
  7. Robin Collomb, Bregaglia West, Goring: West Col Productions, 1988
  8. Cunningham and Abney, 1888, p. 109