Climbing
French climber Benjamin Vedrines has set a new speed record for summiting K2, the world’s second-highest mountain, in just under 11 hours. Vedrines, 32, known for his high-speed ascents without supplemental oxygen, left the K2 base camp shortly after midnight on Saturday and reached the summit 10 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds later, his team reported to AFP on Monday.
Vedrines’ achievement comes after a previous attempt in 2022, which was thwarted by hypoxia, a condition caused by insufficient oxygen levels at high altitudes. Reflecting on his accomplishment, Vedrines said, “I took my revenge on this mountain, but above all, I wanted to reconcile with it by doing things with maturity.” He described the experience as symbolic, noting his return to the same sections with a newfound clarity.
Vedrines’ remarkable ascent shatters the previous record for a no-oxygen climb of K2. His compatriot Benoît Chamoux had set the benchmark on July 7, 1986, reaching the summit via the Abruzzi Spur in 23 hours from base camp. At the time, Chamoux’s feat was hailed as revolutionary. Vedrines has more than halved that time, redefining the limits of human endurance and speed on the world’s second-highest peak.
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K2, located on the border between Pakistan and China, reaches an elevation of 28,251 feet (8,611 meters) and is 781 feet (238 meters) shorter than Everest. Despite its lower height, K2 is renowned for its technical difficulties, which have led to its reputation as the “Savage Mountain.” Vedrines is celebrated as one of France’s leading climbers, having previously set a speed record on Pakistan’s Broad Peak in 2022, which he summited in seven hours and 28 minutes before descending by paraglider.
The ascent of K2 was marked by difficult conditions, including harsh weather that had delayed progress for both alpine-style and commercial teams earlier this month. Vedrines paraglided from just below Camp 3 on the peak during his multiple attempts.
In a tragic turn of events, two Japanese climbers, Kazuya Hirade and Kenro Nakajima, went missing on K2 the same day Vedrines achieved his record. Despite being spotted by army aviation helicopters during an aerial search, no movement was observed from the climbers, raising concerns about their survival at such high altitudes.
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