[9] On 15 October 1978 Pierre Mazeaud, Nicolas Jaeger and Jean Afanassieff [fr] became the first French nationals to reach the summit of Everest, having ascended by the "normal" South Col route.
Kurt Diemberger filmed on the summit, and during the course of the ascent, for the documentary "Everest 78: Les Français sur le toit du monde".
[17][18][19][2] He returned in 1979, and from 27 July to 27 September 1979, he spent 60 days alone at 6,700 metres (22,000 ft) altitude on Huascarán to study the effects of "super-acclimatisation" on himself.
He filmed the documentary Opération survie as a record of his time on Huascarán[20] and published an account of his experience in "Carnets de Solitude" later that year.
[21] On 27 April 1980, Jaeger was seen for the last time at 8,200 metres (26,900 ft) altitude during an attempted ascent of Lhotse Shar in Nepal (8383m), and is presumed dead.