Bernard Mellet is a French mountaineer. In 1971, he made the first ascent of the West Pillar of Makalu, reaching the summit on May 23rd alongside Yannick Seigneur. In 1979, he led the French national expedition to K2, a team composed of Maurice Barrard, Pierre Beghin, Jean-Marc Boivin, Dominique Chaix (a physician), Patrick Cordier, Jean Coudray, Xavier Fargeas, Marc Galy, Ivano Ghirardini, Thierry Leroy, Dominique Marchal, Daniel Monaci, Jean-Claude Mosca, and Yannick Seigneur. Reaching the world's second-highest peak, K2, on the Sino-Pakistani border, via its southwest ridge, the most difficult, was the goal Bernard Mellet set for himself after two years of meticulous preparation. It was the last French national expedition. A budget of $3 million, 1,400 porters, 25 tons of equipment, including 850 kg of oxygen... All financed by the remains of the Annapurna treasure and sales of Mauri…
