Climbing
French alpinists Samuel Equy and Mathéo Jacquemoud have etched their names into the history books of Western’s Europe’s highest mountains, setting a new round-trip Fastest Known Time (FKT) on 4,810-meter (15,766′) Mont Blanc. Starting from the iconic church in the center of Chamonix, the pair ascended to the summit and returned in a staggering 4 hours, 41 minutes, and 24 seconds.
The performance, as reported by Planet Mountain, narrowly eclipsed the previous record set just last year by Italian climber William Boffelli by exactly two minutes. For Jacquemoud, the victory marks a sentimental return to the top; he originally held the benchmark in 2013 with a time of 5:06, a record that stood for over a decade before the sub-five-hour barrier was finally broken in 2024.
The record-breaking run was far from straightforward. Reconnaissance in the days leading up to the April 25 attempt revealed treacherous conditions at the Jonction, a highly active glacial zone. A massive rupture line had split the area, forcing Jacquemoud to place an ice screw to secure a safe passage for their eventual descent.
“It was tough,” Jacquemoud told Planet Mountain. “On the way up, Sam was always ahead. At one point, I even thought I wouldn’t make the summit in time.” Equy reached the peak in 3 hours and 41 minutes, with Jacquemoud arriving just sixty seconds later.
The descent presented its own set of high-stakes challenges. While the pair benefited from better snow coverage than in 2025, allowing them to ski further down the mountain, they had to navigate wind-affected and icy snow and debris from recent serac falls. Despite the obstacles, they managed the descent from the summit back to the Chamonix church in just 1 hour and 40 seconds.
Beyond the physical achievement, the record was defined by a rare display of mountain sportsmanship. William Boffelli, the man whose record they were chasing, was actually at the Vallot hut to cheer the duo on as they surged toward the finish.
“Doing this record as a duo is probably a little more difficult, but we managed to optimize,” Equy told Planet Mountain. “I’m also happy that the record returns to France.”
With the psychological barrier of 4 hours and 30 minutes now looming, the mountaineering world is left wondering how much faster this legendary line can be pushed. For now, the current record holders have proven that with perfect synchronization and a bit of team spirit, even the most daunting glacial terrain can be conquered at a sprint.
