Jean-Claude Charlet (1953-2017) is the son of Armand Charlet, a large family of mountain dwellers from Argentière (Chamonix valley). He follows the traditional steps in the training of high mountain guides: aspiring guide (1978) then official guide (1981). A member of the Compagnie des guides de Chamonix, he was its president twice, from 1990 to 1994 and then from 2015 to 2016.