Kilian Jornet Sets New Speed Record on Aconcagua!

Photo Courtesy of Summits of My Life

If you follow my Twitter feed, this is probably old news to you by now, but I definitely wanted to share it here on the Adventure Blog as well. Yesterday, Spanish mountain runner Kilian Jornet set a new speed record on Aconcagua, smashing the previous time for the fastest ascent and return to Base Camp by more than two hours.

Setting out from the Horcones entrance to the Aconcagua National Park, Kilian ran to the summit of the mountain, located at 6962 meters (22,841 ft), and back again in the unbelievable time of just 12 hours and 49 minutes. He ran along the "normal" route to the top, covering some 59.85 km (37.1 miles), while gaining 3962 meters (12,998 ft) along the way. To put this in perspective, most climbing expeditions spend roughly 8-10 days on this same route, acclimatizing as they go. In Kilian's case, he acclimatized prior to the speed record attempt, and even went to the summit last week.

The previous record for the fastest time on Aconcagua was held by Jorge Egocheaga, how ran the same route a few years back, covering the distance in 15 hours, 5 minutes. Kilian bested that mark by 2 hours, 16 minutes in yet another demonstration of his incredible strength and endurance in the mountains. This was his second attempt at the record in less than a week. Last Friday, he set off along the same route, but turned back at 6500 meters (21,325 ft) due to very high winds.

This was the latest challenge in Jornet's Summits of My Life project. Previously, he has set speed records on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mont Blanc, and Denali as well. Next up, he intends to head to Everest in the spring to see if he can set yet one more speed record on the biggest hill of them all.

Congratulations to Kilian on yet another amazing accomplishment. His efforts in the mountains continue to astound and amaze me. I am already looking forward to seeing what he can do in the Himalaya this coming spring.

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Aconcagua Speed Record Update: Kilian Turns Back in High Winds

On Friday, I posted the news that Kilian Jornet had launched his attempt to set a speed record on Aconcagua, the tallest peak in South America at 6962 meters (22,841 ft) in height. At the time, I mentioned that it might be awhile before we heard anything about his progress, and the success of failure of this attempt. It turns out it wasn't as long as we had hoped, as news was posted later in the day that the mountain runner had turned back due to high winds.

According to updates from Kilian's Facebook page, the Spanish endurance runner got as high as 6500 meters (21,235 ft) before turning around. He was reportedly making good time on his summit bid, but began experiencing high winds that exceeded 90 km/h (56 mph), which made it extremely difficult for him to continue upwards. When you're on a mountain like Aconcagua, those kinds of winds speeds can be very dangerous, particularly when you're traveling as light and fast as Kilian was.

The high winds didn't come completely by surprise. When Kilian announced that he was making his speed attempt, he mentioned that the weather wasn't as good as he'd like, specifically mentioning that the winds could be a problem. Of course, discretion is the better part of valor, and it was a wise move for him to turn back. According to the post on his Facebook page, he will try again soon, possibly as early as today or tomorrow depending on conditions.

Aconcagua is the latest in Kilian's Summits of My Life project, during which he has set speed records on other peaks, including Kilimanjaro, Mont Blanc, and Denali. On Aconcagua, he is hoping to break the old record, set by Jorge Egocheaga in 2011, of 15 hours and 5 minutes. If all goes according to schedule, he'll also be traveling to Nepal in the spring to attempt a speed record on Everest as well.

I'll be watching Kilian's social media outlets over the next few days to see when he starts his second attempt at this record. After having a couple of days back in Base Camp to rest, he is probably watching the weather forecasts at the moment, and waiting for his next opportunity. I'll post updates as I hear anything.

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Kilian Jornet Launches Speed Record Bid on Aconcagua

Last week we reported that Kilian Jornet was preparing for a speed record attempt on Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America at 6962 meters (22,841 ft). At the time, Kilian had just wrapped up  his speaking tour in Argentina, and was departing for Base Camp on the mountain. Over the past few days, he has been acclimatizing and scouting the route, but now it seems he is ready to go at last.

According to a post on his Facebook page, Kilian has set off this morning for his push towards the summit. The post reads:

"Hey guys! Today is the day to try! Wind is stronger than perfect on the mountain but is a window. I will start in 5 minutes. See you soon!"

The time that the mountain runner is trying to beat is 15 hours, 5 minutes from Base Camp to the summit, and back. That unofficial record is held by Jorge Egocheaga and was set back in 2011. That record is widely seen as the fastest time, despite the fact that Jorge did not have an official timekeeper on site.

According to this report, Kilian has been training very well on Aconcagua and even managed to reach the summit in just 4 hours earlier this week. If that is true, he'll be more than poised to smash the record, as he has done on there mountains in the past, including Mont Blanc, Kilimanjaro, and Denali. If all goes well on this latest adventure, he also hopes to go after the speed record on Everest in the spring.

It is likely that it will be late tonight before we get any official word on Kilian's efforts. Hopefully he travel quickly and safely, and makes it up and down without injury. I'll post an update when we know more about this attempt, but history could be unfolding at this very moment. Watch Kilian's Facebook page for the latest updates.

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Kilian Jornet in Argentina to Attempt Speed Record of Aconcagua

Endurance athlete and mountain runner Kilian Jornet is currently in Argentina, where he just wrapped up the final leg of his Mountains of My Life Tour by sharing the film, and his thoughts on climbing and running, with an audience in Mendoza. But it is no coincidence that he wrapped up the tour in the South American country, as he is now preparing for his next big challenge – setting a speed record on Aconcagua, the tallest mountain on the continent.

After finishing up his speaking commitments, the Spaniard will now head to the mountain. At 6960 meters (22,837 ft) in height, Aconcagua is the tallest mountain in the world outside of the Himalaya. It can be a formidable challenge for climbers, not so much because of its technical difficulties, but more so do to the altitude. The "normal" route approaches the summit from the north, and typically doesn't require the use of ropes, ice axes, or other climbing gear. Supplemental oxygen is not usually required either.

Kilian will take his usual approach to climbing the mountain. First, he'll spend some time on Aconcagua getting acclimated, while also training for the conditions there. Once he feels he has sufficiently prepared, he'll look for a window of good weather before setting off for the summit. The speed attempt will be a minimalist affair, with the endurance runner carrying only the gear that he absolutely needs.

The official speed record for Aconcagua is recognized a 15 hours, 42 minutes, which was set by Carlos Sa. In 2007, that record was broken by Jorge Egocheaga, who completed the climb and descent in just 15 hours, 5 minutes. Unfortunately, he didn't take the proper steps to make his record official, so it is not recognized by everyone. Kilian does recognize Egocheaga's record however, and will be trying to break it when he finally launches his attempt on the mountain.

This will be the second to last climb on the Summits of My Life project. If all goes according to plan, Kilian plans to go to Everest in the spring to attempt a speed record there as well. That mountain will present some new, and interesting, challenges for him, but as perhaps the best long-distance endurance runner on the planet, I think he'll be up to that challenge.

I'll post updates on Kilian's Aconcagua attempt over the next few weeks, and of course I'l'l be following his progress on Everest in the spring as well.

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