IN MEMORIAM

1. DR CHARLES RAYMOND GREENE
2. GEORGES BETTEMBOURG

DR. CHARLES RAYMOND GREENE, who died in December 1982, was not only a distinguished mountaineer, but also a distinguished physician. His enthusiasm for the mountains was born at an early age on family expeditions to the Lake District. When up at Oxford be became a member of the Oxford University Mountaineering Club and extended his activities to the Alps. His first appearance in the Himalaya was as medical officer and climbing member of Frank Smythe's expedition to Kamet in 1951. He was among those who reached the summit, the highest ever attained at that time. His performance on Kamet gained him a place on Hugh Ruttledge's 1933 Everest Expedition as senior medical officer, where his contribution both as climber and doctor was of great value.

The science of high-altitude physiology has come a long way since 1933 and Raymond Greene contributed in no small way to the increase in our knowledge of the subject. During his lifetime he wrote numerous articles on the effect of high altitude and cold on the human body.

He became a Life Member of the Himalayan Club in 1932 and, although his Himalayan climbing was confined to the pre-war years, he maintained his interest in the Club throughout his life, and attended some of the Club's Reunions in London.

V. S. Risoe

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ON 18 AUGUST 1983, stone fall on Aiguille Verte killed the outstanding Chamoniard mountaineer, skier and high-altitude guide, Georges Bettembourg (32). He had a long record of fine ascents in the Alps and climbed lots in North America (3 routes on Al Capi-tan), but his most notable feats were done in Himalaya and Kara-koram. In 1978 he made an impressive two-man ascent of the Broad Peak (8047 m, summitted on 4 June). Next year (1979), climbing with Doug Scott's team, Bettembourg had a successful season: in May he was not far from the top of Kangchenjunga; in October he made alpine-style first ascent of the north face of Nuptse (7879 m, summitted on 19 October), before that having climbed the rock and snow north buttress of Kusum Kangguru (6369 m, summitted on 16 September). In July 1980 Bettembourg returned to Broad Peak, where he reached 7600 m, skiing down with Patrick Vallencant. In October 1980 the ascent of Makulu was planned, but Bettembourg climbed with Scott only Makalu II, 7640 m, skiing down from the summit ridge (first ski descent). On 3-15 June 1981, he was a member of the 4-man team which succeeded in climbing of the 1200 m east ridge (pillar) of the Shivling (6543 m) — 60 pitches of extremely difficult rock and snow climb. In the spring of 1982 Bettembourg participated in the French 'Bolivia 3* expedition, realising firsts in the Cordillera Real: the extremely difficult south buttress of the Pico del Norte (6085 m) and the west couloir of the Gorra de Hielo (5700 m, descent on ski, belayed in parts).

'Membre actif of the Groupe de Heute Montagne (G.H.M.), Bettembourg was an excellent sport-skier. He invented and launched the 'ski-voile* technique (descents with a sail of 2.5 m²). In 1982 he skied down by this manner Mont Blanc and the Illampu glacier (700 m). As Himalayan mountaineer he was in favour of light expeditions, alpine style and solo climbs. With his death the world of mountaineering, both French and international, lost one of its brightest stars.

Jozef Nyka

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