«The 8000 meters are the outcome, the realization of all I have learnt in 20 years experience»


Jean-Christophe discovered the mountains through sport climbing at the age of 6/7.  He discovered mountaineering when he was an adolescent, opening and reclimbing the great mythical routes of the Alps, ice climbing and aid climbing.  In all these events he made remarkable achievements, the first ascents, the first openings…







In 1992, Pierre Beghin asked Jean-Christophe to accompany him to open a new route on the south face of Annapurna (8091m) in the Himalayas.  He accepted the offer but his first experience of a high altitude expedition culminated in the tragedy of losing his companion before his eyes at 7500 meters.
It took 5 days to come down from this hell with an arm broken by rock falls.  After this drama, he didn’t envisage going back to the Himalayas or even going climbing again …


In 1993, after a long convalescence, he decided to return to the Himalayas, not wanting to remain with his painful experience of 1992.  He loved the incredible space and the high-altitude commitment.  He reached Cho-Oyu (8201m) his first 8000.

He regularly returned to the Himalayas from then on, virtually every year, to climb another 8000m…

It was natural and logical in the development of Jean-Christophe that he should climb summits over 8000:
He had climbed numerous routes in the Mont Blanc massif and elsewhere, he reviewed his objectives and in parallel with his achievements in the Alps, he discovered the universe and the space of the Himalayas, virgin routes, great rock faces of 2000/3000 meters high … a new playground for Jean-Christophe with even tougher rules.
Commitment is total, it is impossible to be rescued at these altitudes if there is a problem.  Psychologically it is another world; in the Alps, even if one is on the
north face of the Grandes Jorasses, the emergency services can be called, the valley isn’t very far.  In the Himalayas, it is difficult to be rescued up to 6000 meters, beyond this altitude, impossible …

This is exactly what Jean-Christophe was looking for in his reasoning, to tackle different elements in a huge natural environment where no human being can cheat!



2000 was a turning point in Jean-Christophe’s career.  In May, he made a fine ascent climbing the Manaslu (8163m), his sixth summit over 8000 meters.  Afterwards his wife Katia questioned Jean-Christophe whether he wanted to climb the fourteen summits over 8000 meters.
She reminded him of the financial costs, particularly the climbing permits and the necessity to be more organized if he wanted to continue in that direction.


Katia knew the world of mountaineering; she didn’t want to see Jean-Christophe disappear on the mountain, like so many alpinists, because of lacking of time for training, and difficulties such as finding budgets for expeditions, preparing the climbs, his material, his strategy, replying to journalists, etc …
She offered him the possibility to realize this challenge by discharging the logistics side so that he was able to have more time to prepare his projects without leaving anything to chance.
He accepted this opportunity; this present that Katia gave him which became a “joint project”!

Following this decision, they created in 2001 their company “Lafaille Communication”, their projects continued and their success as well!


Katia Lafaille.