5 Reasons Why You Should Know the Name Sylvain Saudan, “The Godfather of Extreme Skiing”.
Alpinist, “the godfather of extreme skiing”, and a technical ski innovator. Famed for blazing ski trails on some of the world’s highest mountains.
Early Life
Sylvain Saudan was born in Lausanne, Switzerland on the Swiss Riviera in 1936. Growing up in proximity to the Swiss Alps, he fell in love with skiing, and earned his title as a ski instructor at the age of 25 working in Glenshee and the Alps. By 1963, he had become qualified as a full mountain guide, living in Aspen, Colorado.
Photo credit: The Press and Journal, Scotland
Rise to Fame
Sylvain rose to fame in the 60s and 70s, thanks to his jaw-dropping, dare-devil descents on some of the world’s steepest slopes and highest mountains. Based largely in the eponymous ski resort, Verbier - he established his name as a key figure associated with extreme skiing.
Photo credit: MountainLifeMedia.ca
5 Reasons To Know the Name, Sylvain Saudan
1. “Le Skieur de Impossible”: Known for his truly pioneering approach and unparalleled courage, Sylvain pushed the boundaries of extreme skiing over three decades. To many, skiing a slope over 55° was deemed impossible…until Saudan came along!
2. His extreme skiing feats include:
1967: First descent of the “Couloir Sans Nom” on the face of the Rothorn (a 45° line).
1967-1970: Skiing numerous slopes (40°-55° gradient) across Europe including, the North Face of Piz Corvatsch, Couloir Spencer of the Aiguille de Blaitière, Couloir Marienelli of Monte Rosa, the North West face of Aiguille de Bionnassay, the west face of the Eiger, and the south face of the Grandes Jorasses.
1970-1986: International ascents and descents of some of the world’s highest mountains including, the Northeast side of Mount Hood (Oregon, USA), the south-west face of Denali (Alaska), Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Nun peak (Jammu and Kashmir), and Gasherbrum I (‘Hidden Peak’), which sits at 8,080m in Pakistan.
On his 50th Birthday in 1986: Sylvain skied Mount Fuji (over snow and scree) - a total descent of 3,776m!
3. High altitude skiing: In 1977, Sylvain became the first person to ski the Lhotse Face on Everest (8,848m). It was a truly groundbreaking feat in mountaineering and extreme ski history. Known for being particularly steep and icy, Saudan made the impossible possible.
4. Pioneering style: Extreme skiing is not like skiing piste or powder - it comes with navigating complicated terrain and obstacles such as couloirs, ice fields, and exposed rock. Saudan’s style therefore became associated with incredible technical skill and a deep understanding of the world’s most challenging mountain terrain.
5. Ski innovation: His influence did not stop there… Sylvain is also credited for evolving ski equipment itself. This included designing skis that were longer and wider - and subsequently able to handle the unpredictable conditions of steeper slopes.
Photo credit: MountainLifeMedia.ca | AkaSkidor.se | Saudan & VIFF
Fearless, and relentless in his extreme skiing pursuits, Sylvain Saudan has influenced a whole new generation of skiers and alpine adventurers to this day.
Check out this original video interview with Sylvain Saudan here (in French)
Video credit: rts.ch
Hero image credit: Skinet.com