Biography

Raymond Despiau, born January 20, 1935 in Bagnères-de-Bigorre, died October 6, 2013 in Collegats, La Pobla de Segur (Lérida, Spain), was a French pyreneist and mountaineer. Raymond Despiau is recognized as one of the great climbers of the mid-20th century. During his studies in Paris, in 1956, he practiced climbing in Fontainebleau. The following year, he tackled the high mountains in the Alps and completed major races such as the Aiguilles d'Argentière. In 1959 he returned to Bagnères-de-Bigorre and worked as a technician at the Pic du Midi de Bigorre. He is one of the first to practice artificial climbing in the Pyrenees, often with makesh...Read More