Kilian Jornet's adventure rediscovering the Pyrenees: 177 summits over 3,000 m in 8 days
Kilian Jornet began his journey at the foot of Frondella peak and ended it on the Pica d'Estats, to meet up again with the peaks that have seen him grow up, in what he defines as one of the toughest adventures of his life.
In total, he covered 485.65 kilometres and accumulated a difference in altitude of more than 43,000 metres, in more than 155 hours of physical activity..
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Yesterday, after coming down from the Pica d'Estats and chaining 177 summits of more than 3,000 metres in just 8 days, Kilian Jornet He described the trip as an "incredible experience". "Rediscovering the peaks that I no longer remembered was a spectacular experience and, on the other hand, it was an incredible experience, one of the hardest things I've ever done"he points out.
Reaching the summit of the Vignemale, Monte Perdido or Aneto are significant goals for many mountain lovers. A few years ago, they were also significant for Kilian Jornet. That is why he had been dreaming for some time of returning to the Pyrenees and finding the peaks and landscapes where he grew up.
"This year I wanted to take part in some races, but an injury prevented me from doing so. After recovering, I started to think about different projects and it occurred to me to chain the peaks of over 3,000 metres in the Pyrenees. I had this idea in my head but I didn't know if it would be a possible challenge or if it would be crazy. After consulting and taking advice from people who know the Pyrenees routes very well, I decided to do it," explains Kilian Jornet.
Kilian Jornet's three-thousanders
His adventure began on Monday 2 October at the foot of the Frondella peak (Sallent de Gállego, Huesca) with the aim of enjoying the route and crossing the Pyrenees a total of 177 peaks over 3,000 metres. During this journey through some of the most iconic peaks of the Pyrenean serralada, he has managed to chain together more than 40 summits in a single dayHe had to walk for 39 hours straight and cycle to link sections. Despite the accumulated exhaustion, the reward of reaching each summit has been worth it: "going up all these ridges has been a pleasure and I have really enjoyed the routes. I had climbed these peaks when I was 13 years old but I didn't remember them, and this has made this a very intense experience on a visual level".
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During this adventure the athlete has met again with the edges of the most emblematic peaks of the Pyrenean mountain range: Balaitus, Garmo Negro, Vignemale, Cilindro, Monte Perdido, Pic Long, Pic de Posets, Punta de Lliterola, Aneto, Sayó, Montcalm or Pica d'Estats, among many other peaks crowned by Kilian Jornet in the last 8 days.
The journey came to an end on the morning of 10 October 2023, when the first rays of sunlight illuminated the summit of the highest mountain in Catalonia, the Pica d'Estatsin the Alt Pirineu Natural Park. After coming down a few hours later, Kilian Jornet put an end to this memorable experience that made him realise once again how beautiful and vulnerable nature can be.
During these more than 8 days, mountain enthusiasts have been able to follow the athlete's route through the Kilian Jornet's social networks and the NNormal social channelswhere fans have also been able to see and hear him during some of his breaks. They have also been able to follow him through the Strava profile of Kilian Jornet.
After a return to the Pyrenees and the landscapes that have seen him grow up, has accumulated a total of 485.65 kilometres, a difference in altitude of more than 43,000 metres and more than 155 hours of physical activity.. During this intense adventure, the athlete and founder of NNormal has also been able to test different prototypes of the brand in very technical and diverse terrains and conditions: "it has been an excellent field of work: the use that you can give to a product for a few years, concentrated in a week".
Kilian Jornet He grew up in a mountain hut in the Pyrenees, so the mountains have always been his playground, whether running, climbing or skiing. As a multi-disciplined athlete, he has also broken speed records on mountains all over the world, including a double ascent of Everest.
Today, Kilian lives in Norway, where he continues to explore his limits in mountain sports and inspire a large community with films, books and digital content. Kilian has also become an advocate in the fight against climate change and works to raise awareness of the need to protect our environment.
