Souls of the Alps #12: Benjamin Védrines – Flying Between Peaks, Living on the Edge

Some climbers move with strength. Others with speed. But Benjamin Védrines moves with something more — vision. A visionary alpinist and paraglider pilot from France, Védrines is part of a new era of mountain athletes who blur the lines between disciplines, combining mountaineering, endurance, and flight into one fluid expression of freedom.

Born in 1991, Védrines grew up with the Écrins Massif as his backyard — a wild, rugged region of the French Alps that forged his deep connection to nature and his bold approach to challenge. Though he’s made waves in the Himalayas, Védrines' most striking achievements remain rooted in the Alps, where he has reimagined how one can move through the mountains.

In April 2025, he and fellow climber Léo Billon stunned the mountaineering world by climbing the North Faces of the Matterhorn, Eiger, and Grandes Jorasses — the legendary "Trilogy" — in a single push over several days. What set this feat apart wasn't just the climbing, but the style: the two moved entirely without engines, using skis, bikes, and paragliders to link the peaks. On the final day, after summiting the Jorasses, they launched into the sky from the summit, paragliding back to Chamonix — the perfect alpine finale.

But Védrines is more than a fast climber. He is known for his emotional depth, humility, and poetic way of expressing his relationship with the mountains. His interviews, films, and journals reveal a man who is deeply introspective, often speaking about fear, doubt, and the balance between risk and beauty.

He represents a generation that climbs not just to conquer, but to connect — with space, silence, and soul.

“The summit isn’t the goal — it’s just a moment. What matters is how you move, how you feel, and how much of yourself you leave in the mountain.”
— Benjamin Védrines