Kilian Jornet will not climb Everest on his own, sources told ExplorersWeb, but will team up with David Goettler. Together, the two will head for Everest West Ridge.
The same sources couldn’t confirm whether their plans include the Everest-Lhotse traverse. With the current uncertainty about COVID, and the tight schedule, it is possible that even the climbers are not sure what they’ll be able to accomplish.
David Goettler himself has reached Everest Base Camp but has not revealed his plans. “In 2019, I stopped 100m from the top, and for me it feels unfinished,” he wrote. “I would like to complete what I began.”
He went on: “This year, there are even more layers of uncertainty than ever, but I know that big objectives can take many years and many attempts. Letting a year go by without trying feels like a waste of precious time.”
Training in Norway. Photo: Kilian Jornet
ExWeb sources have confirmed that Kilian Jornet arrives in Kathmandu tomorrow.
Even if they aim only for the West Ridge, they will have just about one month before the monsoon. Goettler, a Chamonix guide and former climbing partner of the late Ueli Steck, is already acclimatized after running and climbing in Nepal’s Chukung area. Jornet has been intensely training in Norway, mainly by ski mountaineering, but it is unknown whether Jornet has also prepared for altitude since Norway’s highest point (Galdhø Peak) is a modest 2,469m.
However, this is not the first time that Jornet plans to speed up Everest with little acclimatization. He has lived and trained all his life in the mountains. And as Men’s Health noted, his ability to get the most out of thin air is exceptional.
“His VO2 max comes in at an almost unfathomable 85-90ml/min/kg,” the magazine reported. “His lung capacity has grown to 5.3 litres –- almost 1.5 litres greater than an average male of the same height.”
