In the Alps, there are a total of 82 main peaks that exceed a height of 4000m. Since the beginning of my mountain climbing career, this has been a “magical” boundary for me. So I quickly began to travel mainly on these mountains.
In 2017 I climbed my first 4000 with the “Breithorn Main Summit”. Since then, the 4000th of the Alps has been my main focus and I have spent most of the summer in the high mountains.
For me, the focus was not just on reaching the summits, but mainly on the experience.
When I climbed the last of the 48 Swiss 4000th in 2021 with the Aletschhorn, the idea of climbing all the 4000th of the Alps came to my mind. The project “project4000erofthealps” was born.
Since the remaining 4000th were mostly more sophisticated 4000th, this requires a higher degree of planning.
Nevertheless, I was confident that I would be able to complete this project in the summer of 2022.
Due to knee surgery, however, the year 2022 started differently for me than planned.
So my mountain summer started late and the conditions around Chamonix in the summer of 2022 did not make it easier. Despite many beautiful tours such as the "Grandes Jorasses Traverse", the Grandes Montet Grat on the Aiguille Verte, and the Devil's Grate on the Mont Blanc de Tacul" after the end of the high-travel season, there were still 4 x 4000 unclimbed.
This meant for me that in 2023 I would focus on the 4000th of the Alps.
In June 2023 I climbed the "Les Droites" from the Curverlce hut.
Since the remaining 3000th were all on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc, "Courmayeur" was my home for July 2023. From here I was able to climb the Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey and the Grand Pílier de Angle via the Peutèrey integral.
To conclude the project, we chose the Piller Rouge on the Picco Luigi Amadeo, a rare route and complete isolation.
My mountain partner David and I were also accompanied by Epic TV who recorded this climb and a movie.
After 2 beautiful days on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc, David and I stood on the last remaining 4000th of the Alps.
With the climbing of the last 4000th, the “project4000erofthalps” came to an end for me. I'd love to look back on great tours with even better climbing partners.
