The Book
Based on a true story, Summits of War follows two men who rose to the pinnacle of their worlds, only to find themselves on opposing sides in the mountains at the end of the Second World War.
On one side stands legendary German mountaineer Andreas Heckmair, who led the first successful ascent of the North Face of the Eiger and became one of the most celebrated climbers of his generation. On the other is France’s greatest skier, Émile Allais, who dominated the slopes of Europe in the years before the war. Both men rose to fame in the same turbulent era. Both encountered Adolf Hitler at the height of their success. Yet neither sought the conflict that would soon engulf them.
As the war spread across the Alps, they are reluctantly drawn into opposing sides. Heckmair becomes entangled in the machinery of the German war effort, while across the border Allais joins the Maquis, defending the high Alpine frontier he once explored as a skier.
In the final months of the war, as Germany collapses, Hitler makes a symbolic and daring attempt to place the swastika on the summit of Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest peak, as a final demonstration of the supposed superiority of the German race. It is here, around the high glaciers near the Torino Hut, that the lives of these two men collide.
In a world where the unwritten code of the mountains transcends borders, war shatters their beliefs and turns them against one another, forcing them to act against their own nature.
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The Authors
Summits of War is written by Alex Ledger and Jake Holland, two British adventure sports professionals based in Chamonix, France. They first met in 2015 on the iconic Aiguille du Midi at 3,800 metres, while preparing their paragliders for take off. Alongside their love of adventure, they share a mutual fascination with history and it was the little known Battle of the Vallée Blanche that truly captured their attention. Struck by both the extraordinary nature of the event and its relative obscurity, they set out to uncover the full story and bring it to a wider audience by writing a book.
Alex Ledger is an entrepreneur who has been running adventure tourism businesses since 2005. He is the founder of SkySchool, Europe’s leading paramotoring school. Over the past two decades, he has travelled extensively as a professional pilot and has spent the last ten years based in Chamonix Mont Blanc, where he climbs, skis and flies regularly from many of its summits. Jake Holland is an award winning film maker and leading creative director within the adventure sports industry. He has worked with some of the world’s largest media platforms, including directing for Red Bull TV and producing major content for Amazon Prime. An accomplished athlete in his own right, he is a passionate mountaineer, skier and paraglider pilot.
As their research deepened, Jake’s work as a film maker became an integral part of the process. He has produced a documentary that follows their journey as they uncover the story, combining interviews with family members and the last surviving soldier from the battle with their own exploration of the terrain. In doing so, they retrace the routes of their protagonists, climbing, skiing and flying through the same landscape.
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The Vision
Building on the same foundation of true events and extraordinary individuals, Summits of War has been conceived as part of a wider series exploring unique individuals drawn into conflict in the most extreme mountain environments on earth.
Beneath the Summits of War is set in the Dolomites during the First World War and follows climbers Luis Trenker and Hans Schneeberger as they are drawn into a brutal and unconventional form of warfare. Beneath the mountains, vast underground explosions tore apart entire peaks, while above, soldiers adapted mountaineering techniques to survive and fight on exposed ridgelines and sheer faces. It was a conflict defined as much by the environment as by the enemy, where survival demanded skill, endurance, and ingenuity.
Across the Summits of War moves to occupied Norway during the Second World War, following resistance fighter Claus Helberg. Living in isolation for months on the Hardangervidda plateau, he gathered intelligence, prepared landing zones, and evaded German patrols in one of the harshest winter environments in Europe. His actions helped lay the groundwork for a series of operations that culminated in the successful sabotage of the Vemork heavy water facility.
Above the Summits of War follows mountain pilot Firmin Guiron, whose intimate knowledge of the Mont Blanc massif allowed him to carry out high altitude reconnaissance, supply missions, and artillery spotting flights at the very limits of early aviation. Operating from the airfield at Passy, often in unarmed aircraft and unpredictable conditions, his work played a direct role in shaping the outcome of the highest battle of the Second World War.
The Tours
We run Summits of War Battlefield Tours designed for those who share our deep fascination with history and passion for the mountains. These are not conventional guided trips, but immersive journeys into the high alpine landscapes where some of the most extraordinary and least understood battles of the Second World War were fought. You can see some of the locations we will visit in the Gallery.
Each Tour will be personally led by Alex Ledger and Jake Holland. From remote mountain passes to glaciated ridge lines, we will follow the exact routes once used by soldiers, resistance fighters, and elite mountain troops. Standing in these locations, looking out across the same terrain, brings a powerful sense of scale, exposure, and isolation that shaped every decision made in these high altitude conflicts.
Throughout the tour, there will be open discussions about the book, the research behind it, and the real events that shaped the story, alongside informal moments to ask questions, share perspectives, and explore the narrative in greater depth. Participants will also have the opportunity for one to one conversations with Alex and Jake, creating a direct and personal connection between the reader, the authors, and the ground on which the story unfolds.
These tours are designed for those who want more than just to observe history. They are for those who want to step into it, to feel it, and to gain a deeper appreciation of the courage, hardship, and human stories that defined the highest battlefields of the Second World War. Spaces will be limited to ensure an intimate and authentic experience, so early registration is strongly encouraged.
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