Lionel Terray (25 July 1921 – 19 September 1965) was a French climber who made many first ascents, including on the 1955 French Makalu expedition in the Himalaya (with Jean Couzy on 15 May 1955) and Cerro Fitz Roy in the Patagonian Andes (with Guido Magnone in 1952).
A climbing guide and ski instructor, Terray was active in mountain combat against Germany during World War II. After the war, he became well known as one of the best Chamonix climbers and guides, noted for his speedy ascents of some of the most notorious climbs in the French, Italian, and Swiss Alps: the Walker Spur of the Grandes Jorasses, the south face of the Aiguille Noire de Peuterey, the north-east face of Piz Badile, and the north face of the Eiger. Terray, frequently with climbing partner Louis Lachenal, broke previous climbing speed records.
Terray was a member of Maurice Herzog's 1950 expedition to the Nepalese Himalayan peak, Annapurna, the highest peak climbed at the time, and the first 8000-meter peak climbed (although British climbers George Mallory, Andrew Irvine, George Finch, Geoffrey Bruce, Henry Morshead, Teddy Norton and Howard Somervell had reached higher altitudes on Mount Everest during the 1920s). Terray did not reach the summit of Annapurna, but together with the Sherpa Adjiba he aided summiteers Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal down from the mountain. Both Herzog and Lachenal experienced extreme frostbite and subsequently underwent amputations.
Despite these events, the French team returned to Paris to huge public acclaim, and Herzog's expedition book Annapurna became an international bestseller.
Terray made the second ascent of the North Face of the Eiger in 1947, with Louis Lachenal. He was also one of the main participants in the great attempt to rescue four climbers trapped on the north face of the Eiger in 1957. This mission forms the subject of Jack Olsen's 1962 book, The Climb Up To Hell, in which Terray's skill and bravery receive special mention.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Terray made a number of first ascents in Peru, including the highest unclimbed peak in the central Andes at the time, 6,395-metre (20,981 ft) Huantsan. He also made first ascents of lower but more difficult peaks, including Willka Wiqi, Soray, Tawllirahu, and Chakrarahu/Chacraraju, possibly the hardest peak in the Peruvian Andes and considered unclimbable at the time. One of Terray's finest achievements was the first ascent of 7,710-metre (25,295 ft) Jannu in Nepal in 1962. He also climbed the Nilgiris near Annapurna, and led the successful 1964 first ascent of 3,730-metre (12,240 ft) Mount Huntington, in the Alaska Range, by the northwest ridge.Terray organised a rescue attempt of two climbers stranded on Mont Blanc in December 1956. For this he was expelled from the Chamonix Guide's Association, which had refused to participate in the rescue from the start on the grounds that the risk to the rescuers would be too great. Due to the fact that no other guides would accompany him, Terray set out a small team of amateurs. They were turned back on 1 January 1957 either by poor weather or on the understanding that a helicopter would attempt a rescue the following day. Terray was highly critical of the Chamonix Guide Association's inaction when the alarm had first been raised.Terray died on a rock climb in the Vercors, south of Grenoble, on 19 September 1965, several years after the publication of his climbing memoir, Conquistadors of the Useless. There were rumors that Terray was functionally illiterate and the book was ghost-written; however in a Foreword written by author and climber David Roberts to an English edition, he confirms he found the original manuscript written in Terray's hand which is word for word what was published, dispelling any notion that Terray did not write the book entirely himself.His grave is situated in Chamonix, France. A traffic circle is named for him in Chamonix, WSW of town.
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Some of their strengths
Lionel Terray has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Confident, Energetic, Optimistic, Extroverted, Passionate, Brave, and Honest.
Bold and Confident
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Lionel Terray is someone who is a bold, confident, energetic, and optimistic person, who is able to combine personal warmth and charisma with intelligence. A person who is ambitious and motivated.
Helpful and Supportive
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Lionel Terray well know them as someone who can be accepting, supportive, and productive, like a garden.
Courteous and Easygoing
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Lionel Terray as someone who is polite, modest, and diplomatic.
A person who tends to be socially popular, who loves intellectual or creative activities, who has a talent for communicating with and understanding the needs of others, and who seems to have a knack for getting recognized for their efforts.
Courageous and Strong
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Lionel Terray is someone who is a risk-taker and a pioneer who only gets stronger through the hardships that are encountered in life.
They are also someone who is confident and creative, and who has a love for starting new projects, inventing new things, and giving back to the community.
Creative and Leadership-oriented
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Lionel Terray tends to be someone who is a natural leader, with determination, motivational powers, and who takes obligations seriously. Who has charisma, a sense of humor, and who tends to attract attention.
Some of Lionel Terray's challenges
While Lionel Terray has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Lionel Terray can be Arrogant, Status-seeking, Short-tempered, Impulsive, Complicated, Brusque, and Indecisive.
Arrogant and Status-seeking
One of Lionel Terray's key challenges is that they are someone who can come across as arrogant and status-seeking.
Lionel Terray must also exercise caution as they can be short-tempered and aggressive.
Indecisive and Materialistic
Lionel Terray is someone who can be indecisive, indulgent, and materialistic, who can have difficulty focusing on a single career or profession, have difficulty following orders or respecting authority, and who can suffer from "analysis paralysis".
Domineering and Stubborn
Finally, Lionel Terray also can be too rebellious, not respond to criticism well, and be too emotional and extreme about things.
