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Émile Rey (August 1846 – 24 August 1895) was an alpine mountain guide in Courmayeur in Val d'Aosta, Italy. Dubbed the "Prince of Guides", he was one of the most renowned guides at the end of 19th century, making many first ascents on some of the highest and most difficult mountains in the Mont Blanc massif of the Alps. He has been described as "one of the greatest guides of his generation".〔 ==Biography== Emile Rey was born and lived his life in La Saxe, a small hamlet near Courmayeur.〔 By trade, he was a menuisier (joiner or carpenter), and is known to have contributed to the construction of a number of the alpine huts used at that time by mountaineers to reach more easily the high summits, including those refuges of the Grand Paradis, Col du Geant, Grandes Jorasses and Aiguilles Grises. Rey’s career as a mountain guide did not begin until the "great age of conquest" of the Alps was over. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he did not have the advantage of serving an apprenticeship with other, older guides. One British mountaineer wrote in detail about Rey’s achievements in “Pioneers of the Alps” (1888)〔 Rey’s first offer of a long term engagement as a guide came only after he had reached the age of thirty, when Lord Wentworth retained him for the greater part of the 1876 climbing season, and for the subsequent two seasons. In 1877 they made notable first ascents together of the Aiguille (Noire) de Peuterey, and Les Jumeaux de Valtournanche. However it was with two other clients, J. Baumann and John Oakley Maund, that Rey started to make his name as one of the boldest and most skilful rock-climbers in the Alps. Some of their attempts at bold new routes were not successful, including their attempt at the Aiguille du Plan from the Plan des Aiguilles.〔 Another unsuccessful, but nevertheless very bold early attempt took place in 1881 when J. Baumann, Emile Rey, and his two fellow guides, Johann Juan and J Maurer, attempted to climb the Eiger via the Mittelleggi arête. They were thwarted by the difficult big step on that ridge which is nowadays adorned with a fixed rope strung from it, and which was finally climbed for the first time in 1925. Referring to their unsuccessful attempt, J. Baumann wrote about his guide’s efforts: . Rey's first major achievement as a mountaineer and guide came in 1877 when he successfully made the first ever ascent of the Aiguille Noire de Peuterey. Thereafter, Mont Blanc became an important venue for his mountaineering exploits, and he had many regular wealthy clients from across Europe, including Elizabeth Hawkins-Whitshed, Paul Güssfeldt〔 and Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi. In 1882, Rey was leader of a team that retrieved the bodies of Francis Maitland Balfour and his guide Johann Petrus, who together had attempted to make the first ascent of the Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey. Balfour had invited Rey to join his party, but Rey declined, considering the snow to be in a dangerous condition. It was to be another three years later before Rey was involved in the first successful attempt to reach its summit.〔 Commenting in the ''Alpine Journal'' on the series of audatious first ascents and new routes that had recently taken place on that mountain, soldier and mountaineer J. P. Farrar noted: Rey was married with sons Adolphe and Henri, the eldest, and a grandson, Emile. He was evidently very proud of his children.〔 (1878-1969) went on to become a mountain guide like his father. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Emile Rey」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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