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Frêney 1961 – Adventure and Tragedy (1997)

Frêney 1961 – Adventure and Tragedy (1997)

Drama Adventure Documentary
Release Date: 1997, January 1
Directors: Fulvio Mariani, Alberto Eisenhardt
Countries: Switzerland
Production: RTS
Cast: Robert Guillaume, Walter Bonatti, Pierre Mazeaud, Pierre Kohlmann, Antoine Vieille, Andrea Oggioni

Overview:

On July 11, 1961, a rope team of seven men—led by the Italian Walter Bonatti and the Frenchman Pierre Mazeaud—set out to scale the Frêney Pillar on the south face of Mont Blanc. After days of grueling effort—and just as they were nearing their goal—they were trapped by a violent storm. Stranded at an altitude of over 4,500 meters in temperatures of minus 20 degrees, the seven climbers were forced to bivouac in hellish conditions. Exhausted, spent, and with one of their number injured, they displayed extraordinary solidarity, exemplary courage, and a determination that commands respect right to the very end. Yet the mountain proved cruel. Lost in fog, blinded by the darkness, and gripped by the cold, four of the seven climbers perished from exhaustion after a perilous five-day, five-night ordeal in hell. Only three made it down alive, including the Italian Walter Bonatti and the Frenchman Pierre Mazeaud.

Keywords:

alps alpinism mont blanc massif mountain history mountain accident mountaineering documentary mountain drama drame du frêney 1961