| Unit Name: | High Mountain Military Group |
| Native Name: | Groupe Militaire de Haute Montagne |
| Dates: | 1976–present |
| Country: | France |
| Branch: | French Army |
| Type: | Mountain and Cold-weather warfare experts. |
| Role: | international prestige, formation, experimentation |
| Size: | 10 |
| Command Structure: | 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade, High Mountain Military School |
| Garrison: | Chamonix |
| Nickname: | Le Groupe |
| Colors: | White, red and blue |
| Website: | https://www.gmhm.fr/ |
The High Mountain Military Group (French: Groupe Militaire de Haute Montagne, GMHM) is composed of ten men. It represents. It constitutes the leading team for mountaineering and long-distance expeditions of the French Army.[1]
The mission of the group is responsible for research and experimentation in controlling extreme physical and climatic conditions. It also participates in training of the mountain units and represent the french mountain units abroad.[2]
They collaborate with various brands to make better equipment for the army.[3] [4]
The French Armed Forces are pioneer in the domain of exploration and adventure, especially in mountain area. The captain Clerc of the 159th battalion of alpine infantry, in Briançon introduced the practice of skiing in the army in 1902 by creating the first french ski school. Later, in 1932, the High Mountain Military School[5] was founded in Chamonix, it was the first national school to provide mountaineering education.[6]
In the 1970s, the general Laurens, commander of the new 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade decided to create a small military unit of mountaineering experts capable of competing with the bests in order to realize great mountaineering missions on mountain ranges around the world. He gave this mission to the captain Jean Claude Marmier.[6]
The selection of the first men to join the unit took place in September 1976, its number of members is fixed to ten.[6]
During the period, the group traveled the Alps to perfect the basic skills of a mountaineer. Nothing was, left to chance as versatile and efficient mountaineers where needed.[6]
The group already performed an expedition in Greenland in 1978[7] but the period of exploration outside of the Alps really started in 1981 with the ascension of the Tibetan side of the Everest, this expedition failed although they reached 8400 m. The following years, they accomplish many successes, in the Baffin Island, the Thalay Sagar, in Alaska, on the Kamet and on the south face of the Gyachung Kang.[6]
In 1986, Jean Claude Marmier leaves the command of the Group to take the command of the and later of the presidency French Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing. He is replaced by the captain Alain Estève who was one of the first members of the group. With his lead, the GMHM experiments paragliding, hang gliding and free fall. In 1984, the group realized its first eight-thousander with the ascension of the Lhotse. In 1992, they broke the world speed record for the ascend of the Aconcagua.[6]
In 1993, after ascending the Everest, Alain Estève decided to continue with the exploration of the North and South poles.[8] In 1996, they reached the North Pole after 970km (600miles) in complete autonomy and the South Pole has been reached and the Three Poles Challenge completed in 1999 after a raid of 1350km (840miles) without th commandant Estève who was victim of a fatal fall in Norway in 1997.[6]
In 2001, they opened a way in the Baffin island on a peak named after Alain Estève. They achieved the 2nd ascension of the Mont Ross in the Kerguelen Islands, 25 yearsafter the first ascension by the French Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing.[6]
In 2002, the Group made several openings in the massif of Garhwal in India (Arwa Tower, Arwa Spire, Arwa Crest) and the Minya Konka in China. In 2003, an accident causes the death of captain Choudens and lieutenant Renard on the Shishapangma.[6]
The new objective of the group is to represent the seven kind of modern alpinism all around the world. As a part of this project, they went to Mali in January 2005 to open seven ways of free climbing on the Hand of Fatima and the Mount Hombori, then in Chilean Patagonia the group opened a mixed climbing way on the Hombro-Norte.[9]
In October 2011, six members of the group became the firsts to cross the 180km (110miles) of the Cordillera Darwin and in 29 days.[10] [11] [12]
Six month after returning from the Cordillera Darwin, they returned to the Kamet with 4 alpinists. The group had already opened a way there with Jean-Claude Marmier. The new way, « Spicy game », is a success and the subject of a Piolets d'Or.[13] [6]
In 2013 The groups returns to the Shishapangma, scene of a disaster that shook the group ten years earlier. That year, bad weather and differences in motivation within the team force the group to retreat. The next spring they return to this mountain and ascend successfully the south face of the Kamet.[14]
In 2015, the group decided to ascend the Annapurna, but after a long and intense training, bad weather blocks them from ascending.[6]