Mont Blanc speed record set by Samuel Equy & Mathéo Jacquemoud in 4:41

Mathéo Jacquemoud is in the news once again and, to be honest, it was certainly on the cards. After traversing across the Alps in a mere 20 days, and after setting the fastest known time on the famous Chamonix–Zermatt Haute Route traverse with William Boffelli, the former ski mountaineering world champion has now set the new Chamonix–Mont Blanc round trip FKT with Samuel Equy. The pair needed a mere, mind-blowing 4 hours 41 minutes and 24 seconds to race up from the church in Chamonix to the summit of Mont Blanc, and return to the starting point. In doing so they shaved 2 minutes off the previous record, set on 31 May 2025 by the Italian William Boffelli in 4:43:24.

Reconnaissance in the days leading up to the attempt made one thing clear: conditions were difficult. The main trouble spot was the Jonction, a highly active glacial zone that changes significantly as the season progresses. This year, a wide rupture line had carved a deep trench across the area, splitting it in two and making progress far more complex than in the past.

The pair set off at 6:56 a.m. on Saturday 25 April and Equy summited in 3:41, while Jacquemoud arrived one minute later. The two ski mountaineers produced a remarkable descent despite hard, wind-affected snow. Further down, several serac falls had scattered ice blocks across the plateau at the foot of the north face, demanding extra vigilance. On the plus side, snow cover extended lower than in 2025, allowing them to ski a longer stretch. They reached the church 1 hour and 40 seconds after leaving the 4,806 metre summit.

Jacquemoud's relationship with the emblematic Chamonix–Mont Blanc round trip dates back to 2013 when, aged a mere 22, he clocked a record time of 5 hours 6 minutes. That benchmark performance stood for 11 years, until it was beaten in 2024 by Jack Kuenzle in 4:59.

After their startling undertaking, Jacquemoud commented: "It was tough. On the way up, Sam was always ahead. I had to put on crampons, then place an ice screw in the passage at the upper Jonction — I figured it was better to secure it so we could get back safely. At one point, I even thought I wouldn't make the summit in time, and that might actually help Sam on the descent. Then I put the hammer down. By the summit, I was only a minute and a half behind him. I think my good acclimatisation — I've done Mont Blanc four times recently — really paid off.

"I'll never forget the descent. I launched onto the ice, fast but in full control, to catch up with Sam. Then I was finally able to let it rip — about ten minutes of pure joy on good snow. But lower down, we lost more time because of a serac fall; we had to stay extremely alert. I'm truly happy to end my season with this success… 13 years after my first record, and with Sam."

Equy stated: "It wasn't a given. I kept checking my watch during the descent, with the timing in my head… But what a joy to finish together and to have succeeded. It was also powerful to see friends, family, and even William Boffelli, the former record holder, cheering us on at Vallot. That's ski mountaineering too. Doing this record as a duo is probably a little more difficult, but we managed to optimise. And the satisfaction is even greater, because I love that team spirit, that sharing. I'm also happy that the record returns to France."

It'll be interesting to see how long this new FKT stands. Conditions are currently good and the psychological barrier of 4:30 is now within grasping distance...