Emotions of 2012

Posted on December 31, 2012 by talkultra

What a year! what a year indeed… it is the last day of 2012 and like so many others I wanted to sit down, reflect on what has happened and put a post together documenting some of the special moments of 2012. But as I looked back, so many sprung to mind… many moments I witnessed through social media such as Facebook and Twitter and others I witnessed first hand. So I have decided to select key moments that I witnessed personally, however, before I do that I do want to give a ‘nod’ to some key moments that I didn’t witness first hand…

Australian Pat Farmer finally made it to the South Pole after starting at the North Pole (view here). Pat is a multiple world record holder for endurance running. He has run around Australia and across North America twice.

Salomon launched the Sense. A shoe that created a stir and a buzz that could only be compared to the same sort of buzz around an iPhone, iPad or equally another key moment of 2012, the Suunto Ambit.

Ryan Sandes arguably one of the best ultra performers in 2012 started of his year in style with a win at the Vibram 100km in Hong Kong.

Micah True passed way from heart related issues while out running in Mexico. The ultra community bonded together as initially he was lost for days causing Scott Jurek and Chris McDougall (Micah was made famous in the book ‘Born to Run‘) to travel to Mexico and aid the search for him.

Jez Bragg won the Fellsman race for the 3rd time in preparation for his attempt on winning the UTMB. Unfortunately Jez was plagued throughout 2012 with stomach issues. We are pleased to say that he now seems to have rectified these issues and is currently blazing a trail on ‘The Long Pathway‘ in New Zealand.

Kilian Jornet announced his new project ‘Summits of my Life‘. A long term project that will take four years, during which he will travel to the greatest mountain ranges in the world attempting to climb some of the most breathtaking peaks and come back down again as fast as he can. Unfortunately on the first project, the crossing of Mont Blanc, the project was struck with disaster as Kilian’s ski guide and partner for the project, Stéphane Brosse fell to his death. Kilian devestated by the incident spent time with Stéphane’s family and withdrew from Western States.

The big dance, Western States did not disappoint with two incredible performances and two course records. Timothy Olson beat Geoff Roes record with an incredible performance made all the sweeter when you hear his incredible life story… (listen to our interview on Talk Ultra) Ellie Greenwood confirmed herself as possibly the greatest female ultra runner of the moment breaking Ann Trason‘s long standing (considered by many unbeatable) course record.

Dakota Jones after a storming win at Transvulcania La Palma went to Hardrock 100 as the one to beat… as it happened, Hal Koerner took the win with Joe Grant in second place.

Speedgoat 50K raised the question about trail, course markings and when and when you should not deviate from a course… ultimately our one and only Speedgoat made a decision that relegated Kilian Jornet from the top of the podium and replaced him with his team mate Rickey Gates. It all got a little crazy and of course RD’s will now make sure they specify the ‘rules’ when putting a race briefing together.

UTMB – It rained, it snowed, the cloud came in, the course got shortened and Lizzy Hawker won her fifth UTMB albeit NOT the UTMB as it was not a full course, so, Lizzy will be back! Francois d’Haene however was very pleased with his win over the shortened course.

Just a week after the UTMB, Francesca Canepa from the Vibram Team turned up at the super tough and long Tor des Geants and won it… amazing considering just 7 days before she was second behind Lizzy Hawker.

Lance Armstrong… need I say more!

Mike Morton had an incredible 2012 with a stunning performance at Badwater 135 just missing the CR by 75 seconds. In addition to this, Mike ran and won may 100’s all around the 13 hour mark. However his performance of the year came in Poland at the 24 hour Championships. Running 277.54 kms he dislodged Scott Jurek as the Amercan holder and set a new benchmark.

Kilian Jornet went back to his ‘Summits‘ project and set a second record on Mont Blanc. This time crossing from Italy (Courmayer) to France (Chamonix) in 8hrs 40min. Article here

Fresh from a record attempt over Mont Blanc, Kilian Jornet went to Mt Kinabalu Climbathon in Borneo as part of the Skyrunning calendar, won and became World Champion…. again! Of course this race had some controversy as it didn’t go to the summit. Another outstanding performance was that of Emelie Forsberg, she won the ladies race and in doing so confirmed herself as one of the most talented and dominant females of 2012. Kilian now warmed up went over to Reunion Island and took on the tough ‘Raid de la Reunion‘. He made it look easy and he even had time to do interviews at the feed stations during the race… without doubt, Kilian is one of the most talented and gifted athletes in the world.

