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Walter Cecchinel

Walter Cecchinel born in 1946 in Cison di Valmarino in Italy is a French mountaineer. Walter Cecchinel arrived in France in 1949 and lived mainly in Haute-Savoie. After studying mechanics, he discovered the mountains at the age of twenty. He obtained his aspirant guide diploma in 1968 before obtaining that of high mountain guide in 1971. The following year, he became the youngest teacher at the National Ski and Mountaineering School in Chamonix and taught a new technique that he had developed, the ice axe-traction. This technique revolutionized in a few years the way of approaching ice climbing in France. The Scots were already using it without making it known for a few months. Walter Cecchinel developed this new way of climbing during the ascent of the first direct ascent of the north face of the Grand Pilier d'Angle in the Mont Blanc massif on 16 and 17 September 1971, accompanied by Georges Nominé. The first real application of the ice axe-traction in the Alps took place during the first winter route of the Lagarde Ségogne corridor at the Aiguille du Plan on 28, 29 and 30 December 1971, with his friend Claude Jager.