French climbers make paragliding descent from K2 despite ban

GILGIT: Four French climbers claimed to have successfully paraglide-descended from the summit of K2, the world’s second-highest mountain, despite an existing ban imposed by the Gilgit-Baltistan government.

The climbers — Benjamin Vedrines, Jean Yves Fredriksen, Antipodes Zeb Roche, and Liv Sansoz — who had kept their expedition under wraps, have now disclosed their daring achievement after leaving Pakistan.

The team of mountaineers, known for their prowess in high-altitude climbs without supplementary oxygen, revealed that they embarked on their remarkable journey from the 8,611-meter peak on July 28th. The adventure has sent ripples through the mountaineering community, not only for the boldness of the descent but also for the apparent defiance of the ban on paragliding from K2, which was implemented following the tragic death of a Brazilian paraglider.

Benjamin Vedrines, one of the climbers, took to social media to express his elation at accomplishing what he described as a lifelong dream. “First paraglider takeoff from the summit of K2, 8611m. What a dream! On July 28th at 11:45 am, I had the privilege of conducting the first paragliding take-off from the 2nd highest peak in the world. To be able to climb the K2 without O2 in 11 hours, and take off from the top by paragliding was a big dream for me,” he wrote.

Vedrines added that thanks to exceptional weather conditions, he managed to spread his sail at the summit and glide for 30 minutes over the massive Batoro glacier, passing over the notorious Bottleneck serac, where he experienced a near-death blackout in 2022.

Also read: Body of porter Muhammad Hassan airlifted from K2 basecamp

Vedrines was the first to launch his paraglider, shortly before noon. He was later joined by Jean Yves Fredriksen, also known by his nickname Blutch, who took off approximately two hours later. The remaining two climbers, Liv Sansoz and Antipodes Zeb Roche, opted for a tandem flight, soaring off the peak around 5 pm. The group’s daring descent marks the first time that such an aerial feat has been attempted and successfully completed from K2.

Liv Sansoz, reflecting on the experience, described the climb and descent as a blend of madness and magic. “Climbing the K2, 8611m, without oxygen, in pairs, it was crazy! But the real craziness of K2 was taking off from the top,” she shared in her social media post. “One magical flight. A flight we’re not ready to forget! A flight with so much height and beauty! Even today, just thinking about it gives us chills.”

Jean Yves Fredriksen, who also completed the climb without supplemental oxygen, revealed that he descended by paraglider to his last high camp at 6,600 meters. From there, he shouldered his 25kg rucksack and made the trek down to base camp, an effort that further underscores the physical and mental endurance required for such an expedition.

Zameer Abbas, the newly appointed secretary of Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism and Culture, expressed his lack of awareness of the climbers’ actions.

Speaking to HUM News English, he stated, “I have just assumed charge and was not aware of this development. In such cases, if a violation of the law is proved, we ban the entry of the violators to the country and also take action against the tour operator, which may include a fine or a ban from future operations,” he stated.

When contacted, tour operator Alpine Adventure Guides’ CEO, Ali Muhammad Saltoro, revealed that he had informed the liaison officer (LO) at the base camp about the climbers’ intentions.

“I told the LO that they [the French climbers] don’t have a permit to paraglide and instructed him not to allow them to do so,” Ali explained. Ali added that the LO had assured him they wouldn’t allow the paragliding to proceed. However, he added that the climbers disregarded these instructions and kept their plans concealed until they returned to France.

Ali also disclosed that the climbers were in such a rush that they did not complete the necessary documentation to authenticate their summit and failed to collect their certificates from the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP).

There is a procedure for summit completion where, at the start, the LO at the base camp signs off, followed by the tour operator and then the Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department, after which the ACP issues a certificate.

The incident comes on the heels of a tragic event last month, when Brazilian paraglider Chaddad Raineri Rodrigo died during a paragliding attempt near the K2 base. Rodrigo was a client of the same tour operator, Alpine Adventure Guides, leading to the arrest of CEO Ali Muhammad Saltoro for investigation.

Following the accident, the Gilgit-Baltistan government has imposed a ban on paragliding over the mountains without prior permits, a regulation that the French climbers seemingly defied.