NNormal: Kilian Jornet completes Alpine Connections, the Project of His Life

Kilian Jornet, Co-Founder of NNormal, has linked all 82 of the Alps’ 4,000-meter peaks in 19 days without using motorized vehicles.

The project is a colossal challenge due to the exposure, technical difficulty, and focus it requires.

In a hybrid combination of trail running, mountaineering, climbing, and cycling, Kilian Jornet has brought together everything he is passionate about in this project: the majesty of the mountains, facing the unknown, honoring alpinism and his mentors, physiological research, and the pursuit of physical and mental limits, all shared with friends and the community.

Kilian Jornet, one of the most recognized mountain athletes, has successfully completed Alpine Connections, a project in which he linked all the Alps’ 4,000-meter peaks in 19 days without using motorized vehicles. This challenge has undoubtedly been one of the most important and significant of his life, as he explained when he finished: “This project has been incredible; I think it’s one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, both physically and technically, as well as mentally. Having to stay in a state of total concentration for 20 days requires a lot of energy, but it has been amazing. I remember all the sunrises and sunsets and all the friends who accompanied me in the mountains, and I am very happy and proud of what we have achieved in the last three weeks. Now it’s time to rest and process everything that has happened, because I think it will take me some time to fully appreciate it,”

Starting at Piz Bernina (4,049 m) in Switzerland and finishing at Barre des Écrins (4,102 m) in France, Kilian pushed his physical and mental limits in a demonstration of technique, planning, precision, and adaptation that is difficult to comprehend for those who have never faced alpine linkups. Along the way, Kilian climbed some of the most iconic mountains in the Alps, such as Monte Rosa (4,634 m), the Matterhorn (4,478 m), and the highest of them all, Mont Blanc (4,808 m).

Kilian Jornet’s passion for the mountains and the history of alpinism led him to dream of this project, which until now had only been documented by two teams of alpinists who have always inspired him: Ueli Steck (62 days in 2015) and Franz Nicolini and Diego Giovannini (60 days in 2008). This project had a dual significance for Kilian: on one hand, the familiarity of the mountains where he lived and trained for 10 years, and on the other, the challenge of unknown and wild Alps, in rarely frequented areas where he had to rely on the few existing reports and the experience of friends and mountain guides. All this, combined with an exceptional physical effort and a constant battle against fatigue, required vital concentration on sections of extremely technical and exposed terrain.

When Kilian started in the village of Saint Moritz in Switzerland on August 13, he did not know how far he could go. His goal was to link all the summits, but he decided to take it day by day. This is what led him to structure the project into stages, allowing him to manage them physically, mentally, and logistically.

Kilian Jornet’s innovative spirit and creativity were also reflected in the way he designed this route. Although he followed parts already completed by alpinists who had done the linkup in the past, Kilian designed connections between summits by trying to find what he calls “the most logical line,” connecting as many peaks as possible through ridges and aretes. Despite the initial plan, which he had drawn up over months, the reality of the conditions, weather, and his physical state often forced him to change and adapt his plans. Thus, advancing day by day according to sensations and conditions, Kilian traversed the Swiss, Italian, and French Alps accompanied by different alpinist friends who joined him on various stages, summiting 32 peaks together. In addition to these companions, the help provided by hut wardens, guides, campsite managers, and people he met along the way was crucial to the success of the project: “This project is as much mine as it is of all those who helped me at each stage. Their knowledge, support, and friendship made possible something that seemed unattainable,” Kilian explained.

The stages, which ranged from 3h45 to 34h with an average of 17h, were mainly on foot, either running, climbing, or scrambling, while the rest was spent cycling to connect the different mountain ranges (87% of the time on foot vs. 13% on a bike). A small team provided support with logistics for food, equipment, and content creation in a project that took more than 6 months to organize.

Kilian’s passion for science and scientific knowledge also led him to rigorously monitor and measure various physical parameters, which, once analyzed, will help better understand the body’s reactions in situations like those Kilian experienced and use the data for future studies.

Thus, after 16 stages and 19 days (18 of activity and 1 of rest), Kilian covered 1,207 km and accumulated a total elevation gain of 75,344 m, reaching all 82 of the Alps’ 4,000-meter peaks. Without using motorized vehicles, Kilian completed what seems to be the project of his life, bringing together everything he is passionate about: the majesty of the mountains, facing the unknown, honoring alpinism and his mentors, physiological research, and the pursuit of physical and mental limits, all shared with friends and the community.

Project Summary

– Stages 1-4: Kilian began his challenge in Switzerland, climbing iconic peaks such as Piz Bernina (4,049 m) and Weissmies (4,017 m), facing difficult weather conditions from the start.

– Stages 5-9: In the heart of the Alps, in the Valais region, Kilian linked numerous peaks, including Weisshorn (4,506 m) and Dom des Mischabels (4,545 m), in a series of very technical stages, including the legendary Spaghetti Tour.

– Stages 10-14: The final stages took him to the Mont Blanc area, where Kilian summited some of the highest and most iconic peaks of the massif, such as Mont Blanc (4,808 m) and the Grandes Jorasses (4,208 m). These final stages were the longest and technically most demanding.

– Stages 15 and 16: The last part of the project took place in the Gran Paradiso National Park (Italy), connected by a long bike stage to the Parc National des Écrins, where the final two summits of the project, the Dôme de Neige des Écrins (4,015 m) and the Barre des Écrins (4,102 m), are located.

Key Highlights

• 82 peaks over 4,000 meters summited across 3 countries (Switzerland, France, and Italy
• 18 days of activity and 1 day of rest: Kilian took a rest day due to fatigue and poor mountain conditions
• 16 stages with an average of 17 hours of activity per stage
• 1,207 kilometers with 75,344 meters of elevation gain in 267:45:16 hours of activity
• 5 hours and 17 minutes of average sleep
• 87% of the time on foot vs. 13% on a bike
• 40% of the summits (32 peaks) accompanied by friends: 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 and Vivien Bruchez on a bike
• Kilian completed the longest bike activities he has ever recorded
• A team of four filmmakers followed and documented the process: David Ariño, Joel Badia, Nick Danielson, and Noa Barrau
• A team of physiologists led by Dr. Jesús Alvarez followed him during part of the adventure to collect physiological data and samples
• A support team of 2 people followed him in a van to provide supplies at certain points and transport equipment

Photo credit: Nick Danielson

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