Max King and Ellie Greenwood blazed a trail and set records (once again) at JFK 50… oh, did I mention Max’s run at UROC and did I mention Karl Meltzer and Lizzy Hawker winning at Run Rabbit Run… of course, what about Miguel Heras and Emelie Forsberg at San Francisco 50. Darn it…. so many great moments…. what about Lizzy Hawker at Spartathlon, second overall and a new female record.

So finally Skyrunning announce the new calendar for 2013 and the big news is a simpler format, the inclusion of a 100 mile race and a season final in America at the Ultra Race of Champions. Without doubt (I am biased) Skyrunning was a game changer in 2012 and the new calendar has already created great excitement for the coming year…

Believe me, the above list is by no means comprehensive and I am sure I will look back and think… ooh, what about this and what about that… I could go on.

But now here is my pick of personal moments from a great year. Rest assured, I am picking one month; one moment!

JANUARY

Talk Ultra was launched and thank goodness the format of an ultra running podcast that was more than just interviews was accepted. Taking the risk to do a ‘long show’ seemed to pay off and the loyal followers and support has been fantastic. I can’t thank you all enough for the growth of the podcast and 2013 will see it grow!

FEBRUARY

For the 7th year running I went out to Club La Santa on Lanzarote and had another incredible week training in the sun with friends and clients. It has become a fixture in my year and never fails to disappoint. 2013 will see us arrive on the Canary Island once again for more fun in the sun.

MARCH

A race fixture on my calendar for several years, the EcoTrail de Paris came around once again and I went out to Paris with Niandi for another great weekend of running and spending time in our favourite city. As it turned out we both had terrible races and DNF’d at the same time… you can always learn something!

APRIL

I was fortunate enough to be invited over to Turkey to take part in and report on the inaugural Iznik Ultra. I had only been to Turkey once before, many many years before and that was to the South. So I was very excited to spend time in Istanbul with Niandi and then head down to Iznik. The race was superb offering a selection of race distances over a varied course. Both Niandi and myself took part in the 60k event. I was pleased to come away with a win and Niandi made the podium in 2nd place in the ladies race.

MAY

May signified a change in my year and very much set a format for what was to come… I was invited to the Transvulcania La Palma on the island of La Palma. Skyrunning had assembled one of the most competitive fields in ultra you will ever see or witness. It turned out to be a who’s who of ultra running. The whole experience is a memory I will never forget… training on the trails pre and post race with the best in the world, witnessing the race were Dakota Jones ran an incredible course record for the win and were Frosty (Anna Frost) set and smashed the old course record in what was to be one of the best performances of the year. This was followed with the conference ‘Less Cloud, More Sky‘ providing the ultra community an opportunity to help establish a direction for the sport in the future. We all then packed up and moved to mainland Spain for ‘Zegama‘ but that’s another story…

JUNE

Zegama arrived and the heat and sun of La Palma was replaced with rain and mud. Lots of mud. Kilian Jornet just 7 days earlier had collapsed on the finish line at Transvulcania La Palma with exhaustion. At Zegama he showed his recovery powers and showed everyone in the race how to run in the cold, wet and mud. Oihana Kortazar took out the win for the ladies ahead of Nuria Picas who was slowly becoming ‘runner of the year’.

Nuria Picas – Zegama

JULY

The Pyrenees and an invitation from ARC’TERYX to go and test out the new clothing range called ‘Endorphin‘ on the Skyrunning Ribargoza VK course. Great friends, great memories and some stunning scenery.

