It’s been a tragic period in Chamonix. The French National Ski and Mountaineering School, called ENSA, the state department that trains IFMGA guides, has lost three of its instructor-guides, who were leading figures in the transmission of knowledge and the profession of high-mountain guiding. On September 12, Christophe Jacquemoud fell while rappelling in the Mont Blanc massif. On September 19, Benjamin Guigonnet (Piolet d’Or 2018) and Quentin Lombard were killed in a road accident in the Gorges du Verdon.
The shock is immense. On September 12, the death of Christophe Jacquemoud had already shaken his colleagues and students at ENSA, the French national school that trains mountain guides in Chamonix. Six days later, the sudden deaths of Benjamin Guigonnet and Quentin Lombard on September 18 plunged the school and the Chamonix Guide Company into immeasurable grief. Benjamin Guigonnet, a renowned mountaineer, had received a Piolet d’Or for opening a daring route on Nuptse. Quentin Lombard embodied the younger generation of guides driven by a desire to pass on their knowledge.
Christophe Jacquemoud. ©DR
Christophe Jacquemoud was helping to put new bolts for belays on the Grands Charmoz when he fell during the final abseil, in front of his fellow guides who were unable to do anything to help him.
In a statement, the National Mountain Sports School (ENSM) explained: “These collective missions to redevelop routes for the benefit of mountaineers and the mountain community are carried out in consultation with the PGHM, CNISAG, CNEAS, EMHM, La Chamoniarde, the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix, and the services of the municipality of Chamonix.”
“Their aim is to contribute to overall safety on iconic and popular peaks and routes when they are particularly affected by the effects of climate change. This tragic event is a reminder of how mountain professions, despite the passion and commitment they inspire, can be exposed to major risks.” Christophe Jacquemoud, 52, was originally from Saint-Nicolas-de-Véroce, opposite Mont Blanc.
Ben Guigonnet, Trident du Tacul. ©Ulysse Lefebvre
Benjamin Guigonnet and Quentin Lombard died in a road accident in the Verdon Gorge on September 18.
Benjamin Guigonnet, 37, had been a mountain guide since 2011 and had held a DEJEPS canyoning qualification since 2023. A very strong climber, Ben Guigonnet was part of the famous Gang des Moustaches, which conquered the south face of Nuptse in 2017, an ascent for which Hélias Millerioux, Fred Degoulet, and Ben Guigonnet received the Piolet d’Or award.
Quentin Lombard. ©UL
Originally from Pralognan-la-Vanoise and aged 34, Quentin Lombard, also a mountain guide since 2017, had been a national alpine ski instructor since 2014. In its statement, the ENSA pays tribute to the two men, “passionate about teaching and coaching,” who “with commitment and talent, trained new generations of mountain enthusiasts and professionals within the ENSA mountaineering department team.”
The ENSA extends “its most sincere thoughts and heartfelt condolences to their families and loved ones.”
We extend our condolences to their families, friends, and colleagues.