Yannick Seigneur (1941-2001) -
A top-level technical advisor from the start
Yannick Seigneur, the first Frenchman to climb three “8000s” (summits over 8000 meters in altitude), is considered one of the most gifted guides of his generation. He also crossed paths early in his career with a certain Lionel Terray, who helped him take off.
Yannick’s childhood took place between Paris, where his parents worked, and Megève, where his grandparents, who were farmers, lived. He learned to herd sheep during his stays in Haute-Savoie. He then went to Lyon to continue his studies at INSA to become an engineer.
It was during this period that he discovered climbing during weekends on the rocks and cliffs of the Vercors and Chartreuse. These student getaways gave him a taste for the mountains. Against his parents’ wishes, he decided, in parallel, to pursue guide training. Parental pressure and the knowledge that one didn’t make a good living as a guide made him hesitate to devote himself entirely to the mountains.
He began his engineering career at Pomagalski and Rossignol — you’ll notice these companies were likely not chosen at random. Despite that, he still hesitated between the two professions. He finally became independent in 1965 and left the offices, though he kept one foot in design by becoming a technical advisor for several brands. That’s where our paths crossed.
For Julbo, Yannick was a top-choice developer and tester. He climbed Makalu in 1971 via the west pillar, making a first ascent, and this climb is undoubtedly one of his greatest achievements. He would return to the Himalayas many times to lead expeditions. He went, among other places, to the summit of Everest in 1980.
But what interested Yannick, and what made him unique, was the alpine style he imposed on himself and the difficulty of the routes he chose. There was no question of taking the normal route or doing a summit just to tick a box. That’s what comes through in the testimonies of his clients and rope partners: he didn’t want to be a “taxi guide.” Yannick took people beyond their comfort zone and helped them progress.
Described as someone free, independent, happy, and who took his job very seriously, the collaboration with Yannick gave birth to a “pro model” that you can see in these brochures from the time.
THE YANNICK SEIGNEUR PRO MODEL
The round lens shape you saw on Lionel Terray’s nose was revised in favor of a larger, more wraparound lens. The appearance of an adjustable nose support was a first in Julbo’s glacier eyewear range. The lenses were mirrored to increase protection, especially in cases of strong glare (snow, ice, high altitude…), and they were designed to avoid image distortion.
These technical features may seem commonplace to you, but at the time they were relatively new. It took men tackling the mountains and discovering all the dangers they posed to vision (snow blindness, erythropsia, white-out syndrome) for us to begin offering suitable protection. And the fact that we equipped the greatest expeditions of the time gave us invaluable feedback from the field.
Yannick Seigneur marked, for Julbo, the beginning of many exciting collaborations with athletes...
