As projects go, Alpine Connections is so grand in scale, that it is hard to fully understand. Imagine connecting 82-peaks over 4000m, covering 1207km’s by human power (run, cycle, climb or walk), accumulating 75,344m+ all within 19-days and just with an average sleep of 5h 17m.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST WITH KILIAN HERE
As physical and sporting achievements go, this project by Kilian Jornet, for me, is one of THE greatest sporting achievements of all time and quite correctly, it is one that will be cemented quite firmly in the legendary annals of alpinism.
“This project has been incredible; I think it’s one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, both physically, 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.” explained Kilian Jornet.
There is history with the 82 peaks, and many may well look at what Ueli Steck achieved in 62-days as the ‘template’ for such a challenge, his project concluded in 2015. However, in 1993 Martin Moran and Simon Jenkins did all (principal) summits in the Alps in 52 days. In 2008, Franz Nicolini and Diego Giovannini did the peaks in 60 days and just recently, Chrigel Maurer and Peter von Kanel, both from Switzerland, climbed all 82 of the 4,000m peaks in the Alps in 51 days using paraglider and foot, article here.
It may well come as no surprise that Kilian, one day, would take on this ultimate feat of alpinism, especially after his ‘Rediscovering Pyrenees’ project when he summited 177-peaks in just 8-days!
However, there was no warning or build up to this Alpine Connections project. A stunning victory at Sierre-Zinal and then Kilian announced on August 13th via social media:
“Hi everyone, I’m feeling pretty good after Sierre-Zinal, so, I’ve decided not to go home yet and enjoy the good conditions in the Alps…”
Little did we know what would follow!
Many thought a surprise UTMB start may be on the cards, I personally expected him to toe the line at Trofeo Kima… Then on August 14th, all was revealed, ‘One mountain range. One journey. This is Alpine Connections.’
At first, the 82 peaks were not announced. Quite simply, the project was described as a quest to connect as many 4000m peaks as possible relying solely on human-powered means and local resources.
I wondered, would he go for all 82 and in all honesty, we were left wondering this as each day passed until it became completely obvious that all 82 peaks were not only an objective but the timeline for this achievement would set the bar so high, that if achieved, this record would be history making.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST WITH KILIAN HERE
OUTLINE
• Alpine connections – A project by mountain athlete Kilian Jornet where he aims to connect as many 4,000-meter summits in the Alps as possible by linking peaks through ridges using only human-powered means.
• This project is a way for Kilian to explore his human limits and understand how far he can push his body both physically and mentally. For this, he will be testing himself during the activity, and the data collected will be used in scientific studies.
• The project is divided into stages that can go up to 34 hours where he combines climbing, running and cycling. Friends and family members have joined him throughout the challenge as well as a small team of filmmakers and a crew that helps with logistics.
- In essence, the project is all about the constant pursuit of new goals, the creativity in approaching them and the exploration of Kilian’s own limits.
TIMELINE
Stage 1 Bernini
Kilian took an early start with Philipp Brugger to climb Piz Bernina (4048m), the easternmost 4000-meter peak in the Alps, located in the Swiss Engadine valley. They ran and climbed 29km with 2573m of elevation to the summit round-trip, in great conditions, before getting to the start of the first bike link-up of the adventure. Kilian then cycled more than 210km solo with almost 4000m of elevation through some iconic mountain passes, to reach the next stage of the adventure. Kilian said;
“After dreaming about this project for a while, it feels so exciting to be on the move!”
Interesting fact: Kilian will have a scientific team following him at certain points, collecting various samples and analyzing aspects like his sleep patterns.
Stage 2 Oberland
Kilian arrived in the Bernese Oberland for the next part of the project. The day started a bit later than expected because of the bad weather. Even though the conditions weren’t perfect, Kilian set off for Lauteraarhorn (4042m) and Schreckhorn (4078m), two summits linked by a ridge, then pushing to Finsteraarhorn (4274m), the highest peak of the Bernese Alps region. Overall, it was not an easy stage with challenging weather. Fortunately, Kilian was able to shelter in a hut and get a few hours of sleep before continuing. Four 4000m peaks are now done.
