Biography

Georges Livanos, known as "Le Grec", born September 25, 1923 in Marseille and died in the same city on May 21, 2004, was a French mountaineer of Greek origin. After a childhood in Marseille, Georges Livanos discovered the high mountains in Chamonix in 1937 at the age of 14, as well as climbing in the creeks of Marseille. Most of his sporting career took place between 1941 and 1971, a period during which he opened some 500 routes in the creeks of Marseille, 40 in the Dolomites and around twenty in the Western Alps. It also repeats a number of major routes in these last two massifs. Georges and his wife, Sonia, collect an impressive series of firsts, female firsts and repeat firsts which have earned them the nickname "the most sestogrado couple in the world" (the sestogrado or sixth degree, representing the level of maximum difficulty in climbing up to in the late 1970s). In 1941, Georges Livanos made several notorious first ascents with Gaston Rebuffat, including the Centrale at Grande Candelle, “the longest 6th degree in the Calanques”. In 1945, enrolled in a mountain camp at Jeunesse et Montagne, he succeeded with his course director, Jean Franco, the 3rd ascent of the southern pillar of the Écrins in 4 hours. In the following years, Georges Livanos frequented the Mont-Blanc massif where he made, among other things, in 1946 the 5th ascent of the north face of the Aiguille des Grands Charmoz, in 1947 the 2nd ascent of the north face of the Dent du Shark4and in 1949 the 2nd ascent of the north face of the Aiguille de Leschaux. From 1950, he continued most of his alpine career in the Dolomites where he made many first ascents including the Cima Su Alto at the Civetta for which on his return to Marseille he received the Gold Medal for Sports.