Denis Collangettes

Denis Collangettes (1945-1999) was a French mountaineer and mountain guide from Mont-Dore, Auvergne. He, along with other guides, was a key figure in the development and reputation of mountain sports in the Massif Central.

He became a mountain guide in 1972, becoming the first guide from the Auvergne region. Collangettes played a fundamental role in the development of mountaineering and climbing in the Sancy Massif and around Mont-Dore, where he practiced much of the year. He is recognized as one of the true pioneers of mountaineering in Auvergne. Throughout his career, Denis Collangettes opened and equipped numerous mountaineering and ice climbing routes, including the first ascent of the Cascade de la Dore with a single ice axe and the “Redondance” gully at Puy Redon. He also mentored several well-known climbers and guides, and funded equipment that contributed to the growth of climbing and mountaineering in the region. His name is associated with numerous local achievements, including the opening of major routes in the Sancy, Cantal, and Haute-Loire massifs.

Denis Collangettes was part of a group of renowned French climbers during the 1988 French expedition to Everest: Jean-Marc Boivin, Gérard Vionnet-Fuasset, Jean-Pierre Frachon, Michel Metzger, André Georges, as well as guides François Pallandre, Christian Aguilera, and Jean Afanassieff. During the expedition, the first-ever paragliding takeoff from the summit was made by Jean-Marc Boivin on September 26, 1988. Denis Collangettes had planned to take off himself in a tandem paraglider, but ultimately abandoned the summit out of self-sacrifice to help René Robert, demonstrating his remarkable team spirit.

Denis Collangettes died in 1999 following a fatal slip at the bottom of a route, in circumstances described as a “common loss of balance.” This tragic accident shocked the local alpine community and earned him numerous tributes. A climbing wall at the Sancy chalet now bears his name in his honor.