AUGUST

Wow – Trofeo Kima and one of the most impressive run courses I have ever seen. I was told by Lauri Van Houten before the event that this course would blow my mind. Little did I expect what lay ahead… 6 hours being flown around via helicopter on the most stunning and awe inspiring run terrain I have ever witnessed. Kilian Jornet won the mens race and Nuria Picas won the ladies race. A stunning stunning race that signifies everything that Skyrunning is. Want to enter…? Don’t hold your breath. This race happens only every other year and typically only has about 125 places available.

SEPTEMBER

Berga in September, the weather breaks and Cavalls del Vent turns into a race of survival. Despite runners struggling with hypothermia the race produced a classic. The mens race was competitive seeing Kilian Jornet once again taking the win but this time ahead of Tony Krupicka finally finding some form after over 18 months out of the sport due to injury. Finishing off the podium was Dakota Jones. The ladies race produced the race of the year for me… so often in the longer distance races we see an outright winner crossing the line with 10’s of minutes to spare… not here! Nuria Picas, Frosty and Emelie Forsberg pushed each other right to the line with Nuria taking the win on home ground.

OCTOBER

Southern France in the town of Millau. The temperatures dropped and I slowly froze myself following the La Course des Templiers, the final in the Skyrunning calendar. I will remember this race for the incredible win by Nuria Picas ahead of a sprinting Emelie Forsberg who put Lizzy Hawker into third place. In addition to this, Kilian Jornet and Nuria Picas were crowned World Champions. Incredible performers in an incredible series of races.

NOVEMBER

The quiet town of Begeggi on the Italian coast and the Berg Trail. I had an invite from Salomon Carnifast to follow and photograph the race to help promote the first edition of the race. The race was being attended by mountain running legend, Marco de Gasperi. In the weeks before the race I contacted Stevie Kremer who had moved from America to Italy earlier in the year. We had met at Sierre-Zinal where Marco de Gasperi won the race and Stevie placed second. Marco unfortunately went of course in the Berg Trail and therefore spoiled any chances of a win. Stevie however showed her class winning the ladies race convincingly and placed top 10 in the overall. A name to watch for the future…

DECEMBER

After a stunning year of following races, reporting and photographing I finally took some time out and headed back to the island of La Palma with my partner Niandi to play on the Transvulcania La Palma course. Two weeks of perfect weather and stunning trails provided the perfect end to a stunning year. It was great to spend that time on the trails in our own space and in our own time. Running when we could, hiking when we couldn’t run and walking when no other option was left… the latter half of the year was plagued by knee issues for me and although they havent gone, my time on the Transvulcania course with Niandi was a real highlight in an incredible year!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the support I have received in 2012. From race organisers, athletes, team managers, brand managers and all those connected to the sport I love. In particular I would like to thank Niandi for her patience. I also need to give a special mention to Lauri Van Houten and Marino Giacometti from Skyrunning for the trust they placed in me for 2012 and the continued trust for 2013.

It has been an awesome year and 2013 is already looking like another year of moments, emotions and memories.

Sincere thanks to all of you

The Runner

Posted on December 30, 2012 by talkultra

I was posting on Facebook about two incredible films that are currently available for ‘download’ to your laptop or home computer. The first is a new film called ‘A Fine Line‘ and is the first film that will document Kilian Jornet‘s ‘Summits of my Life‘ project (available here).

The other is ‘Unbreakable‘, JB Benna’s inspirational film about Western States (available here). I guess it’s a movie that many of you will have seen but it’s ‘download’ release is a great opportunity to have it with you for viewing when travelling.

The release of the two above films prompted me to look back and think on one of my favourite run movies of all time. ‘The Runner‘.

Journeyfilm’s THE RUNNER follows Extreme UltraRunner David Horton through the desert sun, the high snowbound mountain passes, the pain, the emotion, and his revelation. Join him as he runs more than 40 miles per day for 66 consecutive days in an attempt to set the speed record on the 2,700 mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada.

I interviewed David Horton on Episode 4 of Talk Ultra so if you haven’t listened, check it out. He is an inspirational character in the ultra world. Available in iTunes HERE

Director and former PCT thru-hiker JB Benna follows Horton’s journey and discovers who he really is. Learn about UltraRunning, the PCT, and the history of this amazing person through interviews with today’s best endurance athletes, his family, and David himself.

