Dent Blanche · 4357 mA quest
the 82 summits above 4000 m in the Alps
2021–2026
La Quête
des 4000
For five years I roamed the Alps,
burning with the desire to climb every summit
above the symbolic altitude of 4000 metres.
Just one was left.
A quest
A quest is not simply a list you tick off.
It is a journey towards something you pursue with devotion.
quest
noun
from Latin quaesita, derived from quaerere (“to seek”),
via Old French queste.
1.the act of seeking to obtain or discover something that leads to happiness, or brings one closer to it.
2.typically, an arduous journey rooted in a person's convictions and in their will to achieve their goal, often directed towards a symbolic end.
This site is my summit journal, the collection of all my (first) ascents of the “4000ers of the Alps”.
The “4000ers of the Alps” form a constellation of summits spread across Switzerland, Italy and France, in 9 distinct massifs. The reference list drawn up by the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation counts 82 of them.
Season after season I had climbed 81 of them — only the Weissmies remained, one of the easiest of all, which I had always wanted to save for last.
Sea of cloudsThe geographical scope
From Switzerland to Italy,
from the Écrins to the Engadine.
9 massifs · three countries
Ascents across the whole Alpine arc, from one massif to the next,
crisscrossing the valleys and climbing their summits.
DuskSeason after season
From sunset to the first light of day,
a quest lived intensely, hour after hour.
Enter the quest
The mapThe 82 summits across the Alpine arc, with every route I followed→The timelineFive years of effort, euphoria and doubt, outing after outing→The summitsEvery summit on the official list, with its illustration and fact sheet→The companionsThe climbing partners, family and friends who supported me all the way→The WeissmiesThe very last summit, a joyful gathering to mark the occasion→