Kilian Jornet has climbed 82 summits of over 4,000m in the Alpsin 19 days. The project is a colossal challenge due to the exposure, technicality and capacity for concentration required.
In a hybrid combination of trail, mountaineering, climbing and cycling, Kilian Jornet has brought together in this project everything he is passionate about: the majesty of the mountain, facing the unknown, paying homage to mountaineering and its mentors, physiological research and the search for physical and mental limits, all shared with friends and community.
“This project has been incredible, I think it’s one of the most complicated things I’ve ever done, both physically, technically and mentally. Having to be in a state of total concentration for 20 days takes a lot of energy but it has been incredible. I remember all the outings and sunsets and all the friends who have accompanied me on the mountain and I am very happy and proud of what we have achieved in the last three weeks. Now it’s time to rest and assimilate everything I’ve experienced, because I think it will take me a while to appreciate it,’ explained Kilian Jornet.
All the peaks over 4000m in 19 days
Kilian Jornet, one of the most renowned mountain athletes, has successfully completed Alpine Connections, a project in which he linked all the peaks of more than 4,000 metres in the Alps in 19 days without using motorised vehicles. This challenge has undoubtedly been one of the most important and significant of his life, as he commented at the end: “This project has been incredible, I think it is one of the most complicated things I have ever done, both physically, technically and mentally. Having to spend 20 days in a state of total concentration requires a lot of energy but it has been incredible. I remember all the outings and sunsets and all the friends who have accompanied me on the mountain and I am very happy and proud of what we have achieved in the last three weeks. Now it’s time to rest and assimilate everything I’ve experienced, because I think it will take me a while to appreciate it’,
Starting on the Piz Bernina (4,049m) in Switzerland and finishing on the Barre des Écrins (4,102m) in France, Kilian Jornet has tested his physical and mental limits in a demonstration of technique, planning, precision and adaptation difficult to understand for those who have never faced the Alpine giants. In between, Kilian has climbed some of the most iconic mountains in the Alps such as Monte Rosa (4,634m), the Matterhorn (4,478m) or the highest of them all, Mont Blanc (4,808m).
An extraordinary effort and feat for Kilian Jornet
Kilian Jornet’s passion for the mountains and the history of mountaineering led him to dream of this project, which to date has only been documented by two teams of mountaineers who have always inspired him: Ueli Steck (62 days in 2015) and Franz Nicolini and Diego Giovannini (60 days in 2008). This project has been twofold for Kilian. On the one hand, the familiarity of returning to climb mountains where he lived and trained for 10 years and, on the other, the challenge of an unknown and wild Alps, in very uncrowded sections where he had to rely on the few existing reviews and the experience of friends and mountain guides. All this, added to an exceptional physical effort in a constant struggle against fatigue due to the vital need to maintain concentration in extremely technical and exposed sections of terrain.
When Kilian Jornet set off from the village of Saint Moritz in Switzerland on 13 August, he didn’t know how far he could go. In his mind was the goal of chaining all the summits, but he decided to see day by day the progress and the next steps. That is why he decided to structure the project in stages, so that he could manage them physically, mentally and logistically. Kilian Jornet’s innovative spirit and creativity have also been reflected in the way he has designed this route, because although he has followed classic routes for some summits, Kilian has designed connections trying to find what he calls ‘the most logical line’, that is to say linking the maximum number of summits through ridges and edges.
Despite the initial plan, which he drew up for months, the reality of the conditions, the weather and his physical condition have forced him on many occasions to change and adapt his plans. Thus, advancing day by day according to sensations and conditions, Kilian has been crossing the Swiss, Italian and French Alps accompanied by different mountaineering friends with whom he has shared part of the adventure. In addition to these companions, the help provided by hut keepers, guides, campsite managers and people he has met along the route has been crucial to the success of the project: ‘This project is as much mine as that of all those who have helped me at every stage. Their knowledge, support and friendship have made possible something that seemed unattainable’, explained Kilian.
The stages, which ranged from 3h45 to 34h with an average time of 17h, were mainly on foot, either running, climbing or grimping, while the rest was cycling to link the different massifs (87% of the time on foot vs. 13% by bike). A small team provided logistical support for food, equipment and content creation in a project that took more than 6 months to organise.
Kilian’s passion for science and scientific knowledge has also led him to carry out a rigorous control and measurement of different physical parameters, which once analysed will allow us to better understand the body’s reactions in situations such as those experienced by Kilian and use the data for future studies.
Thus, after 16 stages and 19 days (18 of activity and 1 of rest), Kilian Jornet has covered 1,207km and overcome an accumulated difference in altitude of 75,344m, reaching 82 summits of more than 4,000 metres in the Alps. Without using motorised vehicles, Kilian has completed what seems to be the project of his life, and in which he has brought together in this project everything he is passionate about: the majesty of the mountain, the confrontation with the unknown, the tribute to mountaineering and its mentors, physiological research and the search for physical and mental limits, all shared with friends and community.
Project summary ok Kilian Jornet
- Stages 1-4: Kilian began his challenge in Switzerland, climbing iconic peaks such as Piz Bernina (4,049m) and Weissmies (4,017m), facing difficult weather conditions from the start.
- Stages 5-9: In the heart of the Alps, in the Valais region, Kilian connected numerous peaks, including the Weisshorn (4,506 m) and the Dom des Mischabels (4,545 m), in a series of very technical stages, including the mythical Spaghetti Tour.
- Stages 10-14: The last stages took him to the Mont Blanc area, where Kilian crowned some of the highest and most iconic peaks of the massif, such as Mont Blanc (4,808 m) and Grandes Jorasses (4,208 m). These final stages were the longest and most technically demanding.
- Stages 15 and 16: The last part of the project was in the Gran Paradiso National Park (Italy) connecting in a long cycling stage to the Parc National des Écrins, where the last two summits of the project are located, the Dôme de Neige des Écrins ( 4,015 m) and the Barre des Écrins (4,102 m).
Some highlights
- 82 peaks over 4,000 metres in 3 countries (Switzerland, France, Italy)
- 18 days of activity and 1 day of rest: Kilian rested for one day due to fatigue and bad conditions in the mountains.
- 16 stages with an average of 17h of activity per stage
- 1,207 kilometres with 75,344m of elevation gain in 267:45:16 hours of activity
- 5h 17 minutes of sleep on average
- 87% of the time on foot vs 13% by bike
- 40% of the summits accompanied (32 summits) by Philip Brugger, Mathéo Jacquemoud, Genís Zapater, Alain Tissier, Michel Lane, Bastien Lardat, Noa Barrau, Henry Aymond, Emily Harrop and Benjamin Vedrines on foot and Jules Henri, Vivien Bruchez and Leo Viret on bike.
- Kilian has completed the longest cycling activities he has ever recorded.
- A team of four cameramen who followed and documented the process: David Ariño, Joel Badia, Nick Danielson and Noa Barrau.
- A team of physiologists led by Dr. Jesús Alvarez who followed him during part of the adventure to collect data and physiological samples.
- A support team of 2 people who followed him in a van to provide him with supplies at some points along the route and transport material
