Benjamin Védrines

Biography: Benjamin Védrines, born on June 25, 1992, in Die, Drôme, is one of the fastest French mountaineers, ski mountaineers, climbers, and paragliders of his generation. He is also a high-mountain guide, having graduated from the ENSA (National School of Skiing and Mountaineering) in 2016. As a teenager, he discovered ski touring around the age of 14, then mountaineering and steep skiing, which led him to complete his first major climb in 2008: the Escarra route on the north summit of the Olan, at 3,440 meters. In 2012, for the 50th anniversary of the route, he climbed the direct north face of La Meije, a TD+ graded route, marking a significant milestone in his technical development. The following year, he established and soloed down the Bonnaski line on the northeast face of Coolidge Peak, a steep slope rated 5.3+. Subsequently, Védrines undertook numerous alpine-style ascents and first ascents, notably at Chamlang in Nepal, where in 2019 and 2021 he participated in new technical lines on the north and northeast faces alongside Nicolas Jean and then Charles Dubouloz, on a 1,600-meter wall combining ice, mixed terrain, and very sustained sections. In the Alps, he notably completed the first ski descent of the northwest face of Ailefroide, a line of approximately 1,200 meters rated 5.5, illustrating his versatility between extreme skiing and fast mountaineering. In the world of record-breaking, Benjamin Védrines gained international recognition in 2022 thanks to his lightning-fast ascent of Broad Peak (8,051 m) in Pakistan, completed in 7 hours and 28 minutes without supplemental oxygen, considered the fastest ever recorded on a peak over 8,000 m. On the same day, he took off by paraglider directly from the summit to reach base camp, marking the first flight of its kind on this eight-thousander. In July 2024, he set a record for climbing K2 in 10 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds, again without supplemental oxygen, and achieved the first paragliding descent from the summit to base camp, a feat that cemented his status as a specialist in rapid high-altitude ascents. Beyond the Himalayas, he also broke records in the Alps, notably the Chamonix–Zermatt ski record of 14 hours and 54 minutes in April 2023, and a round trip time of 4 hours, 54 minutes, and 41 seconds on Mont Blanc, a record across all disciplines, achieved on skis. His 2023 was a particularly remarkable year, marked by, among other things, a major ski traverse of the Queyras region, covering over 12,000 meters of elevation gain and 138 kilometers in two days, and the first ascent of a major couloir on the Barre des Écrins, De l’Or en Barre, rated ED+, with Nicolas Jean and Julien Cruvelier de Luze. He also participated in several films and documentaries about his exploits, such as Edge of Reason about the Broad Peak record, La Madier (1 hour and 24 minutes around the Aiguille Dibona) solo, and Raide d’Écrins and Queyras Express. In 2025, he continued at the same pace with new technical challenges, such as the first ascent of Anidesh Chuli with Nicolas Jean and the self-belayed solo repeat of the Base route (ED4, 7a, M8+) over several days. His achievements earned him the 2024 Alpinism Award at the inaugural Mountain Trophies, recognizing a career already rich in first ascents, daring new routes, and speed records on the world's greatest mountains.