Haute Route Chamonix Zermatt record for Lionel Bonnel and Stéphane Brosse

On 2 May Lionel Bonnel and Stéphane Brosse, two of France's most impressive ski mountaintaineers, set a new record on the Haute route Chamonix - Zermatt, completing the traverse in 21 hours and 11 minutes.

The two athletes departed from the church at Chamonix at 01.00 am on 2 May and, without the use of ski lifts or any other external aid, reached the church at Zermatt in Switzerland just over 21 hours later. In doing so the duo ascended circa 8600m and crossed almost 100km of terrain.

To give an idea of this feat's magnitude, this queen traverse invented in the 1950's by mountain guide Toni Gobbi is usually carried out in 6 or 7 days.