Interesting facts: It was a rough day out there, with the weather forcing Kilian to change his game plan. He adjusted his route to steer clear of exposed areas, tackling wet rocks, snow, and storms as he went.
Stage 3 Oberland
One of the toughest stages yet, with the longest continuous climb of the project so far. Kilian started from Finsteraarhorn Hut after just a few hours of sleep and managed to traverse six 4000-meter peaks. It was a long 99 kilometers with 7890 meters of elevation gain, summiting Gross Grünhorn, Hinter Fiescherhorn, Gross Fiescherhorn, Mönch, Jungfrau, and finally, a long stretch to Aletschhorn. The whole push took Kilian 32 hours and 30 minutes.
“I had to be careful since the conditions weren’t always on my side. I even had to change my route to Aletschhorn three times—once because of the rain and twice due to tricky glacier conditions. Descending from Aletschhorn, I finally reunited with the team.”
After a quick 15-minute nap, Kilian cycled 40 kilometers to link up with the next part of this adventure.
Interesting facts: Kilian has now earned 3 KOMs on Strava and completed his longest ride ever during Stage 1, covering 213.06 km with an elevation gain of 3,984 meters in just 8 hours and 50 minutes of activity.
Stage 4 Weissmies
After a good night of rest, Kilian was super happy to share this climb with my friend and talented mountaineer, Matheo Jacquemond. The duo has great history, and Matheo was part of Kilian’s ‘Summits of my Life’ project. The duo set off at 3:30 in the morning to summit Lagginhorn (4010m) through its South Ridge, and Weissmies (4017m), in a 8-hours push covering 30 kilometers and 3381 meters of elevation.
“In these moments, I feel so grateful to be surrounded by a team helping me with all the logistics of the project, and experienced friends I can count on for long outings above 4000 meters in not-so perfect weather.”
After the climb, Kilian took a short bike ride to get to the end of the stage and a new afternoon of rest as the weather deteriorated again. After stage 4, Kilian had climbed twelve 4000-meter peaks.
Interesting facts: After climbing Lagginhorn and on the way back, Matheo decided to call it a day and take the gondola back, while Kilian carried out running to arrive down the valley.
Stage 5 Valais 1
“As it had been raining (and snowing on the summits) the entire afternoon and night before, I left solo at 6:15 in the morning and had another relatively “short” (8:40) day of climbing to make the most out of the conditions. Still, I am used to this “Norwegian” weather that feels just like home, so I managed to summit Dürrenhorn (4034m), Hohberghorn (4218m), Stecknadelhorn (4239m) and Nadelhorn (4327m). On the way down, I stopped to get some food at the Mischabelhütte and ran down to the valley.”
In total, 23 kilometers and 3246 meters of climbing for 4 more summits and a total of 16 4000 meters since starting the adventure.
Interesting facts: During his last adventure in the Pyrenees, Kilian lost his phone during one stage. This year, he has incorporated a phone case (and a new phone of course!) with a small string that he then attaches with a carabiner to his backpack.
Stage 6 Valais 2
“Stage 6 of the Alpine Connections project, aiming to link as many 4000 meter peaks of the Alps as I can, got under way at 6:20 in the morning from Saas-Fe. I started climbing with Matheo connecting the beautiful peaks of the Mischabel group: Lenzspitze (4294m), Dom (4545m) and Täschhorn (4491m), before being joined at midday by mountain guide, Genis Zapater for Alphubel (4206m), Allalinhorn (4027m), Rimpfischhorn (4199m) and finally Stalhhorn (4190m), ending the long day in the Monte Rosa hut for some well needed rest. It felt great to see the sun, be in good company, and to add a big day in the mountains to the adventure after dealing with uncertain weather for a bit.”
In total, Stage 6 lasted more than 21 hours, with almost 48 kilometers and more than 6000 meters of elevation, adding 7 summits to the project, for a total of 23 peaks of 4000 climbed so far.
Stage 7 Valais 3
“After 3 hours of rest in the Monte Rosa hut, I left, solo this time, at 7 in the morning for one of the big days of the project, with 18 summits of 4000 meters and above climbed in a single day.”
