Benjamin Védrines

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…