Challenges

In the summer of 2024, Expeditions Unlimited had the opportunity to accompany Jean-François Descat and Julien Delteil, two experienced mountaineers, on their first expedition to very high altitude: the ascent of Broad Peak at 8047 meters in Pakistan.

Everest, the roof of the world at 8849 meters, remains the dream of many a mountaineer, despite the criticism of its organization, which increases every year. The last few seasons have seen some serious changes in the number and value of climbers visiting the mountain. In this article, we look back at the recently concluded Spring 2024 season, during which, for the first time since 2019, the Tibetan North Face was also accessible. Weather windows, summit push, number of permits and percentage of summiters on the Nepalese and Tibetan sides, highlights... Everything worth remembering about this 2024 Everest mountaineering season.

Eric Bonnem, founder of Expeditions Unlimited, talks about the rare challenge of the Seven Volcanic Summits, the characteristics of each of the expeditions and those that are no longer accessible. It's a unique conference in a world where Expeditions Unlimited is the only French-speaking organisation present.

Aconcagua is the highest peak in the Americas and part of the Seven Summits challenge, while Ojos del Salado is the highest active volcano in the Americas and part of the Seven Volcanic Summits challenge. Both are in the Andes mountain range, the first in Argentina, the second in Chile.

The Seven Volcanic Summits Challenge aims to climb the highest volcano on each of the seven continents. More accessible than the Seven Summits challenge, in that it does not include either Everest or Denali in terms of altitude and physical commitment, it is still a little-known challenge that only a few dozen people have managed to date.

Since 2021, we have been partners of the Tri-Haut pour l'Everest project, a student association whose aim is to collect, treat and recycle plastic waste from the Everest region of Nepal. It's a wonderful project that deserves our support.

You have successfully climbed Mont Blanc. You have extensive mountaineering experience in the Alps... And the call of high altitude is winning you over. Now you're dreaming of the highest peak on the planet: Mount Everest at 8849 metres. Find out how to prepare yourself.

We've climbed them all... thanks to you! In our interview with Eric Bonnem, founder of Secret Planet, we take a look back at the legendary Seven Summits challenge: the characteristics of the expeditions that made it up, those that are no longer accessible and its extension to the poles.

Conceived by Dick Bass and Franck Wells in 1985, the Seven Summits challenge involves climbing the highest peak on each of the seven continents: Everest (8848 m), Aconcagua (6962 m), Mount Denali (6190 m), Kilimanjaro (5895 m), Elbrus (5646 m), Mount Vinson (4892 m) and Carstensz Pyramid (4884 m).