This traverse is known as the Spaghetti Tour, and took Kilian through Nordend, Dufourspitze, Zumsteinspitze, Signalkuppe, Pointe Parrot, Ludswighöhe, Corno Nero, Pyramide Vincent, Punta Giordani, Lyskamm E, Lyskamm W, Castor, Pollux, Roccia Nera, Breithorn (pointe 4106), Breithorn E, Breithorn central and finally Breithorn W.
The weather was good during the day, but the warm and soft snow conditions made Kilian slower than he had originally thought, which in turn made him struggle with adequate water and food intake. The smoke from the North American fires was clearly visible up in the sky and made for a strange atmosphere at times. Fortunately, the super moon made for good visibility at night, and Kilian managed to finish the stage in 17:45, ending up at the Hörnlihütte at around 1 in the morning for a feast of eggs, soup, quinoa, tortilla, broccoli, peas and cake before crashing down.
In just 6 stages, Kilian had accumulated 41 peaks of 4000 meters since the beginning of the Alpine Connections project, crazy!
Interesting fact: At the end of Stage 7, Kilian reached Hörnlihütte. His mother, Nuria, who knew the Hörnlihütte since she had submitted the Matterhorn 46 years ago, was waiting there to meet him.
Stage 8 Valais 4
“After some rest in the Hörnlihütte, this new stage started right away with an iconic climb, Matterhorn (4478m) , which I had climbed by its North Face the last time I came here (but of course that wasn’t on the menu today!), and in 2:52:02 from the Italian side in 2013.”
Departing at 7am, Kilian was treated with a beautiful sunrise. Once again, Kilian was joined by Matheo for Dent d’Hérens (4173m) then Genis for the long walk to Dent Blanche (4358m) and the descent to Schönbielhütte.
Another long day of more than 18 hours and 3 more peaks.
Interesting fact: In 2013, Kilian did his fastest time on the Matterhorn route, ascending it from the Italian side with a time of 2:52:02.
Stage 9 Valais 5
“We stayed only two hours at the Schönbielhütte, and left towards Zinal with Matheo at 5:30 in the morning, for what was maybe the most special stage of the project for me.”
After 4 days of an average of 19 hours of activity, Kilian arrived back in Zinal, two weeks after winning the mythical Sierre-Zinal mountain race. For this last day, Kilian recorded 4 new +4000m peaks in the Alps: Ober Gabelhorn (4064m), Zinalrothorn (4221m), Bishorn (4151m) and Weisshorn (4506m), a summit that he was looking forward to at the beginning of this project.
As he explained when he arrived back to Zinal:
“To me, this was the most special stage, and I was really looking forward to it. It was the end of a five-day stage in Valais: I was very tired, and it was the most technical section in a very wild region with a lot of decision making and navigation difficulties. To me, Weisshorn is one of the most beautiful mountains here in the Alps. Catching the sun to climb the south ridge of Weisshorn was special as I was quite afraid of entering the face in the dark as it’s a big climb, very technical and very long and I needed to run all the ridges before with very poor rock and very demanding. But then, the climb to Weisshorn was one of the best moments of my life! Climbing there with this rock that is beautiful and just seeing the sunset and the broken spectrum. I was flowing, I didn’t feel any tiredness, anything. It was super, super special. And then going to Zinal that is a special place for all the races that I have done here, it was a very special day”
In Zinal, his team and his mother were waiting for him before departing for a new bike link-up. To this day, Kilian has climbed 48 peaks on the Alps, with an elevation of more than 46.203m.
Interesting fact: Kilian’s last project in the Pyrenees concluded after 8 days, 155 hours of activity, 177 +3000 peaks and 485,65 Km. Alpine Connections has already reached 9 stages, 160 hours of activity and 48 +4000 peaks. The projects are unique and not directly comparable, but it’s something remarkable!
Stage 10 Grand Combin Traverse
“I started the day by a 110 kilometers bike ride from Zinal to Bourg Saint-Pierre, which took me most of the morning. I was happy to meet with Alan Tissieres for the climb to Grand Combins. We were racing together in ski mountaineering a long, long time ago. Now, he is a mountain guide, and it was nice to share a few summits with him! Grand Combins was more technical than I expected. It was a very nice climb, but it is a dangerous mountain because there’s a lot of rockfall and it’s not always easy to navigate, so I was glad not to be solo. We started towards Combin de Valsorey at sunset and climbed through the night on the glacier to Grand Combin and Combin de la Tsessette, the 49th, 50th and 51st summits of my Alpine Connections project. After a bit more than 9 hours of climbing, we were back to Bourg Saint-Pierre at around 2:30am.”
