Liliane Barrard

Liliane Barrard discovered mountaineering at the age of thirteen, in the Chamonix valley. In 1973, she met her future husband Maurice while organizing an expedition to Peru. But not knowing his abilities in the mountains, and although his freshly graduated physiotherapist diploma could be useful, Maurice declines his collaboration, offering Liliane to participate in a less perilous race in the same country but without him. Maurice and Liliane see each other again and their common passion for extreme ascents brings them closer together. They get married and settle in Francourville in 1977. A first success at Gasherbrum II leads the Barrards to set themselves the goal of becoming the highest couple in the world by climbing the Nanga Parbat without oxygen. The obstacle is considerable because, before them, only two expeditions have conquered this summit of Pakistan. Riding with two companions who give up along the way, the couple persists before giving up after 19 days, undermined by bad weather. They lose thirteen and ten kilos respectively, their fingers have frozen and Liliane has to have a toe amputated. A year later, in 1984, after intensified physical and mental preparation, they tried their luck again with two other people, including a doctor. The weather is better than the previous year, the head and the legs too. In four days, the Barrards become the first couple to climb an "8,000" and Liliane the first woman to conquer this summit.