Filip Babicz climbs Mont Blanc’s Grand Capucin in just 49 minutes

Earlier this summer Filip Babicz had hinted that he was working towards an important goal, on Friday 23 September he pulled it off by climbing Grand Capucin in an astonishing time of 49 minutes, solo and without a rope. The 39-year-old did so via the Swiss Route and O Sole Mio exit, an extremely popular combination up the red granite of one of the most famous "satellites" in the entire Mont Blanc massif.

After making his way to the base last Friday, Babicz started the ascent at 12:00 off the glacier at the lowest point of the face. He stopped his watch on the summit at 3838m a mere 49 minutes later. There isn't much more to add really, apart from utter incredulity.

The idea of ​​the speed ascent came about in May when he climbed the route for the first time. He started focusing on this goal in August and prior to Friday’s speed ascent he climbed the route 6 more times: 3 times with a climbing partner, and 3 more times on his own.

As to the preliminary details of his ascent, Babicz did not climb the entire route free but resorted to aid in some sections. Notably, he climbed the entire face from its lowest point, not beginning at the top of the gully where the Swiss route originally started. This resulted in about 570m of climbing, compared to the usual 350m. It goes without saying that this time of 49 minutes has no equal.

In recent years Babicz has specialised in fast ascents in the high mountains. At the end of July 2020 he soloed Peuterey's L'Integralissima in the Mont Blanc massif in an astonishing time of 17 hours, while a few weeks later he upped the ante by climbing Aiguille Noire de Peuterey in just 1:30:14. In September 2021 he travelled east and raced up the North Ridge of Pizzo Badile in 42 minutes and 52 seconds. More details of the new undertaking will follow in due course.

Babicz thanks Karpos