Struck by lightning on the Aiguille du Chardonnet - 12546ft (3824m)

Introduction
Virtual climb
Maps
Photos 1
Photos 2
Photos 3
Photos 4
Photos 5

Climb account
Triolet warm up
Climb summary
The hazards
To the hut
Bivouac
Early start
Tour glacier
Snowy cwm
The ice wall
La Bosse
Snowfield
Onto the arete
Icy traverse
To the summit
Leaving summit
Lightning strike
Scorched
Waiting in storm
Moving again
The couloir
The abseils
Hailstorm
Jammed ropes
The rimaye
Crevasses
Hut and down
Hospital
Final thoughts
 

lAn introduction to our day on the Aiguille du Chardonnet

I went to climb the Aiguille du Chardonnet with John Coward in August of 1994. The mountain is above the Chamonix valley in France and very near Mont Blanc. The climb should have been an exhilerating and spectacular day out on one of the great alpine routes.

Instead, John and I were caught in an electrical storm high on the mountain. Struck by lightning close to the summit of this isolated peak, we were both knocked unconscious and paralysed. What followed was a frightening struggle to get down off the mountain while the storm intensified. During the climb there were moments when I wondered if I would survive.

Here's my recollection of a climbing trip I'll never forget.

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