“The explorer of vertical horizons”
He is a free mountaineer and philosopher who left all technical performances behind himself to concentrate on exploring the most vertical areas of the planet. He actually describes himself as “the explorer of vertical horizons”. Lionel Daudet, aka ‘the Dod’ is a spider-man who first conquered many of the world’s most inaccessible regions – from the Amazon to the Far North. This free spirit always travels as light as possible, without assistance or radio.
Born in the French department of Maine-et-Loire in 1968, he decides in 1992 to specialize in extreme mountaineering. Later on he turns down competition in order to be able to explore the world, with eyes wide open.
Then in 2007 he successfully completes the Georgia Sat expedition with Isabelle Autissier. A project that consists in crossing South Georgia lenghtways.
Lionel now lives in Argentière la Bessée in the Hautes-Alpes (France) and is a professional mountaineer, photographer, writer, lecturer and mountain guide. As he likes to say : “climbing means more than just going up a mountain”.
Whatever the place, Lionel Daudet continues climbing his “inner mountain” – beautiful title of one of his books, project after project and year after year…
2011
Lionel Daudet is about to start a new project: “Sur le Fil de la France”. The idea is to go around Metropolitan France, following its terrestrial frontiers and its littoral as much as possible without using any motorised mode of transport. The adventure will begin at the end of July 2011 in the Mont-Blanc and will last one year.
2008
May: Publication of the book Versant Océan: l’île du bout du monde that he wrote together with Isabelle Autissier and that recounts his adventures during the Georgia Sat expedition.
2007
Autumn: Georgia Sat expedition consisting in crossing South Georgia lengthways. Also participating were Isabelle Autissier, Manu Cauchy and Philippe Batoux. An adventure mixing mountaineering in unexplored territories and navigation in hostile seas. The team successfully completed the expedition after 11 days in extreme climate conditions and reaching the most inaccessible summits.
2006
-Nov/Dec: TELROSS expedition to the Kerguelen islands involving telemedicine and advanced mountaineering. With Manu Cauchy, Seb Foissac, Philippe Pellet and Véro Daudet. Numerous “World Firsts” were achieved, most notably the amazing “Traversée de la Lune”, a 30-hour vertical ascent to link up the Petit and the Grand Ross.
-March: “Little big men” with Philippe Batoux in remembrance of Damien Charignon and Jean-Christophe Lafaille. A beautiful 8-day alpine trip on the East face of the Grandes Jorasses.
2005
Winter: He completes within 9 days and for the first time in history the “fractal dimension” on the North face of Gramusat, linking the waterfall of ice to the “Grande paroi”. With Sébastien Foissac, Anthony Lamiche and Philippe Pellet.
-Trip to Bolivia where he discovers zones of climbing blocks with Anthony Lamiche, Isabelle Carrier and Stephan Denys.
- He attempts the completion of the trilogy of the “directissimes” again but gives up after three days in the Eiger. He renounces to solo climbing for good – “a summit had been reached…”
2004
He receives the Gold Medal award from the French Ministry of Youth and Sports
-Skyline: The adventure next door: Together with Philippe Pellet, he climbs over 250km of ridges in the Oisans (France) within less than 2 months –they had to set camp more than 30 times. An adventure that showed a new face of alpine mountaineering.
-Trip to Bolivia in most remote areas.
- November : Publication of “La montagne intérieure” (Grasset)
2003
Trip to Patagonia, up to the Falklands.
Trip to India in the Himalayas.
Named Ambassador of the “Pays des Ecrins” (France)
2002
-He completes de Trilogy of the “Directissimes”
-January: first solo winter adventure on the North face of the Grandes Jorasses – 14 days.
-He receives the Cristal award from the FFME
-He links Chamonix to Zematt without mechanical means (ski touring, bicycle)
-In February he attempts to repeat the directissime “aux amis disparus” on the North face of the Cervin. After a 9-day struggle he climbs back down, severely frozen.
In March he undergoes the amputation of 8 of his toes and a long convalescence time begins…
2001
After finishing his base camp –i.e. his house, he travels to the Nepalese Himalayas with Seb Foissac and François Lombard. But they were forced to retreat because the way was not properly formed and they lacked of time.
