The Castaways Of Mont Blanc

Jan 1, 2002

0h 53m

★ 10.0

Overview

This documentary is a reconstruction, based on archive footage, testimonies, and filmed reconstructions, of the Vincendon / Henry tragedy. December 1956: Jean Vincendon and François Henry, two young mountaineers, aspire to join the High Mountain Group. Lacking experience, they set out to climb Mont Blanc via the Brenva spur in the middle of winter. The weather conditions deteriorated, and they decided to give up before meeting Walter Bonatti and Sylvano Gheser. They then decided to continue the climb and set off in two different roped parties. Bonatti decided to take refuge at the Vallot refuge higher up, rather than descend. The two young mountaineers, overcome by the poor weather conditions and fatigue, remained stuck for several days at 4,000 meters. What followed was a completely disorganized rescue operation that became, for more than ten days, a spectacle for all of France and a national tragedy.

Genres

History

Documentary

Drama

Production Companies

France•3

MFP

France•5

The Castaways Of Mont Blanc Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Self (archive footage)

Jean Vincendon

Self (archive footage)

François Henry

Self

Claude Dufourmantelle

Self (archive footage)

Lionel Terray

Self (archive footage)

Walter Bonatti

Self

Pierre Couttet

Self

Gilbert Chappaz

Self

Jacques Petetin

Self

Jean Brissaud

Self

Honoré Bonnet

Self

Jean Minster

Self (archive footage)

Louis Piraly

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