Update 3 July 2025: This series of climbs and flights proved to be fake. In July 2025 it was revealed that Eliya Zeymmour had been faking tracklogs of flights over several years. The full story is here. We have left this story live rather than delete it because it now informs that extraordinary ‘Fake Flights’ story
Eliya Zemmour linked up three classic Alpine climbs: the Grandes Jorasses, Matterhorn and Eiger, travelling between them by paraglider between 7 and 14 July 2023.
He climbed with Remy Vaternel, and flew between Chamonix and Zermatt, and Zermatt and Grindelwald on his Ozone Alpina 3. The whole adventure took a week, including sitting out three days of bad weather in Grindelwald.
7 JULY
Climbed the Pointe Walker on the Grandes Jorasses with Remy and they flew off together. Eliya then took off again and flew from Chamonix to Zermatt, Switzerland.
9 JULY
Climbed the Matterhorn!
10 JULY
Flew from Zermatt to almost-Grindelwald, a flight which was “one of the scariest-can’t-believe-I-pulled-this-shit flight I ever made!” Way out of his comfort zone. “Dotted with monstrous climbs and lots of wind. Not a big line kilometre-wise but out of my comfort zone like f**k. My fatigue from the last few days definitely boosted the roller-coaster”.
Three days of bad weather followed. Then …
14 JULY
Climbed the via the Mittellegi Ridge to complete the mission!
Eliya wrote on Facebook, “I’m stoked and happy now. I was fortunate to climb these mega classic mountains in a non-classic fashion: Fly to Climb”.
The idea of approaching the climbing routes by flying is something that appeals to Eliya and other pilot-mountaineers as being “aesthetic and clean”. Eliya added, “As far as I know, it’s the first time to be done with these classic mountains!”
