If you go into Antoine Immobilier in Chamonix, don’t be surprised to see photos of Lionel Terray, author of the book "Les Conquérants de l'Inutile" (English version: Conquistadors of the Useless).
Antoine is the son of this great mountaineer, who played a huge role in the French expedition to Annapurna in 1950 and achieved many first ascents between the 1940s and the 1960s.
Just down the road from agency is Lionel Terray’s old house, la Maison Terray. This fully renovated house is available to rent, as is the Chalet Terray: http://www.maison-terray-chamonix.com/
To find out more about Lionel Terray, you can read this extract written by Jean-Louis Étienne, from the brilliant book “100 Alpinistes,” available from Éditions Guérin in Chamonix.