From Climbing · Anthony Walsh · · 1m 20s
Three French Soldiers Summit Unclimbed Himalayan Route
French military climbers open new Himalayan route in Nepal.
In brief
French military climbers open new Himalayan route in Nepal. Three French soldiers from the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade summit an unclimbed 1,400-meter route on Peak 41 in Nepal. Originally reported by Climbing.
French soldiers summit unclimbed route
Three French soldiers from the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade reached the summit of Peak 41 in Nepal on October 14, 2026.
New route on Peak 41
They established a 1,400-meter route linking vertical ice with rock roofs and deep snow on the north face of Peak 41.
Team details
Sergeant Konrad Piontek and Corporals Amaury Fouillade and Clovis Paulin completed the first ascent with a team of six from the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade.
Route name and grade
They named the route Bon Matin (ED+ WI5+ M6 A1 90° snow), translating to 'Good Morning' in alpine terms.
Climbing challenges
The team faced steep, poorly protected pitches including vertical snow sections during their four-day climb on Peak 41.
“We weren’t expecting pitches as steep as that, especially in snow”
Military purpose
The French military’s 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade trains for alpine expertise to support French army mountain units without direct combat roles.
Next steps
The team descended Peak 41 via 15 rappels and downclimbing after summiting, completing a loop back to basecamp.
“Reaching the summit was a real physical relief”
The one thing
Three French soldiers from the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade summit an unclimbed 1,400-meter route on Peak 41 in Nepal.
