FOREWORD:
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the High Mountain Military Group (GMHM), the Mountain Troops Museum pays tribute to these ‘ambassadors of the peaks’. Belonging to the High Mountain Military School, this elite group of passionate soldiers embodies mastery and innovation in extreme environments, representing French excellence in military mountaineering.
Within the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade, as in the French Army as whole, GMHM’s members form a community of experts who are constantly pushing their limits. This expertise is all the more crucial in a context of increasingly rigorous training and moral strength.
Through this exhibition, we invite you to discover the history of these mountain soldiers and their unique contribution to summit conquests and exploration.
QUOTE: ‘The GMHM must bring together the best mountaineers in the Division in order to prepare prestigious expeditions to gain an international reputation, as quickly as possible.’ General Pierre LAURENS, 1976.
THE ORIGINS OF THE GMHM:
The High Mountain Military Group (GMHM) was created in 1976 by Captain Jean-Claude MARMIER at the initiative of General Pierre LAURENS, who commanded the 27th Alpine Division (now the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade). Initially based in Grenoble, the Group joined in 1981 the High Mountain Military School (EMHM), which trains all specialist army officers in Chamonix. It is a specialised unit capable of carrying out exploration missions in extreme environments. The Group also aims to share its expertise within the armed forces.
From the outset, the Group distinguished itself through its innovative approach to this discipline and its desire to push the boundaries. Its first missions were marked by daring climbs and expeditions to little-explored regions (Greenland in 1978, Tibet in 1981, Baffin Island in 1983, Kamet in 1985, etc.), which laid the foundations for its reputation for excellence and bravery.
The GMHM is thus the heir to both the rich French alpine tradition and military mountaineering.
QUOTE: ‘[The members of] this group, which was formed in 1976 and consists of a dozen men, officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted men, are all recruited from among the best mountaineers of the moment. Mountaineering is a competition. You have to fight to stay the best.’ Lieutenant-Colonel Jean-Claude MARMIER, 1984.
MASTERING EXTREMES:
With decades of training, expeditions and achievements, the GMHM has built up deep expertise in extreme environments, which it continues to consolidate.
The GMHM physical and mental preparation, technical skills and in-depth knowledge of difficult terrain enable it to survive and thrive in hostile environments. Individually and collectively, its members are fully committed taking calculated, necessary, and knowingly accepted risks.
They excel in all forms of challenging mountaineering (climbing, mixed terrain, winter ascents, ice climbing, etc.). Adept at long, autonomous traverses, they are equally at home in wide open spaces, steep terrain and desert environments. The Group’s soldiers are therefore capable of operating at very high altitudes (7,000-8,000 metres), on vertical rock faces, in polar environments, or in any other environment where weather conditions make conditions unpredictable and dangerous.
This mastery of extreme environments proves essential during certain expeditions, such as free climbing (without assistance) in the Sahel at 40 °C, or crossing the ice cap in southern Greenland at -30 °C.
Through its technical expertise, risk management and resilience, the Group is playing a key role in meeting the new challenges facing the French Army, in a general context of military hardening.
QUOTE: ‘Armies have always been pioneers in exploration and sporting adventure. This is hardly surprising, as the qualities developed by the military are the very ones needed to carry out such undertakings. The same is true in the mountains.’ Battalion Commander Alain ESTEVE, 1994.
EXPLORE AND INNOVATE:
Since the 1980s, GMHM has led numerous expeditions to the world’s most remote mountain ranges, opening up new routes and completing many ascents on every continent (Yosemite Valley in the United States, the Darwin Range in Chile, Mount Vinson in Antarctica, the Apostolens Massif in Greenland, the Hombori Mountains in Mali, Everest on the border between Nepal and China, Mount Aspiring in New Zealand, etc.).
Each Group’s expedition is determined by three factors that influence its preparation and execution: the environment, the weather and the human factor. Often faced with new and unknown challenges, each mission requires pushing physical and mental limits at both the collective and individual levels, as well as overcoming technical and logistical challenges.
In this, the GMHM is a veritable laboratory for innovation and experimentation in the field of extreme mountaineering. The Group collaborates with researchers, engineers and manufacturers to develop cutting-edge equipment that sometimes does not exist for its extreme needs. Its experiments regularly feed into the work of the armed forces on training techniques and methods.
The GMHM is also involved in physiological research projects on the effects of cold and altitude on the human body, for example with the Armed Forces Biomedical Research Institute (IRBA).
QUOTE: ‘Each generation of the GMHM has accomplished great feats […] we are continuing the work of our predecessors, whom we honour and echo. […] Preparation, determination, skill, commitment, brotherhood in arms and daring… This combination of factors and qualities has made our success possible.’ Captain Lionel ALBRIEUX, 2011.
TRANSMITTING: TRAINING AND ADVISING:
The experience acquired by the High Mountain Military Group is intended to be shared. Since its creation, the transmission of its expertise to operational forces has been planned and encouraged. Within the EMHM, which is the armed forces’ center of expertise for mountain and extreme cold environments, these experts in extreme conditions contribute directly to work on operational employment, training and techniques, and provide advice for certain engagements in extreme conditions. For example, crew members of the French Navy ship L’Astrolabe and flight crew of an A400M transport aircraft belonging to the French Air and Space Force were recently trained by the Group to carry out their respective missions.
Their skills transfer focuses on three areas:
- autonomy in extreme cold;
- overcoming natural obstacles, particularly in the mountains, in both summer and winter;
- teaching new technical skills that could be useful to the forces (ski towing, cliff jumping).
Within the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade, the Group participates, for example, in the training of the Mountain Commando Group (GCM). Since 2012, this training has taken the form of an annual 20-days expedition in Greenland to prepare them to operate in extremely cold conditions. This course, called Uppick, covers a wide range of skills and combines techniques for living and travelling in isolated polar environments, in complete autonomy.
QUOTE: ‘Uppick is an adventure… Getting up in the morning, setting off straight away, without seeing the finish line for miles. Uppick, whether it’s mission preparation, is an adventure.’ Staff Sergeant Geoffrey, GCM of the 93rd Mountain Artillery Regiment, 2024.
TO SHINE:
When it was founded in 1976, General Pierre LAURENS envisioned the GMHM as a veritable ‘Patrouille de France’ of military mountaineering. Since then, the Group has remained the Army’s ‘ambassador of the peaks’ and represents France in high-level expeditions around the world.
Through its exploits, which have been widely reported in the media, the Group has earned public admiration. Examples include the first crossing of the Darwin Range in South America in 2011, and more recently, the rescue of two mountaineers in the heart of the Himalayas, at over 6,000 metres, in October 2024.
Such exploits attract the attention of the world’s media, enabling the Group, the Mountain Troops, the French Army and France to shine on the international stage.
QUOTE: ‘I was delighted to welcome Lieutenant Colonel Jacques-Olivier, Sergeant Vivien and Private Clovis to Matignon. These heroes from the High Mountain Military Group rescued two climbers in the Himalayas last October. They embody the values of excellence, solidarity and commitment of our Army.’ Michel BARNIER, Prime Minister, 11 December 2024.
