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Georges Charlet

Georges René Charlet, born November 23, 1901 in the Chamonix valley in Argentière (France), was one of the greatest mountain guides of his generation. Very young, he and his brother, Armand Charlet, became aspiring guides (we said porters at the time) and from the age of 22 they were guides. Still somewhat in the shadow of the exploits of Armand Charlet, Georges' career was nevertheless quite exceptional. He married Marie germaine Coutte on November 6, 1923 in Couttet on November 6, 1923. In 1928, Georges Charlet made the first descent of the Arête des Grands Montets after it had been climbed in 1925 by mountaineers “without guides”, Henri de Ségogne, Jacques Lagarde and Pierre Dalloz. It was a great disappointment for Georges and Armand to have the first ascent of this obvious ridge stolen from them, which rises directly above their native village of Frasserands. Georges threw himself into this perilous descent without pitons and without carabiners, just an abseiling rope, in a roped party of three. He also made the first of the North face of the Col du Pain de Sucre in the Aiguilles de Chamonix. To climb this glacial slope at more than 60 degrees over almost 300 meters, he cut for 9 hours, steps 60 centimeters high in the ice... roped up by four, two customers and an aspiring guide, no one is insured and each climbs the steps in turn. Once halfway up the slope, you had to get out at the top because any backtracking would have been even more dangerous.