The next stage should be a stage of transition, as Kilian exits Switzerland towards the next part of the journey.
Stage 11 Transition
“After the Combins traverse, I arrived at 2 in the morning back to Bourg-Saint-Pierre, had a 4 hour sleep and left for an easy day, first cycling about 30k to La Fouly. On the way, I met Jules Henrigabioud, someone I’ve known from racing and ski mountaineering, who joined me on the ride and told me about a shortcut to go to Val Ferret. The Alps are a big place, but somehow, I keep running into people I know! I did a nice, easy run in the heat to Val Ferret. Over there, the weather was bad, so I took the first actual full rest day of the project. I tried to eat, drink a lot, heal the skin my hands and feet and prepare for the next long and technical push of the Alpine Connections project.”
Interesting fact: For the bike part, Kilian bumped into Jules Henri, an old friend who had competed in trail and ski mountaineering with him. After chatting for a bit, they realized they were going to the same place so decided to ride together, using a shortcut that Henri knew
Stage 12 Grand Jorasses
“I left at midnight from our camping ground in Courmayeur, feeling good and rested, to start the climb to Grandes Jorasses with a great team: Matheo, Michel Lanne and Bastien Lardat. Even though it was the middle of the night, everyone was super happy to be here and to kick off the day in good company! All of them know the area well and I was glad to have them for the more technical climbs of the day, as the conditions can get a bit tricky in this part of the Alps.”
Kilian and the team summited the Grandes Jorasses ridge (Pointe Walker, Pointe Whymper, Pointe Croz, Pointe Elena, Pointe Margherita), then Dôme de Rochefort, Aiguille de Rochefort and finally Dent du Géant, before stopping for a break at Rifugio Torino.
After that, Kilian left the team to go solo to the Refuge du Couvercle where he arrived after an elapsed time of 18:22 hours. With 28 kilometers and 4200 meters of elevation for today, Kilian climbed 8 more 4000-meter peaks, bringing the total to 59.
Interesting fact: After passing through Rifugio Torino, Matheo, Michel and Bastien decided to stop and let Kilian continue solo to Refuge Couvercle, amazed at how hard it was to follow Kilian even after 12 stages.
Stage 13 Mont Blanc 1
“Departing at 4am from Refuge du Couvercle, I summited Aiguille Verte, Grande Rocheuse, Aiguille du Jardin and Les Droites in a 17 hours push for 24 kilometers and 3470 meters of elevation in quite technical climbing. I was glad to join the team, friends and family at Rifugio Torino to debrief such a big day and start planning the rest of the adventure”.
This brings the total to 63 summits so far. Today, Kilian He was joined by Spanish alpinist Jordi Tosas, an old friend and climbing partner, with whom Kilian did his first expedition in the Himalayas.
Interesting fact: Proof of how technical the terrain is? Kilian has already worn out two pairs of leather gloves!
Stage 14 Mont Blanc 2
“We started the day at 4:45 with Matheo and Noa Barau on the Diable ridge, one of the most beautiful rock climbs I’ve ever done, both very technical and aesthetic. This took us through Corne du Diable, Pointe Chaubert, Pointe Médiane, Pointe Carmen and L’Isolée. We pushed on towards Mont Blanc with the summits of Mont Blanc du Tacul, Mont Maudit, Mont Blanc, Dôme du Goûter and Aiguille de Bionassay, where Matheo and Noa left.”
Kilian continued solo, went back to the summit of Mont Blanc for a second time on my way back, then down on the Brouillard ridge (Monte Bianco de Courmayeur, Picco Luigi Amadeo, Mont Brouillard and Punta Baretti) accompanied with amazing sunset in the background:
“A moment that I will remember forever.”
Taking Kilian around 20 hours in total, he stopped at the bivouac Eccles for around 4 hours and waited for better conditions, before climbing some technical sections at Grand Pilier d’Angle and Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey.
