Swiss paraglider Chrigel Maurer and mountain guide Peter von Känel have completed an extraordinary adventure, climbing all 82 of the 4,000-meter peaks in the Alps in just 51 days. What sets their achievement apart is their innovative approach: they linked the peaks using a combination of paragliding and trekking. Their remarkable journey began and concluded in their hometown of Frutigen, nestled in the canton of Bern. This feat not only showcases their physical endurance but also their pioneering spirit in combining two adventurous disciplines.
Chrigel Maurer and Peter von Känel took on an incredible challenge with no support vehicles and using the same equipment throughout their journey. They both flew on Advance’s new Theta ULS (EN B), an ultralight paraglider designed for adventure touring, according to Cross Country magazine.
The heavy snowfall in the Alps added an extra dimension to their adventure, allowing them to ski partway up the first 30 peaks. This combination of skiing and paragliding made their accomplishment even more impressive.
Beginning their epic journey in the Kander Valley, Chrigel Maurer and Peter von Känel embarked on a climb-and-fly adventure that took them through the Jungfrau region, the Monte Rosa and Breithorn ranges, and finally to the area west of the Mont Blanc massif.
Remarkably, this is the first known attempt to link all 82 of the 4,000-meter peaks in the Alps using a paraglider.
To put their achievement in perspective, the late Ueli Steck completed the climb of all 82 peaks in 2015, taking 62 days and traversing between each summit by hiking and climbing.
