Christian Maurer & Peter von Känel start 82 x 4000m peaks of the Alps project

One down, 81 to go. Despite less than ideal conditions, expert Swiss mountaineers Christian Maurer and Peter von Känel have set off on their quest to climb all 82 peaks over 4,000m in the Alps in no more than 72 days. Earlier today the pair tagged Aletschhorn (4194m), their first in the official UIAA list of major peaks that surpass the 4,000-meter level. Maurer and von Känel plan to travel from one mountain to the next on foot, skis or by paraglider only. No other means of transport such as cable cars, bicycles, etc, will be used.

Maurer is a highly decorated paragliding champion while von Känel is a mountain guide and expert paraglider. The duo set off from their homes in Frutigen and headed towards the Bernese Alps where they hoped for better weather. The reached the 4194m summit of Aletschhorn in cold and windy conditions, and then flew down to the Aletschgletscher glacier below. After 7 hours of hiking and flying they are now resting in the Mönchsjochhütte, the highest mountain hut in the Swiss Alps, and are considering their options. Their progress can be followed live on the official XPeaks project website www.xpeaks.ch