Frenchman Benjamin Védrines sets new all-time record for climbing Mont Blanc
It takes a high-wire artist to recognize another. "Bravo! Huge performance, the artist," commented Kilian Jornet, the Spanish "alpicoureur" and star of ultra-trail and world mountaineering, on Instagram to salute the performance of Benjamin Védrines. On Saturday, May 24, the 32-year-old French mountaineer beat the Catalan's record for climbing Mont Blanc by nearly three minutes - a round trip from the church in Chamonix (Haute-Savoie). A performance - on skis, where Jornet was on foot - in 4 h 54 m 41 s, which becomes the new absolute record for climbing the roof of Europe (4,805 m) from Chamonix and back down.
"It's a record that fascinated me, but I never thought I would be capable of it," commented Benjamin Védrines in a press release, confessing that he "really lacked the confidence" to tackle it. " I dreamed of this legendary round trip from the church in Chamonix, even if it's really not my specialty." The French mountaineer, who holds the speed record for climbing K2 (in the Himalayas) without oxygen, had initially planned to go to Alaska (United States), to conquer Mount Denali (6,190 m), the peak of the North American continent. But the cancellation of this expedition allowed the native of Die (Drôme) to tackle Mont Blanc.
"I only decided two weeks ago because I was in Chamonix," explained Benjamin Védrines. An extremely short preparation time, especially in comparison with the previous ski record holder, the American Jack Kuenzle, who set his record (4 hours 59 minutes) in June 2024 after having " settled in the valley for six months to prepare for this record," admits the Frenchman.
“Bringing to life a certain ideal of mountaineering”A week after his compatriot Elise Poncet, who beat the previous women's record for the ascent of Mont Blanc on skis by more than 34 minutes (in 6 hours 54 minutes 47 seconds), Benjamin Védrines set the fastest known time (FKT, the "fastest time") for the highest European peak, even though he admitted to a few mishaps during his journey - notably breaking his poles. "These climbs are never perfect. That's what makes them beautiful," he concluded.
Like Kilian Jornet – who climbed all 82 Alpine peaks over 4,000 meters in nineteen days in the summer of 2024 – Benjamin Védrines is committed to the idea of "bringing to life a certain ideal of mountaineering." In February, the Frenchman climbed the three great north faces of the Alps, the Eiger, the Matterhorn and the Grandes Jorasses, in less than a week in February, using only human power – without motorization, therefore, connecting the mountains by bike, skiing, paragliding or running.
Le Monde
