What does Chumacraju means?

In Quechua (native Peruvian language), Chumac is used as an adjective for "beautiful, splendid", raju is the name for snowy summit.
During an expedition in Cordillera Blanca in Peru (july 2004), before climbing Nevado Pisco, our peruvian guides teach me some Quechua words. I have choosen this name for my web site in tribute to my friends.

Web site purpose

Realized by a french pyrenean mountaineer, this site is dedicated to mountaineering in France and in the world. All trekings, ascents and expeditions have been made by the author.

As Georges Leigh Mallory, the famous english mountaineer (read “Mallory and Everest”) answered to a jourrnalist question : “Why do you want to climb Mount Everest ?” he replied “Because it is there”.

Choices for trekkings and ascents in this web site result from this quest but also represents a personnel and subjective approach : summit esthetic considerations, landscape at the summit ...

English language give us a great formulation to define a certain ethic of mountaineering, practiced by Messner or the famous french Ravier brothers : "by fair means". This form of mountaineering claims for exemple climbing without oxygen or no use of mechanical means for climbing : we leave the mountain in original form, no artificial points added (spit, anchors, etc. ...), Mallory a resolute precursor, claim this ethics and practice already on Everest.

Why climbing mountains ? Firstable, for summit's view to guess during ascension. What perspective is offer from summit ?

But also for aesthetism and difficulties of the ascension, for moral and physical invest wich are required and part of creativity involved in personnal engagment and the way to reach it.

I feel this “abstract emotion”, very personnal discovered after each summit. It refer to infinite of this landscape and in oneself in this quest wich reach you, summit after summit, to our interior peace and our own carrying out

I also wish to introduce useful informations, not actualy available on web.

This site is a modest contribution to mountain practice

I hope that it will contribute in sharing our passion for mountains and people involved.

Special dedication

I dedicate this site to my friends and specially to :

•  François who manage me in my first ascents, leader of our roped party. We shared together a mountaineering ethic.
•  Francesco and Guanluca : together we climb Mônch in Switzerland,
•  Hernando and David, peruvian mountain guides who introduce me in their mountains,
•  Sacha, a great mountain guide who introduce me in Pamir summit