When you hear the name Remy, the first people climbers generally think of are Claude and Yves. For half a century, the two brothers have devoted their lives to climbing. They have opened thousands of routes and risen to legendary status in their sport in Switzerland. For more than thirty years, Mammut has supported and accompanied the two climbers with their projects. Their passion for climbing comes from their father. Marcel Remy took his sons out climbing for the first time in the 1960s. Now, it is him people are talking about.
In May 2017, when the 94-year-old told his sons Claude and Yves about his idea of climbing his favorite route on the Miroir de l’Argentine one more time, as well as the enthusiasm and resolve shining in their father’s eyes, they also saw the risks involved in such a project. Marcel is now the oldest member of the Swiss alpine club, Les Diablerets (Lausanne) division. Although he is still climbing today, this tour called for perfect preparation and training. The brothers planned the ascent in painstaking detail and put together a program for their father. This included repeated climbing of various grade five (Swiss scale) routes in climbing gyms, other more challenging tours and mountain hikes, as well as the routes Foxie (5a A0) on the Grimsel Pass and F.O.S.L. (5c) in Leonidio, Greece.
They are then ready. On August 21, 2017, Marcel sets off with his two sons to the Miroir de l’Argentine. The classic he had first scaled in 1946. Taking the steep Miroir path, they reach a bivouac point at the foot of the mountain that same day. The next morning, they complete the first three pitches up to 1,850 meters and then switch to the direct route leading up to the summit in 12 pitches at grade 5b+. At 3:15 pm on August 22, Marcel Remy arrives at the end of the route for more than the 200th time. He is exhausted but happy. After climbing for a few more meters toward the summit of the Haute Corde at 2,325 meters, he makes his way back down to the valley from the take-off point on a tandem flight with professional paraglider JeÌreÌmy PeÌclard.
An impressive performance - and undoubtedly a special experience for the Remy father and sons. A team led by movie-maker Nico Falquet filmed the ascent and preparation for Mammut. Their exciting documentary can now be viewed on the Mammut YouTube channel:
13 November 2017
