Pierre Allain
- Actor
Pierre Allain, born January 7, 1904 in Mirebeau (Vienne) and died December 19, 2000 in Saint-Martin-d'Uriage (Isère), was a French mountaineer and climber. He made the first ascent of the north face of the Petit Dru (1935) and led the assault rope of the first French expedition in the Himalayas, at Hidden Peak in the Karakoram, in 1936. He is also an inventor of technical innovations mountaineering. According to minister and mountaineer Pierre Mazeaud, Pierre Allain is the "first French mountaineer".
Pierre Allain, raised in Paris, discovered mountaineering on vacation in the Alps in the 1920s. In 1930, his friend Robert Latour introduced him to climbing in the forests of Fontainebleau and Chamarande. He therefore joined the Bleau Group (including Marcel Ichac, Pierre Chevalier, Jean Deudon, Raymond Gaché, Alain Le Ray, Jacques Boell, etc.). In 1930, he made his first real mountaineering season in the Alps with Robert Latour. Like the other Parisian mountaineers, he therefore spent the summer season in the Alps and climbed the rest of the year in Fontainebleau.
Among these are the facts of the life of Pierre Allain, in 1933: first of the south-west ridge of the Aiguille du Fou with Robert Latour. 1934: first of the south-west ridge of Pic Sans Nom with Jean Vernet and Jean Charignon and first of the south face of La Meije to Glacier Carré with Jean Vernet and Jean Leininger. 1935: first ascent of the north face of the Petit Dru with Raymond Leininger (without crampons, without mountain shoes, with a 7 mm diameter hemp rope). "This premiere toured Europe at the time. Then opening a "directissime" on the south face of La Meije from the Glacier Carré, with Raymond Leininger (end of the route opened in 1934). Also first on the east face of the Dent du Caïman with Raymond Leininger. 1936: first French expedition to the Himalayas (Karakoram) with his comrades Jean Leininger, Marcel Ichac, Jean Charignon, etc. The Hidden Peak assault rope (8,068 meters) led by Pierre Allain reached 6,850 meters and then had to abandon their positions due to the monsoon storm, 3 weeks ahead of schedule. 1937: first of the east ridge of the Dent du Crocodile with the brothers Jean Leininger and Raymond Leininger and first of the north-east ridge of the Grands Charmoz with Yves Feutren. 1938: premiere (without throwing a rope) of Le Doigt de l'Etala at the Petits Charmoz with Jean Leininger. Attempt at the Walker spur in the Grandes Jorasses with Raymond Leininger. The spur, a major challenge for European mountaineers at the time, was overcome a few days later by the Italians led by Riccardo Cassin. 1941: Pierre Allain works in Algeria on the Mediterranean-Niger railway site (later abandoned). 1944: participation in the Liberation of the Arve Valley. 1945: crossing the Aiguilles de Chamonix from Plan to Grands Charmoz with Guy Poulet. Using the lifter. 1946: third ascent of the Walker spur (of the Grandes Jorasses) with Guy Poulet, René Ferlet and Jacques Poincenot. 1947: premiere of the south-west face of the Cardinal with F. Aubert, Auguste Fix and J. Rousseau. First on the west face of Blaitière with Auguste Fix (who climbed in the lead), whose key passage, an overhanging crack with a flared edge, had to be in the maximum difficulty of the time (6 sup). Performing the second ascent, Terray and Lachenal confirmed that this route exceeded in rock difficulty anything known in the Mont Blanc massif. 1950: Pierre Allain cannot participate in the Annapurna expedition for health reasons (his comrade from the Bleau Group Marcel Ichac will be the only "old man" of the 1936 Karakoram expedition to leave for Annapurna) . First of the northwest ridge of the Grands Charmoz with Marcel Schatz (member of the Annapurna expedition). A modest man, above all a craftsman, Pierre Allain refuses the presidency of the High Mountain Group (GHM), which brings together the elite of French and even world mountaineering. 1963: Pierre Allain leaves Paris to settle permanently in the Alps, in Uriage in the Dauphiné. He devotes his time to his workshop which manufactures light carabiners, caving ladders, etc. 1984: at the age of 80, he climbs the Boell route at La Dibona, with his son Paul.
In 1934-1935, Pierre Allain, a former worker, opened a store in Paris (8, rue des Ciseaux, 75006) to sell mountain articles of his invention. Pierre Allain indeed invented: The quilt sleeping bag (but the principle of the sleeping bag already existed), the bivouac hood, the elephant's foot, the quilt jacket. Launched by Pierre Allain around 1935, this equipment makes it possible to set up bivouacs in the high mountains. This material was taken over by various manufacturers. The light alloy carabiner (65 g instead of 140 g) with improved spring (1933). The carabiner was invented in 1914 by Hans Dülfer. The "PA" climbing shoe, with a smooth rubber sole, would become the standard rock climbing item, replacing the espadrilles (1935, marketed in 1948). The PA concept was first taken up by Édouard Bourdonneau's EB, then by other shoe manufacturers. Among mountaineers, the PA ends up replacing the Vibram (from the Italian Vitale Bramani) more adapted to the increased difficulty of the climbs. The Descender (1943). Until then, the descents are executed with the rope taken between the legs and the shoulder (recall in S). This descendant avoids burns on the body. Mountaineers were initially wary, however, and "The Descendant, modified by another manufacturer, would not become common until the 1960s." The dropout that allows you to abseil 60 meters on a 60-meter rope by saving the double rope when abseiling. The rope, tied on a spring-loaded hook, is only held together by the tension due to the weight of the mountaineer who is descending (when the wall is vertical, the weight of the rope alone is enough to keep the hook closed, in this case it is necessary to relieve the weight of the rope with a flick of the wrist so that the rope and the dropout fall). As soon as the climber releases the rope from its weight, the system falls with the rope. However, the system remains unpopular with mountaineers, because of its delicate use.
