Backdrop image for movie The Conquest Of La Meije

The Conquest Of La Meije (1986)

For the documentary series Les Ascensions Célèbres, Denis Ducroz has created this historical reconstruction of the first ascent of the Meije, exploring etymology, physical geography, and the history of the emergence of mountaineering in the Oisans massif. The first ascent of the Grand Pic was made on August 16, 1877, by Emmanuel Boileau de Castelnau with Pierre Gaspard and son; the rope party moved along the Promontoire ridge on the south face to the Glacier Carré, where Jean-Baptiste Rodier, the second porter, separated from the three climbers who managed to overcome ice and granite to open the famous "normal route" to the summit.

  • Documentary
  • History

Top billed cast

  • Photo of Michel TurcMichel Turc
  • Photo of Éric LeiningerÉric Leininger
  • Photo of Christophe PonsartChristophe Ponsart
  • Photo of Gilles DelannoyGilles Delannoy
  • Photo of Pierre GaspardPierre GaspardSelf (archive footage)
  • Photo of Emmanuel Boileau de CastelnauEmmanuel Boileau de CastelnauSelf (archive footage)
  • Photo of Jean-Baptiste RodierJean-Baptiste RodierSelf (archive footage)

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