After stunning the climbing community with a lightning-fast climb of K2, followed by a paraglide descent, Benjamin Vedrines is ready for another major challenge. After some mysterious posts, today he revealed he will attempt Jannu East (7,468m). He will not be alone there.
Americans Sam Hennessey and Michael Gardner are already on the mountain, attempting to complete the first ascent of its 2,400m north face. This is the third consecutive year in Hennessey’s case and the second try for Gardner.
A case for secrecy
In an interview with ExplorersWeb before he left, Hennessey explained that they had good reason to keep details of their planned route to themselves.
“It seems there is a distinct lack of creativity among today’s climbers, and it would not be [ideal] to have multiple teams competing for space on the wall,” Hennessey said.
While the formidable wall of Jannu East is not what anyone would describe as a popular climbing spot, the arrival of a French team shows Hennessey knew exactly what he was talking about. “Of course, we do not own the mountain, and anyone else is free to go there if they choose,” Hennessey added at the time.
You can check out pictures from their latest attempt on Gardner’s Instagram below:
A challenge for the very best
Jannu (also known as Kumbhakarna) is a mountain with several peaks. It rises from Nepal’s Kangchenjunga region and is famous for its sheer north face.
In 2023, an American team completed a direct route to Jannu’s main peak (7,710m), a climb that made them front-runners for the next Piolet d’Or.
Hennessey chose a line to the eastern point of the massif, which he first tried with Seth Timpano in 2021 and again last year with Gardner. Supported by a Cutting-Edge Grant from the American Alpine Club, they have not shared details of their line but they haven’t hidden their goal either.
The north side of Jannu, with the main and eastern points marked. Photo: Pablo Sarjanovich
As for Vedrines, he states that he first eyed the north face of Jannu in 2017 when he climbed the northeast face of Pandra (6,800m) with the late Pierre Labbre Mathieu Detrie.
“I would never have felt like attempting this project seven years ago. Now I am moving toward the quest for an extreme adventure,” Vedrines said.
Vedrines already has a mind-blowing resume thanks to excellent climbing and skiing skills, but also thanks to amazing speed and power. He excels in all alpine disciplines. This summer, he summited K2 in 11 hours, without supplementary oxygen or support (except for the fixed ropes). He then paraglided from the summit.
According to French media, Vedrines will climb Jannu accompanied by Leo Billon and Nicolas Jean.
