Podcast

Serge Bazin has climbed several Big Walls, including El Capitan eight times, but it's the Himalayas, and Nepal in particular, that have been his passion for the last 30 years. Treks, traverses, ascents to 6,000, 7,000 and 8,000 metres... His experience makes him one of the most experienced French guides at high altitude. Serge looks back at his career, the key factors in a successful expedition to 8,000 metres, oxygen, and the characteristics of four peaks he knows well.

In September 2021, we will be climbing Manaslu in Nepal, the eighth highest peak on the planet at 8,163 meters. Let's take a look back at this experience, rich in both preparation and execution. An interview hosted by Eric Bonnem, founder of Secret Planet and also a participant in the expedition, and David Ducoin, head of the Himalaya zone at Secret Planet. We dedicate this episode to Pascal Pompei.

In this episode, we take a look back at the epic story of the conquest of Makalu, the fifth highest peak on the planet at 8,485 meters, right up to its victorious ascent by French mountaineers on 15 May 1955. This was the first and only expedition since the dawn of Himalayan climbing to see all its participants reach the summit. It was a masterstroke due as much to meticulous preparation and acclimatisation as to the success of the 1954 reconnaissance, and to exceptional luck with the weather. Here's a look back at this perfect adventure.

In this episode, we take a look back at the epic story of the conquest of Manaslu, the eighth highest peak on the planet at 8,163 metres, right up to its victorious ascent by the Japanese on 15 May 1956. 9 May 1956, 12.30 pm: the Nepalese sirdar Gyalzen Norbu (37) and the Japanese himalayist Toshio Imanishi (41) stand on the narrow rocky summit pyramid of Manaslu (8,156 meters). For the first time, the summit of Manaslu has been climbed by man.