A great adventure, a movie that makes you laugh, and a movie that makes you cry.

What drives David to such extreme challenges?

What does it take to become THE RUNNER?

Salomon Sense Ultra

Posted on December 22, 2012 by talkultra

The long awaited ‘Sense Ultra‘ has arrived. THANK YOU Santa……

As many of you will know, the ‘Sense‘ has become the shoe of choice for those who are wanting to run on trail with a minimalist and responsive shoe. However, we can’t all be as efficient as Kilian Jornet or Andy Symonds.

The Sense Ultra offers a little more but holds true to all the elements that have made the ‘sense’ so popular.

The Salomon S-LAB Sense Ultra Racing is one of the lightest trail shoes ever made. It is heavier than the Sense but has added strengthening of the sole for longer and harder races.

It has the new lacing system: Quicklace this reduces the weight of Sense.
Dynamic Traction: allows the Salomon S lab Sense optimum grip in all conditions. It wasdeveloped by Solomon with the greatest athletes without any compromise. It has different grip and texture which has been designed to optimize grip when it is necessary.
EndoFit: has an inner liner to the shoe designed for positioning the foot optimally.
Drop: a low 4mm drop to provide a natural contact and feel with the ground.
OS TENDON: Thanks to this system inserted in the sole of the S lab intermediare sense, there is a natural flow with excellent energy return.
Profeet Film: is a protection film that will protect your foot area from angular or sharp objects that are on the trail. The Sense offers maximum protection despite its lightness.
Weight: 240g in 8.5 U.S.

When you lift up the box you think wait a minute… they forgot the shoes! Not so. These ‘runners’ are super light.

The lacing system as with all Salomon in reassuring and holds the foot firm.

The addition of the internal ‘Endofit’ makes the shoe more comfortable than you would ever imagine. They can be a little tight to get on at first and you may initially think; uh oh, wrong size. But once your foot is it is snug and supremely comfortable. The most comfortable shoe I have ever worn.

I am not a small guy and the therefore I always felt the original ‘Sense‘ was maybe just a little too minimal for me… certainly on longer runs! not so with the ‘Ultra’. The additional cushioning is immediately apparent.

The sole has grip but nothing like the ‘SLab Softground‘ or ‘Speedcross‘. The shoe is therefore certainly more suited to road and hard pack (or rocky) trail. If your running in soft ground they perform perfectly but if you are a great deal of mud the added grip of the Soft Ground or Speedcross may be a better choice.

In use they are a dream to wear. On the roads they are light, responsive and provide that feel that I have had with traditional racing flats. The bonus with the ‘Sense Ultra’ is the hold of the foot. The speed lacing and Endofit provide supreme comfort. On the trails this becomes even more apparent as the foot moves from left to right with changes in terrain.

It’s early days in testing but this shoe will not be of my feet for a while… they are so comfortable I would even be tempted to use them as slippers.

Now then, I need to go run…..

As a foot note, (no pun intended) Spring/ Summer 2013 will see a new Sense model – ‘Mantra‘

I saw this shoe earlier this year at Cavalls del Vent. A couple of the Salomon runners tested the shoe (Emelie Forsberg and Philipp Reiter) By all accounts a great edition to the range but too early to provide some detailed feedback.

The Mantra will be an everyday trainer in the same mold as the Sense and Sense Ultra. It’s a door-to-trail hybrid. With it’s 16mm heel and 10mm front (6mm drop as opposed to 4mm) and 260 grams weight, it looks to be a featherweight trainer without requiring the user to go to a 4mm drop shoe. Salomon has been heavily delving into exactly how different heel-to-toe drops effect actual stride speed which has resulted in their “Natural Motion Construction.” A lower heel drop supports a mid-foot or forefoot strike that in turn better enables muscles, instead of joints, to absorb shock. Ultimately, their argument is this builds greater balance and overall running efficiency. More to follow….

Sense Mantra

Kilian Jornet – Mont Blanc Crossing

Posted on September 21, 2012 by talkultra

Kilian Jornet has successfully completed the second of the challenges of his personal project Summits of My Life.

