Wibratte Louis

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Biografie:
Louis Wibratte (1877- 1954)
Louis Wibratte, who died last year a few days before his seventyseventh birthday, was elected to the Club in 1933, proposed by H. de Segogne and seconded by E. L. Strutt.
Wibratte took to mountaineering somewhat late in life and was still carrying out difficult expeditions at an age when many men would have given up climbing; when he was seventy he climbed the Aiguille de la Republique. He was not a 'centrist' and his qualification list shows how widely he had climbed. Between 1920 and 1927 he made several visits to the Pyrenees, ascending the Pie de Nethou, Mont Perdu, and many others. Among his expeditions may be mentioned :
1928 Grepon (traverse), Mont Blanc.
1930 Traverse of Meije and Ecrins, Matterhorn by Zmutt ridge.
1931 Mönch by east ridge, Gross Fiescherhorn by north-west ridge,
Marmolada by south face, Vajolet Towers, Cima Grande di Lavaredo (8th ascent by 'voie Stosser'), and other climbs in the Dolomites.
1932 Grands Charmoz (traverse), Aig. de Blaitiere, Ciseaux, Aig. du Fou, Grepon.by Mer de Glace face, Aig. de Roe (4th ascent), Petit-Grand Dru traverse.
1933 Ascents in Norway, the Pyrenees, and the Dolomites.
For some years he served in the Department of Roads and Bridges and received the Legion of Honour for the part he played, under the command of Marshal Lyautey, in the construction of the Sud Oranais railway, a work carried out in difficult conditions, sometimes under fire from unruly natives.
At the outbreak of the 1914 war he was in Chile; anxious to get home, he led a party across the Andes in the depths of the southern winter.
A man of many parts, engineer, banker, economist, Wibratte's favourite recreations were mountaineering and riding. Always a busy man, he never had time for long holidays and purchased a property at Samois where he was able to make the most of his week-ends, riding in the Forest of Fontainebleau on Saturdays and rock climbing on Sundays; thus, when the time came round for his brief holiday he was always in good condition. At Samois, too, he delighted to entertain his young friends of ·the G .H.M. He himself was over fifty years of age when elected to the G.H.M.
About two years ago he became dangerously ill, and had to undergo a serious operation. He appeared to have got over the effects of this and last summer went to Norway with his friend, J. Allier. He climbed rather slowly, but there seemed to be nothing amiss and in August he went to Misurina. He climbed the Tour Wundt but this time the effort was too much and he was struck down once more. His indomitable will-power triumphed yet again ·; he returned to Samois and as if to show there was nothing the matter, resumed his tiding, and made light of his condition to his doctor.
He died suddenly, on August 3 I, while getting ready to set out, as usual, for his office.
D. F. O. Dangar
Quelle: Alpine Journal Vol. 60. Nr. 290, 1955, Seite 163-164


Geboren am:
08.09.1877
Gestorben am:
31.08.1954