Benjamin Vedrines in 2024.Photo: MANZOOR BALTI/AFP via Getty Images

Another Incredible Ski Record Was Just Broken on Mont Blanc

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated May 29, 2025 3:13 PM ET

Apparently, it's Fastest Known Time (FKT) season in the French Alps.

Just days after Élise Poncet set the women's ski FKT on Mont Blanc, Benjamin Vedrines has set a new men's ski FKT on the peak.

Vedrines set out on May 24, 2025 from the church in Chamonix, and 4 hours, 54 minutes, and 41 seconds later, returned back to the same church after summiting and descening Mont Blanc on skis.

Vedrines is a multi-faceted athlete known not just for setting FKT's on skis but paragliding from the summits of 8,000m peaks. He chose to attempt the Mont Blanc record on skis versus on foot, where Kilian Jornet holds the FKT, mostly because he liked the idea of skiing 4,810m.

Vedrines also made the distinction in his choice that while a ski descent requires more and heavier equipment, it allows for a faster descent than going on foot.

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A post shared by Benjamin Védrines (@benjaminvedrines)

Vedrines chronicled his record-setting ski in an Instagram post. During his feat, he struggled with pacing and altitude, and almost turned around below the Brenva couloir. Wind gusts of 50mph left Vedrines' with wind-scoured eyes and blurry vision.

Still, he pushed on and reached the summit by himself, where he didn't linger long before starting his ski down. A tumble at 4750m left Vedrines with a broken pole and a lot of doubt about setting the record, but a friend provided him with an extra pole at a lower junction and continued down the mountain.

Once he'd switched to trail running below the snow line, Vedrines' blurry vision continued to hamper him, causing him to fall once and twist his ankle shortly after. A crowd of people joins Vedrines as he runs the last bit through Chamonix, ultimately arriving at the church steps just under five minutes ahead of schedule.

The previous men's ski FKT was set by Jack Kuenzle in 2024 with a time of 4 hours, 59 minutes, and 50 seconds. Vedrines is confident that given the right conditions, someone could break a time of 4 hours and 30 minutes.

Vedrines' feat on Mont Blanc joins his list of accomplishments which also includes a record ascent of K2, the first north-south crossing of Mont Blac Massif, and a record ascent of Pakistan's Broad Peak without oxygen before paragliding from the summit, just to name a few.

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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