Courmayeur · Italy
The Duke of the Abruzzi
Luigi Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of the Abruzzi, could have remained a prince. He chose instead the places nobody had yet reached. In 1897 he climbed Mount Saint Elias in Alaska. In 1899 he set out for the North Pole and pressed further north than anyone before him, losing two fingers to frostbite. In 1906 he explored the Ruwenzori in Africa, the mountains of the moon. In 1909 he attempted K2 and set an altitude record that stood for years. His expeditions departed from here, with the guides of Courmayeur. A prince with a valley of mountain people behind him: that is the point that counts.
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How far north did he get?
His expedition reached about 86 degrees 34 minutes north in 1900, the furthest anyone had gone at that point. The duke was not in the final party: frostbite had stopped him earlier.
Why give it up for mountains?
Because for his generation the mountains were the way to be useful and famous at once. Exploring was science, national prestige and personal adventure, all in the same journey.
What did he find in Alaska?
The first ascent of Mount Saint Elias, nearly 5,500 metres, after a very long approach across glaciers. He also brought back photographic documentation that caused a stir in Europe.
Where it is
More stories in Courmayeur
- The Aiguille Blanche
- The Aiguille Noire
- Duke of the Abruzzi Alpine Museum
- The Brenva Spur
- The Guides' House
- Church of Saint Pantaléon
- The quiet col
- The Col de la Seigne