The Seven Summits Project
How Jelle Veyt is climbing the world’s highest peaks using nothing but human power.
Interviewed on the 04.07.2025
For more than a decade, he has crossed continents powered only by muscle, wind, and waves. At 39, Jelle Veyt, adventurer and physiotherapist, has cycled, rowed, sailed, skied, and walked over 80,000 kilometers, climbing six of the world’s seven highest peaks along the way. Jelle is one of those people who lives entirely for his passion, with an iron will that drives him to achieve goals that would seem impossible to most.
As a teenager, Jelle had little beyond the protection of a tight-knit group of activists who took him in. “I lost several close friends, and I thought I wouldn’t live long myself,” he recalls. Those years, spent without water or electricity and moving between abandoned buildings, taught him early lessons in gratitude, resilience, and resourcefulness. Later, after finding work and enrolling in university, he began cycling to mountains across Europe, drawn both by physical challenge and the freedom of self-propelled travel. When he learned about the Seven Summits, the idea crystallized: why not combine cycling with mountaineering, and climb each peak under his own power?
Jelle’s Seven Summits challenge truly began when he received a job offer as a physiotherapist in Nepal. Accustomed to cycling to work in Belgium, he thought, “Why not pedal there as well?” He packed a 100-kilogram bicycle loaded with gear and set off for Nepal, beginning a journey that would take him far beyond the simple commute. Along the way, detours led him to Mount Elbrus in Russia, Everest in Nepal, and other peaks that became milestones on a journey defined not by speed but by persistence.
“I thought I could do it all in five years. I only had 3,000 euros in the bank and no sponsors. Everything I owned was on my bike. I had no idea how. I only knew I had a job in Nepal.”
Years later, the adventure continues - stage by stage, summit by summit, kilometer by kilometer.
His proudest moments are measured in endurance and complexity as much as altitude. Denali, the highest peak in North America, demanded three years of planning and preparation: 1,500 kilometers of rowing, 10,000 kilometers of sailing, 15,000 kilometers of cycling from Panama to Alaska in subzero winter temperatures, and a five-week climb. “The highs and lows in every aspect were insane,” he says. “But it was worth it.”
Some memories are quieter yet no less vivid. Arriving in Nepal after five months of cycling alone from Belgium, he was greeted by the children supported by the NGO he worked with, screaming his name in joy. “It was intense,” he remembers. “After five months of being alone, that moment made all the effort worth it.”
Over time, the repeated tests of endurance and self-reliance have thought him that a big part of adventure lies in trusting the world, to rely on strangers, and to see human connection as an essential force behind human-powered adventure. “I thought the power was in me alone,” he reflects. “But the real human power comes from the people who cheer you on, give you water, share their stories. That’s the true engine of this journey.”
From these lessons, a philosophy emerges. “People are good,” he says. “Patience is one of the most important things in life.
Jelle’s philosophy is simple but deeply felt. He believes in experiencing the world with all your senses, not just observing it from a distance.
“Going by car or motorcycle to see the world is great and there’s nothing wrong with it,” he says. “But if you want to feel the world, go and hike, bike, row, or sail. You feel the heat, the rain, uphill, downhill, smells. Everything is so much more intense. Go out and play, find adventure in small things, be curious and wonder: if I couldn’t fail, what would I do? Find your passion, your reason to live, and be grateful for it.”
These days, his life is structured around training, expedition preparation, physiotherapy work, motivational talks, sponsor meetings, and constantly refining the gear that makes his adventures possible. Every day is versatile, demanding, and fully chosen. For Jelle, that is the essence of living and adventuring, on his own terms.
Connect with Jelle here.
© 2025 Grit & Dust (The Seven Summits Project). Photos © 2025 Jelle Veyt. All rights reserved. No part of this article or images may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission.