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Kilian JornetSpanish mountaineer and long-distance runner.
Country:
 Spain |
Content:
- Kilian Jornet, the Catalan Mountaineer
- Pushing the Limits of Mountaineering
- A 17-Hour Ascent to the Summit
- Breaking Boundaries
- A Passion for Exploration
- A Philosophy of Adventure
- Historical Precedents
Kilian Jornet, the Catalan Mountaineer
Record-Breaking Everest AscentsKilian Jornet, a renowned Spanish mountaineer and ultra-distance runner, has made history by conquering Mount Everest twice in a single week without the use of supplemental oxygen. Just five days after summiting the world's highest peak in 26 hours, Jornet claims to have ascended Everest again in an astonishing 17 hours.
Pushing the Limits of Mountaineering
The Catalan mountaineer insists that he has climbed Mount Everest twice in one week without using any additional oxygen or fixed ropes. He believes his feat opens up "a new dimension of possibilities in alpinism."
A 17-Hour Ascent to the Summit
Jornet, who hails from Catalonia, reached the coveted 8,848-meter summit at approximately 9:00 p.m. local time on Saturday after a grueling 17-hour ascent. The time, which is yet to be officially verified, surpasses the previous record set by Italian mountaineer Hans Kammerlander by just 15 minutes. Five days earlier, Jornet had claimed a 26-hour ascent of Mount Everest. He planned to set a speed record for the round trip but was forced to slow down due to severe stomach pains and vomiting on the descent.
Breaking Boundaries
"It was great to climb Everest twice in the season," Jornet wrote on Twitter and Blogspot on Sunday. "Today I felt good, although there was a lot of wind, and it was difficult to move fast," he said. "I think that climbing Everest twice in a week, without oxygen, opens a new dimension in alpinism. I'm very happy to have done it."
According to his blog, Jornet started from the advanced base camp at 6,500 meters and climbed via the normal route, bypassing the three high-altitude camps used by most climbers attempting Everest. "The climb to the summit was very slow but steady," Jornet reported. "The big difficulty encountered was the wind; it was an extremely windy day in the Himalayas. Weather conditions improved in the final part of the route during the night, and the climber reached back to the advanced base camp after 29 hours and 30 minutes from his departure."
The Chinese Mountaineering Association in Tibet (CMAT), which validates all Everest ascents from the north side of the mountain, has not yet confirmed Jornet's feat.Ten people have died attempting to climb Everest this season, and 509 foreign permits were issued for the climb.
A Passion for Exploration
Jornet was accompanied on his expedition by Sébastien Montaz-Rosset, a high-altitude guide and documentary filmmaker. The Spaniard is currently on a mission to set new speed records on ascents of some of the world's most iconic mountains. As part of a project called "Summits of My Life," Jornet has already conquered Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn in Europe, Denali in North America, and Aconcagua in South America.
A Philosophy of Adventure
Describing himself as a "semi-nomadic" mountain enthusiast, Jornet states that he sees his drive for achievement as a way to make connections and become a better person.
"But, above all, for me, sport is a way to discover landscapes, both within and outside myself," the mountaineer says on his website. "I love silence and solitude, but communication, listening, reading, writing, and traveling are also a part of me... My life is about following a course and fighting for dreams."
Historical Precedents
In 1986, two Swiss climbers, Jean Troillet and Erhard Loretan, climbed and descended Everest without oxygen or ropes in less than two days.