He opens a brand new route in the Cerces – “Ils ont tué Massoud”. An extremely difficult route that was not equipped those days, with 70m in a minimum difficulty level of 8a. With Philippe Pellet.
2000
He receives the Piolet d’Or 2000 award and the Cristal FFME Chamonix 2000 award after his Alaska 99 expedition to the Burkett Needle
He is chosen by the French magazine Le Point as one of the 100 French personalities that will become symbols of the noughties.
Dry-tooling ascent of Quartier Nord in Fressinière. M10
Trip to Peru in remote Cordillera.
He opens “Pasta Religion” in Puscanturpa Norte, Peru. 7a+ max, 16 days of climbing, 8 of which in the wall. With François Lombard and Xavier Baudry.
Nominated for the Cristal FFME award.
1999
He opens a new route in 25 days: “Voyage des clochards celestas” in the Burkett Needle, Alaska. 7a+, A3+, 1200m.
41 days spent in complete autonomy with Sébastien Foissac.
ENSA Chamonix: he becomes Mountain Guide
1998
He tries to find a way through the Mont Combattant- British Columbia, Canada- after a 3-week march to get to the foot of the mountain. With Damien Daudet, Georges Jouzeaux and Jean-Michel Zweiacker.
1996/97
The Odyssée Verticale: climbing huge walls in roped-party from Greenland to Patagonia across the Americas and during 16 months. Together with Benoit Robert, he opens a new route: “L’Inespéré” on the west face of Suikarsuak, Greenland: 1000m, 13 days in the wall with pitches up to 7b and A4+. Nomination for the Piolet d’Or and the Cristal.
The Big walls in the US with Damien Daudet: 4 days climbing the unusual Dragon Route (700m, A3), Black Canyon of Gunnison River, Colorado
Third ascent of the Streaked Wall in Zion (Utah), a then A5 route.
Mexico: Speed climbing of the Giraffe route in Gran Trono Blanco (500m, A3+)
He travels during one year across Canada, Venezuela, Patagonia…
ENSA Chamonix: he becomes aspirant mountain guide
Award winner of the Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet Foundation.
Member of the American Alpine Club
1994/95
-World Tour of the most difficult summits and walls. 12 solo high-level ascents in 12 months with among others: 2 routes in Mount Kenya – Diamond Couloir in 2hours, the first ascent of the north-east ridge of the Savoia Peak (Ruwenzori), the first solo ascent of the east face of Poï, two solo openings of Shantidas in the Savandurga Hills, opening of the “offrandes de pierres” route in Gumburanjon (virgin summit in the Zanskar region of the Indian Himalayas), opening of the “histoires d’amitiés” route with Georges Jouzeau and Nicolas Vigneron and then ascent of the same route in solo, opening of the “qui se souvient des hommes?” route in Patagonia, opening of the “la femme de ma vie” route at the Aiguille de la S, and second ascent -1st solo, of the “Petit Prince” route in the Aiguille St Exupéry.
-Lionel Daudet was elected Adventurer of the Year (Terre Category)
-He receives the FFME’s Cristal 95 award
-Huit d’Or 95 award by the Club Alpin Français (CAF)
-Nomination for the Piolet d’Or 95
-Member of the French Groupe de Haute Montagne (GHM)
1993
-First winter solo ascent of the north-west face of the Olan (Bouilloux-Wilmar route)
-First ascent of “Paradis artificiel” in the Pamir-Alaï mountain system (Kirghizstan)
-First ascent of “Bon, la brute et le truand”, on the south face of the Fou, Aiguilles de Chamonix (7a and A4) with Philippe Batoux and Benoît Rober.
-He receives the Piolet d’Or 93 – the world’s highest honour
-He is nominated for the FFME’s Cristal 93 – the French highest honour
1992
-Lionel is the only one of the previous team to be selected again to enter the FFME’s Junior Team .
-He now practices mountaineering full-time
-First experiences in the Alps and in the Pyrenees.
-Cascade de glace: Solo ascent of “Le goûter des généraux” grade 6.
-First ascent in the Cervin with Patrick Gabarrou, “Aux amis disparus” ED
1991
-Lionel enters the Equipe Jeunes Alpinistes Haut Niveau FFME & Haut niveau CAF GHM – the French top-level Mountaineering Junior Team
