[Livre] Sophie Lavaud’s fourteen 8,000s

On June 26, 2023, Sophie Lavaud reached the summit of Nanga Parbat (8,126 m). She became the first Frenchman (the first Canadian and the first Swiss woman) to have climbed the 14 peaks over 8,000 m. Her journey began in 2012 when she climbed Shisha Pangma (8,008 m, central summit) and Cho Oyu (8,188 m). 21 expeditions were necessary to complete this adventure.

RECOMMENDED ARTICLE: What place for Sophie Lavaud in French mountaineering after the fourteen 8,000ers?

The fourteen 8,000 by Sophie Lavaud, François Damilano & Sophie Lavaud, Éditions Glénat, 160 pages, €35.95

As a filmmaker, François Damilano has documented Sophie’s journey. On Everest, on K2, and recently on Nanga Parbat with Sophie Lavaud, for the last summitToday, this beautiful book, very well illustrated with images and maps, looks back at all the expeditions and brings together two perspectives: that of the mountaineer who is a fine connoisseur of eight-mile climbing, and that of the protagonist who was not predestined for this epic.

For François Damilano, after a preamble that contextualizes this race to the 8000, each expedition is an opportunity to focus on a theme: the role of the Sherpas, the controversies surrounding style (commercial expeditions, alpine style, etc.), Himalayanism in the feminine, commercialization, life and survival at high altitude, the ecological impact, weather routing, etc. Sophie’s notebooks take us to the terrain of each expedition when the effort is hypoxic, when the will must be armed with patience, resilience, when survival is at stake in each decision. A complete journey to understand the current challenges of the practice of 8,000.