This led him to complete the demanding crossing from Courmayeur (Aosta Valley, Italy), to Chamonix (France) single-handed, reaching Mont Blanc via one of its most technical climbing routes, the Innominata Ridge.

A challenge which was completed without any assistance and with the least possible material, following the purist philosophy of the project Summits of My Life.

Jornet’s adventure started at 3:53 am, at Church Square in Courmayeur (1,000 m), on a perfectly clear and starry night, with just his headlamp for company. He advanced rapidly through the valley towards Vall Veny (1,500m), the start of the technical path that would lead him to the Monzino Refuge (2,590m) where he arrived at 5:25 am, feeling good.

From there on, the complicated stretch began. It was one that most concerned the Catalan runner, as he would have to face the glacier that would take him to Bivac de les Eccles at an altitude of 4,041m.

Jornet’s doubts vanished as soon as he saw the condition the glacier was in. Night temperatures had frozen it, so he could easily cross it using crampons. “I was concerned to know in what state I’d find the glacier and the crevasses. Once I saw that there was no danger, I felt relieved,” commented Jornet.

Once he had overcome the hurdle of the glacier without problems, Jornet arrived at Bivac Eccles (4,041m), where he had to face the second step that worried him most in this crossing: a rappel using a 20m-rope he was carrying and a long technical stretch of level V difficulty, before continuing to the top of the Innominata Ridge. Jornet completed the long stretch smoothly, climbed up the technical Innominata Ridge, which he had already tested a few days before, and began the ascent to the summit of Mont Blanc, reaching it 2 hours and 47 minutes after starting to climb Innominata Ridge. “Once I had completed the rappel and the tough long stretch, where I did not find any snow, I could breathe more easily. I knew I could manage the Innominata, as I had done it a few days before. It is a very technical route with slopes of 60 °, and climbing passes of difficulty V+, so I had to use all my senses. Luckily I didn’t find a lot of snow or ice on it, “said Kilian, who crowned the summit of Mont Blanc (4,810m) at 10:15 am, 6hrs and 17 minutes after leaving the Church of Courmayeur.

Jornet commented that he had to “open a new path” as he could not find one to follow on his way to the summit of Mont Blanc.

Once at the summit, Jornet stopped for just 5 minutes to collect his material together, and prepared his descend via the Voye Royale, the normal descent route from Mont Blanc via the Gouter Refuge, les Hocuhes finally reaching the church square of Chamonix, where he stopped the clock with a time of 8:42:57 hours.

Jornet flew down from the summit of Mont Blanc (4,810m). It took him just 2 hours and 19 minutes to reach his target, Chamonix (995m).

On arrival at the square in Chamonix, having left the Italian town of Courmayeur behind, covered the 42km that separate it from Chamonix and climbed the technical Innominata Ridge, Jornet commented that, “I am absolutely delighted. It is a challenge that I really wanted to accomplish. The weather was perfect throughout the journey and I felt great physically which, after crossing the glacier and the first long rope stretch, meant I could enjoy the spectacular beauty of the landscape.”

Jornet himself was surprised at his time. “My goal was to do it in less than 10 hours, and thanks to the good conditions I found I was able to reduce that time,” commented Jornet. A record time, considering that normal expeditions which tackle this route take 3 days to do it.

Following the philosophy of the project Summits of My Life, Jornet limited the material necessary to carry out this ambitious crossing, and says that, “I carried 400ml of water, which I had to ration carefully to get to the end.”

Details: Start: Courmayeur (Valle de Aosta, Italia) Finish: Chamonix (Francia) Distance: 42 Kilometers Total climb: 3,810 meters Route: Inominatta Ridge. A technical route with a total climb of 1,000 meters, 60º slopes and level V+ climbing passes.

