One of the most anticipated ascents in recent years has concluded in the Himalayas. French athletes Benjamin Vedrines and Nicolas Jean have become the first to summit the east peak of Jannu, which stands at 7,468 meters. Their route followed the northern face—which had not been previously climbed—and was completed in alpine style, without the use of fixed ropes or supplemental oxygen.
A year ago, the same team, which then included Léo Billon, already attempted to reach the summit. At that time, they managed to climb up to 6,700 meters, but had to descend due to one member’s deteriorating condition. This time, the preparation lasted two months, during which the mountaineers not only acclimatized, but also climbed the neighboring peak Anidesh Chuli (6,808 m).
On October 12, the team set off from an altitude of 5,100 meters and by evening had reached 6,200. On October 15, despite strong winds, they managed to overcome the last sections of challenging terrain. The final stage proved especially tough: they faced unstable snow and steep slopes. Once on the ridge, they realized the true summit was farther than expected. After traversing the snow-covered ridge, the climbers, for the first time in history, set foot on the east summit of Jannu. After a brief stop, they descended to their bivouac at 5,100 meters, and by October 16 at 17:30 returned to base camp, completing a 2,300-meter route they named “Le sommet des pieux.”
Jannu East is part of the Jannu massif, also known as Kumbhakarna among locals. For many, this peak is considered sacred. In Hindu mythology, Kumbhakarna is a giant warrior doomed to eternal sleep, which gave the mountain its nickname, the ‘Sleeping Warrior Mountain.’
The north face of Jannu is considered one of the most challenging in the world. The ascent begins with a 300-meter rock section, followed by an icefall and an ice plateau. The main difficulty is an almost one-kilometer snowy slope leading to a 500-meter vertical wall.
Attempts to conquer Jannu East have been made since 1991. During this time, 15 expeditions have been recorded, but none reached the summit until the recent success by the French team. The first attempt, led by Tone Skarja, ended at 7,050 meters due to bad weather. In 1992, Dus̆an Debelak’s group stopped the ascent after a tragic fatality. In 1996, an avalanche claimed the lives of two climbers while moving between camps.
In 2022, a Spanish team also attempted this route but was forced to abandon the climb due to illness and dangerous weather conditions. In autumn 2024, alongside the French, an American group also made an attempt, but one of the members died after a fall.
In spring 2025, another expedition—including Yuriy Koshelenko and Alexey Lonchinsky—reached 6,700 meters, but had to turn back due to avalanche risk.