Pierre Allain, raised in Paris, discovered mountaineering on vacation in the Alps in the 1920s. In 1930, his friend Robert Latour introduced him to climbing in the forests of Fontainebleau and Chamarande. He therefore joined the Bleau Group (including Marcel Ichac, Pierre Chevalier, Jean Deudon, Raymond Gaché, Alain Le Ray, Jacques Boell, etc.). In 1930, he made his first real mountaineering season in the Alps with Robert Latour. Like the other Parisian mountaineers, he therefore spent the summer season in the Alps and climbed the rest of the year in Fontainebleau.
Among these are the facts of the life of Pierre Allain, in 1933: first of the south-west ridge of the Aiguille du Fou with Robert Latour. 1934: first of the south-west ridge of Pic Sans Nom with Jean Vernet and Jean Charignon and first of the south face of La Meije to Glacier Carré with Jean Vernet and Jean Leininger. 1935: first ascent of the north face of the Petit Dru with Raymond Leininger (without crampons, without mountain shoes, with a 7 mm diameter hemp rope). "This premiere toured Europe at the time. Then opening a "directissime" on the south face of La Meije from the Glacier Carré, with Raymond Leininger (end of the route opened in 1934). Also first on the east face of the Dent du Caïman with Raymond Leininger. 1936: first French expedition to the Himalayas (Karakoram) with his comrades Jean Leininger, Marcel Ichac, Jean Charignon, etc. The Hidden Peak assault rope (8,068 meters) led by Pierre Allain reached 6,850 meters and then had to abandon their positions due to the monsoon storm, 3 weeks ahead of schedule. 1937: first of the east ridge of the Dent du Crocodile with the brothers Jean Leininger and Raymond Leininger and first of the north-east ridge of the Grands Charmoz with Yves Feutren. 1938: premiere (without throwing a rope) of Le Doigt de l'Etala at the Petits Charmoz with Jean Leininger. Attempt at the Walker spur in the Grandes Jorasses with Raymond Leininger. The spur, a major challenge for European mountaineers at the time, was overcome a few days later by the Italians led by Riccardo Cassin. 1941: Pierre Allain works in Algeria on the Mediterranean-Niger railway site (later abandoned). 1944: participation in the Liberation of the Arve Valley. 1945: crossing the Aiguilles de Chamonix from Plan to Grands Charmoz with Guy Poulet. Using the lifter. 1946: third ascent of the Walker spur (of the Grandes Jorasses) with Guy Poulet, René Ferlet and Jacques Poincenot. 1947: premiere of the south-west face of the Cardinal with F. Aubert, Auguste Fix and J. Rousseau. First on the west face of Blaitière with Auguste Fix (who climbed in the lead), whose key passage, an overhanging crack with a flared edge, had to be in the maximum difficulty of the time (6 sup). Performing the second ascent, Terray and Lachenal confirmed that this route exceeded in rock difficulty anything known in the Mont Blanc massif. 1950: Pierre Allain cannot participate in the Annapurna expedition for health reasons (his comrade from the Bleau Group Marcel Ichac will be the only "old man" of the 1936 Karakoram expedition to leave for Annapurna) . First of the northwest ridge of the Grands Charmoz with Marcel Schatz (member of the Annapurna expedition). A modest man, above all a craftsman, Pierre Allain refuses the presidency of the High Mountain Group (GHM), which brings together the elite of French and even world mountaineering. 1963: Pierre Allain leaves Paris to settle permanently in the Alps, in Uriage in the Dauphiné. He devotes his time to his workshop which manufactures light carabiners, caving ladders, etc. 1984: at the age of 80, he climbs the Boell route at La Dibona, with his son Paul.
In 1934-1935, Pierre Allain, a former worker, opened a store in Paris (8, rue des Ciseaux, 75006) to sell mountain articles of his invention. Pierre Allain indeed invented: The quilt sleeping bag (but the principle of the sleeping bag already existed), the bivouac hood, the elephant's foot, the quilt jacket. Launched by Pierre Allain around 1935, this equipment makes it possible to set up bivouacs in the high mountains. This material was taken over by various manufacturers. The light alloy carabiner (65 g instead of 140 g) with improved spring (1933). The carabiner was invented in 1914 by Hans Dülfer. The "PA" climbing shoe, with a smooth rubber sole, would become the standard rock climbing item, replacing the espadrilles (1935, marketed in 1948). The PA concept was first taken up by Édouard Bourdonneau's EB, then by other shoe manufacturers. Among mountaineers, the PA ends up replacing the Vibram (from the Italian Vitale Bramani) more adapted to the increased difficulty of the climbs. The Descender (1943). Until then, the descents are executed with the rope taken between the legs and the shoulder (recall in S). This descendant avoids burns on the body. Mountaineers were initially wary, however, and "The Descendant, modified by another manufacturer, would not become common until the 1960s." The dropout that allows you to abseil 60 meters on a 60-meter rope by saving the double rope when abseiling. The rope, tied on a spring-loaded hook, is only held together by the tension due to the weight of the mountaineer who is descending (when the wall is vertical, the weight of the rope alone is enough to keep the hook closed, in this case it is necessary to relieve the weight of the rope with a flick of the wrist so that the rope and the dropout fall). As soon as the climber releases the rope from its weight, the system falls with the rope. However, the system remains unpopular with mountaineers, because of its delicate use.