Climbing
French mountain guide and ski mountaineer Vivian Bruchez has become the first person to climb and ski all 82 summits over 4,000 meters (13,00 feet) in the Alps—a feat that has taken more than two decades, dozens of partners, and an unwavering commitment to both athleticism and alpine ethics. On June 20, Bruchez summited Pointe Marguerite (4,065 meters, 13,337 feet) in the Grandes Jorasses massif, completing what he called “my greatest sporting achievement.” The climb, completed with longtime partner Mathieu Navillod, marked the end of a 21-year journey.
“I put all my heart, all my body, all my energy into this great project of the 4,000-meter peaks of the Alps on skis,” Bruchez wrote in French on Instagram following the climb. “Happy to announce today that I’ve reached the final summit of this adventure. The 82nd of a long list: Pointe Marguerite, 4,065 meters, in the Grandes Jorasses, Friday, June 20, 2025.”
Unlike a typical ski descent, this final climb required a hybrid approach—using skis to approach the base, and technical climbing to reach the summit. The Italian side of the Grandes Jorasses presented steep and complex terrain, similar to other peaks in the project where continuous ski descents weren’t possible.“Even if it wasn’t possible to start skiing directly from the summit, it was important to me to climb each one, and to click into my skis as close to the top as possible,” Bruchez wrote. “Out of ethics, out of respect, and out of beauty.”
A Personal Project Turned Collective Journey
Bruchez’s home in Chamonix lies in the shadow of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps. The 38-year-old was raised by ski instructor parents and has spent most of his life on skis, climbing, guiding, and pioneering steep descents across the Alps and beyond. What began as a personal vision to ski the iconic peaks of his home mountains grew into a broader ambition—to climb and ski all 82 official Alpine 4,000-meter summits, from the Matterhorn to the Aiguille Verte in his own backyard of Chamonix.
The scale of the challenge was immense. Many of the peaks had never been skied before. Some required roped ice climbing or exposed ridge traverses. Others demanded patience, multiple attempts, and deep knowledge of variable snowpack and rapidly changing weather. “The last two years were the hardest,” Bruchez wrote. “I had to face a lot of uncertainty, doubt, and peaks that had never seen a skier. I dealt with injuries and pain that reminded me just how vulnerable I am up there.”
Through it all, he relied on a small circle of trusted partners and equipment he came to treat as extensions of himself. “My skis took me places I never thought I’d go,” he said. “They never got dizzy, they forgave the bad snow, and every time, they brought me back home.”
Bruchez documented more than 100 ski lines across the 82 peaks, including 22 new ski routes and 4 summits that had never before been skied in recorded history. Though no governing body certifies the achievement, Bruchez’s self-imposed standards—climbing each summit before descending, skiing the best line possible, and maintaining traditional alpinist ethics—have earned him widespread respect in the international mountaineering community.
Not Just a Tick List
Throughout the project, Bruchez emphasized that the goal was not about accumulating numbers or fame, but about connection—to the mountains, to his partners, and to a deeper philosophy of movement in the alpine world. “On every summit, I found a soul, a story,” he wrote.
What started as a solo goal eventually became a shared endeavor. “From a personal project, it became a collective one, thanks to the support of my rope mates,” he wrote. “There’s so much to tell, to testify, to pass on.” A film and book about the project are in development, according to his team.
For now, the climber-ski mountaineer is focused on recovering, reflecting, and spending time with his family. “There is always more to do in the mountains,” Bruchez said. “But for this one, the line is complete.”
