Benjamin Védrines completes fast Aiguille Dibona solo

On Thursday 27 July Benjamin Védrines, undoubtedly one of the strongest French alpinists of his generation, ticked another wish off his list by making a fast solo of one of the most beautiful mountains in the Écrins massif, Aiguille Dibona.

3130 meters high, this perfectly shaped granite peak is named after the famous Italian mountain guide Angelo Dibona who, with Guido Meyer, made the mountain's first ascent on 27 June 1913 via the north ridge. The formidable south face hosts the famous Madier route, put up by Maurice Fourastier and Andreol Madier on 1 September 1937; Védrines followed this 350m line of corners and cracks in just over 25 minutes, immediately after having reached the base of the route by racing up from the car park to the Soreiller Hut in 52 minutes. The 31-year-old had prepared for this feat by ascending the route with a climbing partner the day before and then, after spending the night in the hut, he flew down to the car by paraglider and raced back up for the solo.

On the summit of Pain de Sucre, the 31-year-old recounted, he was "alone, relieved of the weight required by this type of challenge where fatigue and death go hand in hand." He concluded "But in these intense moments in which I express myself, in my element, in my own way, I am overcome by a powerful feeling of freedom, the strength of a life exalted by the void, intoxicated by the movement and the beauty of the surroundings."