Splits: Courmayeur-Val Veni: 40′; Val Veni – Ref Monzino: 1h30-50′; Monzino-Eccles: 3h30-2h; Eccles-Mont Blanc: 6h17-2h47 (5’ stop at summit); Mont Blanc – Gouter: 6h50 -27′; Gouter-Houches: 8h15 -1h25; Houches-Chamonix: 8h42’57’’ – 27′

Gear: static rope 7mm 20m; Dynema 120cm Vie de Carabin; helmet Petzl Siroco; headlamp Petzl NAO; crampons aluminium; Ice axe Petzl Sumtech; Suunto AMBIT; gloves Petzl Cordex; sunglasses salomon; cap; Duvet salomon; gore tex pants salomon; 1 gel overstim’s; 40cl water; overboots; long thighs; short + long teeshirt; trail running shoes; socks. Total weight: 2.512gr

Track: Movescount.com

Kilian will not race Western States

Posted on June 18, 2012 by talkultra

Press Release

It is with great sadness that we have learnt the death of Stéphane Brosse, in the middle of his challenge, ‘the grande traversée’ that he was sharing with Kilian.
Both loved the mountains, and knew each other for a long time sharing the same respect for one another.
‘La grande traversée’ was a project they had set up together, a challenge up to their passion and talent.
It is on the last part, just before going downhill, that the ridge they were on collapsed, taking stéphane within this spilling.
Kilian remained helpless whilst waiting for the rescue team.
All our thoughts go to Stéphane’s family in those difficult times.
We wish a lot of strength to Kilian to overcome this tragedy.
As Kilian wishes to stay with Stéphane’s family to support them, he will not be present at the Western State 100.

The Salomon Team

Anna Frost (Frosty) writes an excellent blog post here of her last time with Kilian and Stephane as they embarked on this tragic journey.

Stephane Brosse – breaking news

Posted on June 17, 2012 by talkultra

News has just come in that Stephane Brosse has fallen to a his death while attempting to cross Mont Blanc with Kilian Jornet.

Details are not clear of this tragedy at this moment. This is taken from Endurancemag:

Stéphane Brosse died today from a 600 meter fall after a snow cornice broke on aiguille d’Argentière. He was attempting the crossing of the Mont-Blanc massif with Kilian Jornet. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends.

Kilian has only recently provided detail of his new long term project “Summits of my Life’ and this crossing is part of that project.

Taken from Kilians Facebook page, this post was made 11 hours ago:

They had a well earned night and start again at 6 a.m to finish their way to Champex village.
Expected timing:

start from Couvercle hut at 6 a.m
Top of les Courtes at 8 a.m
down the Nord-Est des Courtes at 9ish
up to the Y couloir at Argentière needle, summit around 11 a.m
Down Barbey couloir + 1 h
Fenetre de Saleina et val D’Arpette+ 2 heures
Arriving at Chalet du CAF by the lac in Champex 1 or 2 p.m.

Taken from the Millet website, here is an outline of Stephanes career:

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Competitions:

Winner of the Pierra-Menta : 2001, 2005 and 2006

Winner of the Patrouille des Glaciers : 2004 and 2006

Winner at Trofeo Mezzalama : 2005

World champion in individual 2002

World champion in relay 2004

World champion in team 2006

Records:

Mont Blanc in ski (Chamonix – Mont Blanc – Chamonix) in 5 ¼ hours in 2003

Chamonix – Zermatt (church to church) in 21:11 hours

Crossing of Belledone by the summits (Chamrousse – Col du Lucheron) in 16:40 hours in 2010

Steep slope:

Opening of the Crossing of the Diots, Aravis 2008

Chain Devoluy range 2009

Chain Armet range 2009

1st ski descent without belay of the Nant Blanc (Aiguille Verte) Mont Blanc range in 2009

Our thoughts go out to Stephane’s family, friends, Kilian Jornet and the related community on this very sad day.

UPDATE 18:23 17th June GMT

Press release by Kilian –
“We regret that during the attempted crossing of Mont Blanc and Stéphane Brosse Kilian took place this morning Stéphane lost their lives due to an unfortunate accident. Kilian is physically well, and in these difficult times, is devoting all his energies to support the family of Stephane and friends. In the coming days will be issued an official statement. Thank you for your understanding and support right now. Kilian team”

Kilian Jornet – Summits Teaser

Posted on May 29, 2012 by talkultra

Inspirational and what a teaser. Filming by the best in the business, Sebastien Montaz

Summits of my Life – Kilian Jornet

Posted on May 29, 2012 by talkultra

Summits of my life – Kilian Jornet has a new project.

