Benjamin Védrines and Nicolas Jean are tackling their first 8000-meter summit, Broad Peak in Pakistan. Their goal is to climb without the usual altitude camps, and to achieve the ascent from base camp to summit in one day, in “a single push”. The icing on the cake for Benjamin would be to break the speed record for climbing an 8000 meters peak, and to take off from the summit with his paraglider!

Nicolas Jean, a 14-year-old climber, decided to meet climbers who have left their mark on their era and contributed to the evolution of climbing in their own way. Among them is his coach, Laurent Perez, who will guide him on an original project: re-equipping a 7c+ route and adding a variation that will make it his first 8a if he manages to complete it! Nicolas Jean will later become a high-mountain guide and the alter ego of his climbing partner, Benjamin Védrines, with whom he will achieve numerous first ascents, including the summit of Jannu Est (7468 m) in October 2025.

In October 2019, Benjamin Védrines and Nicolas Jean climbed the northeast couloir (1,500 m, M3/M4, 65°) of Chamlang (7,321 m, Nepal) to an altitude of 7,240 meters, using alpine style with a bivouac. The young French team had initially aimed for the north pillar of this mountain, a favorite among top climbers. Although they had to abandon their ascent of the northeast couloir, their climb was selected for the Piolets d'Or "big list."

Benjamin Védrines and Nicolas Jean are continuing their ski touring projects. After exploring Nicolas Jean's stomping grounds – the Ubaye Valley – the two guides found themselves this time in Benjamin's backyard: the Écrins massif. From May 27th to 29th, they completed a rapid traverse of the massif from south to north, skiing down 10 steep slopes along the way. "An intense immersion, full of challenges, doubts, joys, and mysteries!" recounts Benjamin. This – yet another – traverse of the massif took them from the Gioberney chalet-hotel (Valgaudemar) to the Pied du Col (Haute-Romanche), traversing steep slopes over three days, "crossing some of the wildest landscapes in the Southern Alps." Three days during which they will have covered 11,000 meters of elevation gain and descended no less than 10 slopes rated in the 5, from the north face of the Sirac (5.4) to the north couloir of the Col Claire (5.1+).