KILIAN JORNET BURGADA. That's right, in capital letters. That is the way in which one of the best athletes of all time, if not the best, is writing his name in the annals of the history of mountaineering. And the fact is that, despite believing that he could not surprise us any more, the Catalan athlete has managed with Alpine Connections, his latest superhuman adventure around the Alps, to overcome the limits of the impossible and once again leave the world speechless.
Although for lovers of trail running and mountaineering in general Kilian Jornet is already synonymous with admiration, on this occasion he has managed to catch half the world by means of a feat within the reach of very few, or none more than him. Because on August 13, 2024, Kilian began a transalpine crossing that has led him, 19 days and 16 stages later, to chain the 82 summits of more than 4,000 meters in the Alps. Thus culminating a historic milestone that scares just by looking at the data.
Alpine Connections: The basis of the project
But before focusing on these data, on the results of what we now know is a challenge that has been more than met, we have to look back to see what Kilian's new challenge consisted of. In general terms, and simplifying what would later be a difficult development on the ground, the challenge consisted of linking the 82 peaks of more than 4,000 meters that exist in the Alps, only using human strength, that is, moving without using any type of motor vehicle that connected him with the different regions in which the challenge was to take place.
Because, for those who do not know, the mountains of more than 4,000 meters in the Alps extend from Switzerland to Italy through France in an eternal meandering that has forced the Catalan to perform not only purely mountain activities, such as climbing, trail running or mountaineering, but also cycling, to move between some of its valleys to connect all these 'masses' of ice and rock as fast as possible.
Photo: NNormal official website
Thus, the camino began in Switzerland, in the village of Saint Moritz, ascending the Piz Bernina (4,049 m), one of the easternmost 4,000-meter peaks of the Alps, and ended in the southwest of the mountain range, in Barre des Écrins (4,102 m) in France. Of course, with the aforementioned 16 stages (in 19 days) that have challenged him both physically and mentally .
Itinerary by stages
Spread out by stages, the summary of the project which, in his own words, "has been one of the most challenging things he has done, both physically and technically, as well as mentally," leaves a picture worthy of admiration in what is a project that has taken months of preparation at the logistical level.
"I think it's one of the most challenging things I've done, both physically and technically, as well as mentally. Having to be in a state of total concentration for 19 days takes a lot of energy, but it's been incredible." - Kilian Jornet
Photo: David Ariño
A logistics in which the Catalan runner has had a small team of people, who have given him support in terms of food, material or even audiovisual creation of which we hope to offer us, later, a documentary that shells every bit of the adventure.
- Stages 1-4: Some of the most emblematic peaks were Piz Bernina (4,049 m) or Weissmies (4,017 m). These were hard days due to adverse weather conditions that even forced to change the planned itinerary in the third stage. A challenging start in Switzerland with which the world of mountaineering began to feel that Kilian, once again, was about to make history.
- Stages 9: Turn for the Valais region, one of the most famous and beautiful of the alpine range. During these stages Kilian managed to connect a large number of peaks, including some as emblematic as the Weisshorn (4,506 m) or the Matterhorn (4,478 m). In addition, it was one of the most technical sections and included one of the most famous routes in the area in the Monte Rosa Massif, the so-called Spaghetti Tour.
- Stages 10-14: Already in the world epicenter of mountaineering, Kilian linked some of the most famous and admired summits of the Alps, such as Mont Blanc (4,810 m) or Grandes Jorasses (4,208 m). Some stages of great technical exposure in which the weight of the project and the days of continuous activity could not take their toll due to the high level of concentration required. At this time, while he was running along the edges of the massif, miles runners congregated in the valley to celebrate the UTMB 2024.
- Stages 15 and 16: With the Mont Blanc Massif finished, Kilian headed towards Aosta to climb the Gran Paradiso (4,061 m) and then cycled the camino from the Aosta valley to the Parc National des Écrins, where he climbed the Dôme de Neige des Écrins (4,015 m) and the Barre des Écrins (4,102 m) to end a historic "madness".
Photo: Nick Danielson
The numbers of the project
Despite the fact that the challenge is much more than just statistics, the numbers left by Kilian Jornet' s Alpine Connections are overwhelming. Here are some of the most interesting facts about it:
- Number of summits (over 4,000 meters) ? 82.
- Days of activity ? 18 (+1 rest day due to conditions and fatigue).
- Stages completed ? 16
- Average activity per stage ? 17 hours
- Kilometers covered ? 1,207 km
- Accumulated positive elevation gain ? 75,344 m+
- Hours of activity ? 267:45:16
- Average sleep time ? 5h and 17 minutes
- Percentage of times ? 87% walking and 13% cycling.
Photo: Noa Barrau
Alpine Connections: The precedents
While it is true that this incredibly tough challenge in technical, physical and mental terms is within the reach of very few, it is true that it is a challenge that has been completed before by other mountaineers, specifically three people: Ueli Steck (The Swiss Machine) in 2015, and the team formed by Franz Nicolini and Diego Giovannini in 2008.
In both cases, the duration of the same went practically up to 2 months, with 62 days in the case of Ueli and 60 in the case of the Italian duo. Therefore, the fact of having broken these records, completing the 82 summits in just 19 days only makes the Catalan's feat even greater.
Photo: David Ariño
And the fact is that, although he has not spoken about it, everything points to the fact that this legendary crossing has been inspired by Ueli, Kilian's great friend who left us, at the age of 40, in the Himalaya, back in 2017. A sort of tribute that, however, is quite far apart in numbers, not only in terms of time.
Because while it is true that both Ueli and Franz and Diego managed to link the 82 summits of the Alps, Kilian has done so using what, according to him, is the "most logical line", seeking to link the summits by their ridges and more direct paths on many occasions. A search for more purist terrain that, with the aforementioned logic and great precision, has allowed him to "save" up to 24,000 meters of positive vertical drop, which implies, of course, a much higher technical level of difficulty and up to 600 kilometers less of cycling.
A route in which he has not been alone, since in 40% of the summits he was accompanied by friends and world-class climbers who have helped him to decipher the paths of some of the most forgotten areas. Alpinists of the stature of Mathéo Jacquemoud, Philip Brugger, Genís Zapater, Alain Tissier, Michel Lane, Bastien Lardat, Noa Barrau, Henry Aymond, Emily Harrop and Benjamin Vedrines. In addition to great companions who made his cycling hours more enjoyable, such as Jules Henri, Vivien Bruchez and Leo Viret.
Photo: Nick Danielson
Beyond the mountains
If you are a mountain enthusiast and know Kilian Jornet, you will know that everything that surrounds him is studied to the millimeter. Both in terms of training and preparation and in terms of results. How much is the human body capable of withstanding the load of exercise, stress and physical and mental activity?
With these unknowns in mind, Alpine Connections has also served as a baseline study for physiologist Dr. Jesús Álzarez who, thanks to the metrics collected during part of the adventure, will be able to unravel the impact that all these variables have on Kilian' s organism, and thus understand a little more about the limits of the human body and its reactions.
Photo: NNormal official website
In addition, apart from health sciences, this project has been a showcase and exemplary test for the material of his sports brand NNormal, with which he has completed the entire challenge. In what interests us most, the shoes, Kilian was seen with what was clearly a NNormal Tomir 2.0 and another model with membrane that we hope (once tested as he has done) will soon go on sale.
Photo: NNormal official website
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