Mountain rescue, as we know it today, has been organized over the course of the last century, but helping people who have lost their way in the mountains is a much older tradition. Come and discover its history through this exhibition.
With the first mountaineers came the first professions associated with this activity during the 19th century: guides, porters and volunteer rescuers. In 1897, the first group of rescuers was created in France in Collonges-sous-Salève (Haute-Savoie). Throughout the 20th century, the profession became more organised as high-altitude mountaineering developed. Initially divided between various organisations and companies in the Alps and Pyrenees, rescue services became a public service in 1958. Planning and distribution of rescue services differ depending on the mountain range, even though the techniques and resources used have been standardised.
This history is presented this winter at the Maison forte de Hautetour in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, through photographic documents, video testimonials, and rescue equipment from yesterday and today.