Tune in to a LIVE BROADCAST 1800hrs CET HERE

Kilian’s Quest will be no longer and the new project?

It will start this year, 2012 and commence to 2015. It’s a new departure that will see Kilian attempt to improve the record ascent and descent of some of the most iconic, high and complicated world’s mountains.

His adventure will start with Crossing Mont Blanc. The first one will be on skis going from Champex to Contamines taking in some of the major peaks of the massif and of course, those peaks will be followed with some crazy descents. Apparently he will be undertaking this trip with two companions. His second Mont Blanc crossing will be from Courmayer to the summit of Mont Blanc.

This will be the challenge for 2012 and one assumes that he will then concentrate on his running and skiing for the remainder of the year before his plans continue in 2013.

2013 will see attempts on key European Summits. He will start in Russia and Mt Elbrus. Following this he will go to the Cervino and then finally he will go to Mont Blanc and attempt the record set in 1990 for the PA Goblet. Arguably the Cervino will be the toughest challenge, Bruno Brunod still holds the time of just under 3hrs 15m for this tough and technical mountain.

In 2014 he will go to America and attempt two high peaks, one in the North and one in the South. In the north he will attempt McKinley and in the south he will attempt Aconcagua in South America.

The culmination of this ambitious project will be in 2015.

As you can imagine, if you are going to finish a project like this, you may as well finish on a high! Yes, the highest point – Everest. Kilian plans to go up and down 8488 meters as quickly as possible.

This project confirms that Kilian is like a river. Ever moving, ever bending and flexible to changes. He is possibly one of the most gifted athletes ever. A natural runner, skier, cyclist and so on…

He loves a challenge and this new project takes him to a whole new level of personal development. He is still so young that one but can’t help wonder what incredible achievements he make in his lifetime.

Kilian will not undertake these challenges alone and will have a pool of resources available to him. He will also call on several people to help facilitate, one of whom will be his sister. Other names are to be confirmed.

Check out the website HERE

From Kilian’s website, updated 29/05/2012 17:58pm:

Good evening!

Today I am here to put forward a new project I have had in mind for some time. When I was a child, I had a photo of Cervino on my bedroom wall, I read Mesner’s books and I used to flick through my parents’ photos searching for mountains to dream about. This project has its roots in that time but it has been dormant until today.

Summits of my Life is a 4-year project, in which we intend to run the length of the world’s greatest mountain ranges, trying to climb and descend some of the most spectacular mountains in the world as quickly as possible.

By no means does this project mean that I am leaving Trail Running or mountain skiing behind. On the contrary, given my passion for mountains, I want to pioneer the most alpinist part of my being and I believe I am now ready to attempt this.

The project will start off this summer with two itineraries at the birthplace of Alpinism, where the very first climbers began to dream of reaching summits. Both will be in the Mont Blanc mountain range. The first will be on skis from Champex to Contamines, reaching some of the most important summits and doing some of the most spectacular descents. Stephane and Mateo will ski alongside me. The second will be from Courmayeur to Chamonix reaching the summit of Mont Blanc, ascending the Italian southern face and descending the northern face.

In 2013 I’m going to attempt to break ascent and descent records of the most important summits in Europe, beginning with the highest, Mount Elbrus, in Russia. The next one, Mount Cervino, is possibly the most difficult to break, with an impressive time of 3h14m achieved by Bruno Brunod. At a technical level and in terms of risk taking, this mountain will definitely be the toughest. The last attempt in 2013 will be to do Chamonix-Mont Blanc-Chamonix, for which P.A.Goblet’s record has held since 1990.

In 2014 we are going to cross the Atlantic to reach the two highest American summits: Mount Aconagua in South America with its nearly 7,000m altitude and famous winds and Mount McKinley or Denali in Alaska, a summit with especially tough weather conditions.

