After summiting an astonishing 63 peaks over 4,000m in the past 15 days, Kilian Jornat has started running up the ones around Chamonix for his Alpine Connections challenge. This includes Mont Blanc, which will likely be his goal tomorrow. And the roof of the Alps won’t be his only objective for the day.
In the last 48 hours, after the only rest day the athlete has allowed himself, Jornet has climbed 12 more 4,000’ers.
Jorasses, Droites, Verte – and more
Yesterday, he started from Courmayeur and climbed all the points in the Grandes Jorasses, accompanied by Matheo Jacquemoud, Michel Lanne, and Bastien Lardat.
“We 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,” Jornet reported. “Then I left the team to go solo to the Refuge du Couvercle, where I arrived 18 hrs 22 mins after we started.”
Today, he has continued with a series of legendary — and technically difficult — peaks: Aiguille Verte, Grande Rocheuse, Aiguille du Jardin, and Les Droites. All in a 17-hour push for 24km and 3,470m of elevation gain.
Off to Mont Blanc
Now, Jornet is off again after another catnap. During this entire challenge, he’s slept barely over four hours a day. Looking at the map below, it seems clear where he will head next: Mont Blanc. The real question is which other 4,000m peaks he’ll summit that day.
Torino Hut on the right and Mont Blanc to the left, plus the Trois Monts in the center of the image. Google Maps
In addition to the effects of exhaustion, calorie deficit, muscle wasting, and sleep deprivation, Jornet must be careful with the terrain if he goes up the Trois Mont route to summit Mount Maudit and Mont Blanc du Tacul. Frequent serac falls on Mont Blanc du Tacul have cost three climbers their lives in the last few weeks.
