Lucien Bérardini

Lucien Bérardini learned the art of climbing on the rocks of the forest of Fontainebleau then on the cliffs of Saussois. Faced with aristocratic mountaineering with personalities such as Henri de Ségogne, and professional mountaineering of which the guides are the emblematic figure, a new form of amateur mountaineering stemming from the Parisian popular circles is developing: "rogue" mountaineering. ". The Robert Paragot-Lucien Bérardini team is the most striking illustration of this. Insolent, iconoclastic, non-conformist, they symbolize the post-war climbers of modest origin who, making fun of conventions and rules, overthrew the stereotypes of the “perfect mountaineer”. Bold, tenacious, driven by a tremendous desire to be and to surpass themselves, Lucien Bérardini and Robert Paragot have found in climbing the way to release their energy.

He entered the circle of great mountaineers by making the first ascent of the west face of Les Drus on July 19, 1952 in the company of Guido Magnone, Adrien Dagory and Marcel Lainé, with intensive use of artificial climbing. The same year he completed the first route without a bivouac on the Walker spur (4,208 m, the highest point of the Grandes Jorasses), in the company of Michel Dufranc. In 1953 he opened a route to the south-east face of Mont Mallet, then the following year he was part of a French expedition to the south face of Aconcagua, a 6,962-metre summit located in Argentina. This expedition, led by René Ferlet, also includes Guy Poulet, Robert Paragot, Pierre Lesueur, Edmond Denis and Adrien Dagory. This enterprise was a success, but the harsh conditions of the ascent and the bad weather caused Lucien Bérardini severe frostbite on his hands and feet, which necessitated amputations. It was with his friend Robert Paragot that he nevertheless returned to the summits. This rope, which has become famous, will succeed in many firsts in the Dolomites or the Mont-Blanc Massif, such as the north face of the Grand Capucin in 1955.

Bérardini was not a guide, but he liked to lead the way, to open the way. Take his friends Pierre Mazeaud and Robert Paragot to climb the Jonte gorges again this summer. Introduce young people to climbing on the cliffs of the Cévennes. He did not like labels either, but there is one that he willingly let himself stick to, that of professional climber, spokesperson, he laughed recently, of "France from below on the summits".