Central Asia

Three major peaks in Central Asia, three confirmed expeditions for next summer, and the same conviction as ever: high-altitude climbing cannot be improvised. In 2026, we are setting off once again for Lenin Peak (7,134 m), Khan Tengri (7,010 m) and Mustagh Ata (7,546 m). Each of these expeditions is led by one of our experienced French expedition leaders. We always allow extra time to ensure better acclimatisation and to provide a buffer against the sometimes unpredictable weather. Ultimately, we aim for a safe expedition, free from haste or stress. These expeditions are designed for those who are passionate about these high peaks, who possess knowledge and experience in mountaineering and, of course, excellent physical fitness. The teams are now being finalised, and we look forward to welcoming those who wish to embark on this demanding yet magnificent adventure.

In summer, for our high-altitude climbs, we have to leave Nepal or the Andes to head northwest of the Himalayas, sheltered from the monsoon, towards Pakistan, Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. An update on our very-high mountaineering expeditions for summer 2024.

Having climbed Peak Lenin three times, this year we tackled the second Snow Leopard Challenge peak in (theoretical) order of difficulty: Peak Korjenevskaya. Read the diary of our expedition to Peak Korjenevskaya in Tajikistan in August 2023.

Last February, our colleague Renaud Fulconis decided to take on the polar environment. He set himself a goal: to cross Mongolia's Lake Khövgöl in winter, independently, with his partner Aliénor.

For 20 years, Philippe Goitschel and Breffni Bolze have been cleaning up iconic sites in extreme environments around the world. Last July, in collaboration with Expeditions Unlimited, they tackled a particularly ambitious project: the clean-up of Mustagh Ata (7,546 m), China's iconic mountain.

In the 60s, the USSR was at the height of its glory. But borders were hermetic, and Soviet mountaineers expressed their (immense) talent on the many peaks that stretched from one end of the former Empire of the Tsars to the other. The Himalayas are off-limits to them. On October 12 1967, the Bureau of the Central Council of Sports Societies and Organizations of the USSR decided to award a prize to those who succeeded in climbing the five highest Soviet summits.