French mountaineer sets new Mont Blanc speed climb record
Having set out just before 9:00 am, Vedrines, 32, a specialist in rapid alpine-style ascents, completed the round trip from the church in Chamonix at 1,043 meters (3,422 feet) to the summit of Mont Blanc in a whirlwind 4 hours, 54 minutes, and 41 seconds.
"I really didn't believe it at first. It's a record that fascinated me, but I never thought I was capable of it, I really lacked the confidence to attempt it," the climber said in a statement sent to AFP.
Jornet ran to the summit while Vedrines, who also holds the record for a speed ascent of K2 in Pakistan, mixed trail-running and skiing.
"Bravo, what a show. The artist," Jornet, currently preparing for the prestigious US Western States race in June, wrote in tribute on social media.
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