From February 17 to 21, 2025, French alpinist Benjamin Védrines completed a solo winter ascent of the BASE route on the west face of the Petit Dru in the Mont Blanc massif.
Within five days with four bivouac nights, the 32-year-old Frenchman repeated Benjamin Vedrines the route BASE an der Petit Dru in solo style. The route was first climbed in 2021 by Thomas Auvaro, Léo Billon, Jordi Noguere and Sébastien Ratel.
Védrines had not climbed the route before and described it as "one of the craziest" he had ever climbed. He was particularly impressed by the extreme steepness and complexity of the climbing.
I found what I was looking for: cold, difficult climbing and bad weather.
Benjamin Vedrines
Impressions of the solo ascent of the route BASE by Benjamin Védrines
Video Mathis Dumas/ Montagnes en scène)
Known for his fast ascents, Védrines had to move more slowly than usual here. The technical complexity of the climb forced the Frenchman to climb efficiently and carefully. After five days and four nights of bivouac, Védrines reached the summit of the Petit Dru on February 21st.
The feeling after the climb was extraordinary, as if I had opened a new chapter.
Benjamin Vedrines
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Credits: Cover picture Benjamin Vedrines