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!”
