Going without bottled oxygen, Vadim Druelle of France climbed Nanga Parbat fast. Faster than anyone, it turns out.
Druelle did it in a mind-blowing 15 hours and 15 minutes from Base Camp to summit. This smashes Francois Cazzanelli‘s previous record of 20 hours and 22 minutes that he set in 2022.
Druelle trains before Nanga Parbat. Photo: Vadim Druelle/Facebook
The climb was a promising feat for an athlete who is only 22 years old. It was particularly impressive because Nanga Parbat has one of the highest elevation gains of all the 8,000’ers: some 3,900 vertical meters in 20 kilometers between Base Camp and summit.
Druelle, who was supported by Seven Summit Climbs, had the trail broken by other climbers. Still, his time is remarkable.
Speed and no oxygen have been Druelle’s specialty on the 8,000’ers. He summited his first one, Manaslu, in that style at only 19 years old. Then he did Kangchenjunga in less than 19 hours in 2023. Earlier this year, Druelle planned a FKT on Annapurna but had to abort the climb because of food poisoning.
Vadim Druelle on the summit of Kangchenjunga in 2023. Photo: Vadim Druelle/Facebook