The target for 2015 will be to climb up and down Mount Everest as fast as possible

I am a competitor. I like to compete, to go beyond, to search for my limits. This is the reason why this project is based on striving to break records and to do fast ascents of those mountains that mean most to me. But records and times should only be important whilst running. Once back at the bottom, they should vanish. They serve to stimulate you, to find the limits inside yourself; they should be a mere intrinsic motivation. This is why this project is not only about breaking records or climbing up and down mountains fast and with little equipment. It is also about transmitting values. I don’t mean to say they are the right values, the ones to follow, but they are the ones I was given and those I want to pass on.

Violoncello player Lluís Claret once told me some words I will never forget. “The voice of many people is in your sound…Our sound, our voice, is also the testimony of those we have admired and loved, those who have influenced and taught us.” Mountains have taught me a great deal, I owe them who I am, and also those who showed me the way to know the mountains, those who took me there and those I took there. They all filled my life with certain values, and it wouldn’t make sense to break records without them.

The team taking part in this project is equally small. Apart from myself, there is Sebastien Montaz, who is going to shoot the films with little equipment, trying to find spectacular images. Here is a video he has prepared to show you the philosophy underlying the films he intends to shoot during this project.

Apart from Seb, there is the Lymbus team, led by Jordi, who will be in charge of all communication with the media and who will find the way to make this project possible.

In some mountains I will count on the help of good friends and renowned alpinists, Jordi Tosas and Jordi Corominas, whom I totally respect and trust. I thank them for their experienced guidance.

Likewise, and although this is an entirely personal venture, the brands which are supporting me know about the project and will be backing me in my challenge. On some occasions, and given the particular nature of the project, very special equipment will be required which we will work on together with these brands. I also thank them for their trust and support in this endeavour.

Given the magnitude of this project, we are looking for a main sponsor to help us guarantee that it will be carried out. Over the last months, efforts have been focused on technical aspects. As of now, an important challenge begins which is to find the resources to carry it out. But, as we always say, willingness can move mountains.

This is an open project because you never know what tomorrow might bring, let alone the next 4 years. Many friends, local guides, people from the different regions will give me a hand with the routes, logistics, training or cheering me on at each challenge. We won’t pick the best or fastest alpinists or managers. Instead, those who accompany us will be friends and those who have trained and shared adventures with me.

Simplicity is the other value I wish to put forward. There is no doubt that technique and technology aid man to reach far and run fast but what for? Walter Bonatti distinguished between “Man’s alpinism” and “Technique’ alpinism.” We’ll try to be as naked as possible in the presence of nature, with the least possible equipment so as to feel and face the mountain with no intermediaries. Great means are not necessary to do the things that fill one the most. The simpler the means, the more personal and greater the value we lay on them.

The idea I will try to convey throughout all this time is that we are part of this world, just one more part, no more or less important, just like any animal, stone or tree. We are all equally significant. “The Earth is not an inheritance from our ancestors, but a heritage for our children.” (Indian proverb). We’ll try to be as silent as possible in the mountains, so that our steps are hardly heard, and as ecological and economical as possible.

And finally, a sentence by the great writer Pablo Cohelo, “There is only one thing that stops dreams from coming true; the fear of failure.” I am aware this is a very ambitious and hard project. But one must be ambitious, know where the hazards are and risk failure. Without trying, dreams remain dreams, and we’ll never know who we really are. In the end, we’ll understand the dream is not about breaking records, but rather about the ways to reach the summit, and failure isn’t about not reaching the summit or stopping the chronometer a few minutes later, but about not being able to take this path.

To finish this presentation, I’d like to show you some images. There will be very few of us on the mountains during the ventures, but we’ll show you what the mountains and the people we meet teach us. So at the end of each season, in October-November, some short films (5-8 minutes long) will be displayed on our website. And during the autumn, a longer film will be produced summarizing the experiences of each season.

To start with, and as an image is worth a thousand words, here are some images that will show you better what I mean.

What is Kilian up to?

Posted on May 28, 2012 by talkultra

LIVE tomorrow, May 29th – read what Kilian Jornet has planned for the next three years… it is going to be pretty incredible. Believe me!! http://www.kilianjornet.cat/en/summits-of-my-life