Kilian Jornet Burgada has completed an incredible, unfathomable, almost absurd, feat by climbing all 82 4,000-meter peaks in the Alps in the astonishing time of just 19 days. Starting from Piz Bernina in mid-August and finishing at the Barre des Écrins, the 36-year-old Spanish skyrunner ticked off all the highest mountains in the Alps, travelling from one peak to the next on foot or by bicycle…
In an unparalleled test display of physical endurance and mental resilience, Jornet pushed himself to his very limit every day, sometimes climbing for 20 hours non-stop, before resting for 4 or 5 hours prior to embarking on his next climbs. Many of the mountains were summited with members of his team, while many others were summited solo.
The final stats are as follows: 1207km, 267:45:16 hours of activity, 75,344 meters of elevation gain and, on average, 5:17 hours of sleep. The numbers speak for themselves and it will take some time to understand the magnitude of this performance, but one thing is crystal clear at this stage: nothing like it has ever been done before and, for quite some time, these 19 days will remain unrivalled.
Posting immediately after the final summit, he stated “19 days after getting started on Piz Bernina, my dream of climbing all 82 4000 meter peaks of the Alps using only human power to link them together came true on Dôme and Barre des Écrins, the westernmost of them all.
This was, without any doubt, the most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life, mentally, physically, and technically, but also maybe the most beautiful.
It’s difficult to process all my emotions just now, but this is a journey that I will never forget.
I want to thank again all the people who supported me or climbed with me throughout this project.
It’s time to rest for a bit now!”
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