Benjamin Védrines (born 25 June 1992) is a French mountainer and alpinist. He is the fastest man in the world to climb a peak over 8,000 meters He achieved the record ascent of K2 without oxygen on July 28, 2024, in an astonihsing 10 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds. There is a remarkably beautiful and powerful video here chronicling his record breaking ascent.

His superhuman achievement did not bring him the satisfaction he thought it would. In fact, it brought him despair (as this video shows) on the peak of the second highest and most dangerous mountain in the world – K2, the “Savage” mountain. He realized there is in an “inner mountain” that he can never summit. Ironically, it appears that his subsequent rescue of two Italian mountaineers who were in trouble high on K2, brought him more satisfaction than his record-breaking ascent . . . as it should have.

People chase an endless variety of things and activities in an elusive attempt to experience lasting satisfaction. Psalm 107:9 states, “For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things” emphasizing that true satisfaction comes from God alone. Eternal satisfaction is ultimately found in a living relationship with the eternal Creator through Jesus Christ alone.