One very big day in the books, with 16 new 4000-meter summits, almost 41 kilometers with 5000 meters of climb, in 29 hours and 25 minutes (not including the 4 hours sleeping at Eccles).
Interesting fact: One of Kilian’s goals for this project was to connect summits using ridges or the most logical routes. In Stage 14, for example, he faced sections that had rarely been attempted, so there wasn’t much information available. Kilian used various resources—maps, advice from friends, and input from fellow alpinists—to understand these routes before tackling them. This shows the significant time and effort he put into planning this project, which took several months. Once on the mountain, he had to constantly adapt his plan based on weather, conditions, and how he was feeling. The support of friends, guides, hut owners, and people he met along the way was crucial in these moments.
Stage 15 Gran Paradiso
Kilian reached the summit of Gran Paradiso (4,061 m) with Mathéo and Vivien Bruchez, a long-time friend with whom he has shared numerous expeditions and steep-skied some iconic couloirs in the mountains he is now crossing in his project. After the bike section, Vivien, recovering from an injury, departed, and the group was joined by trail runner Henry Aymond and ski mountaineering world champion Emily Harrop. Together, they set up to climb the summit number 80 of this journey, which they summited in only 4 hours. This summit was less technical than the sections Kilian encountered in the Mont Blanc massif a few days ago, which allowed for a quick ascent and descent. Back from the climb, Kilian ran 21 km to cross back into France. Once in Val d’Isère, he rested for 7 hours.
Interesting fact: It took Kilian only 4h to climb Gran Paradiso, compared to the long hours spent on the Mont Blanc ridge the days before, which is a real proof of how technical the Mont Blanc is.
Stage 16 Completion
After completing stage 16 in the Ecrins massif, Kilian connected all 82 of the Alps’ 4,000-meter peaks in 19 days using only human-powered means. A mind-blowing project and a colossal challenge due to the exposure, technical difficulty, and focus it requires.
Interesting fact: Kilian set up his first FKT in Dôme des Neiges when he was 16, so finishing here feels almost like closing the circle.
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, honouring alpinism and his mentors, physiological research, and the pursuit of physical and mental limits, all shared with friends and the community.
“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!”
SUMMARY
It’s very, very difficult to summarise this achievement. In all honesty, I am not able to fully understand what Kilian has achieved. We can look at images and videos, they give a hint of the danger, the complexity, the skills required, but ultimately, we can only imagine… What I do know is, this is one of THE greatest sporting achievements of all time.
Michel Lanne, a grand star of the sport, a mountain guide and employed by the PGHM (Peloton de Gendarmerie de Haute Montagne) who joined Kilian sums it up well:
“This is the story of a friend, who decides to go on a ‘little alpine ride,’ as he calls it! Except that this spring, when he explained to me the details of this project, I am both conquered by the idea, but quite puzzled about the feasibility of such a feat! Except this old buddy had it all planned, absolutely everything! He then sends me the routes, timings, summits, planned equipment, and even his nutrition plan for a little over 2 weeks… Knowing the animal, I understand that his determination is complete, that this Titan project matches him completely, and that he is the only one capable of achieving such a feat. In the middle, we often talk about hunting the 4000! As far as Kiki is concerned, this line-up seemed so logical and natural, I’d call this a pick of 4000! Perhaps the numbers can help you understand the extent of what he just accomplished… but beyond the colossal physical performance, it is the mental and psychological aspect that struck me the most. Despite the monstrously long and challenging days, despite the fatigue and little sleep, he was able to exhibit vigilance at every moment, managed to manage nervous tension, risk and effort, constantly maintaining clarity, anticipation and vigilance beyond the norm. And leave each night with a smile, happy and eager to enjoy the mountain. Kiki, thank you for inviting me to share a small piece of your amazing adventure, with the phenomenal Matheo Jacquemond and Bastien Lardat. I have often remained silent, discreet observer of your gesture, fluid, elegant, easy, applied and mastered.”
Michel’s words mean so much, not because Kilian is a friend BUT because you fully understand the enormity of the challenge. The difficulty. The danger. The audacity of even considering this project deserves respect, to complete it in 19-days is beyond any comprehension.
Chapeaux Kilian.
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