February 12

Kilian Jornet: New record, he achieves a total elevation gain of 23,486m in 24 hours

Posted by adefrutos on February 12, 2019 in kilian jornet, ski, ski mountainering, skimo, skimo 2019 | Leave a comment

He made it again, Kilian beats a new record, this time while he is preparing for next running season, he has spent 24 hours on skis on the slopes of Norway, where he has achieved a total of 23,486 metres of elevation gain, a new record! He is not competing in any of the races of World Cup`but he will participate in two classics La Grande Course at the end of the season and: Adamello (April 7th) and Mezzalama (April 27th).

Photo: Matti Bernítz – Lymbus

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KILIAN JORNET: NEW RECORD he achieves a total elevation gain of 23,486m in 24 hours

Kilian Jornet had a very different challenge for this winter, compared to previous years: he wanted to test himself and find out how many metres of elevation gain he was capable of doing in one day. This is what he was doing this weekend at the Tusten ski resort in Norway. Joined by friends and skiers from the local club, who took turns to keep him company, Jornet achieved a total elevation gain of 23,486 metres.

“I like to set myself new challenges to test my body, and I wanted to see how many metres of elevation gain I was capable of doing in one day. This year I’m not competing in the Ski Mountaineering World Cup so my training has changed and I’m trying to set myself different challenges and keep up my motivation”, Jornet explained.

Kilian Jornet started the day at 10 am. After having breakfast, preparing his skis and warming up, Jornet set his watch and began the challenge. The circuit was varied: at the start there was a 4.4 km climb of roughly 550 m elevation gain, with the descent away from the slope. The second descent was 3.6 km with a 428 m gradient. Once at the bottom, he replaced the skis, ate and drank something, and started again. Jornet was joined by family members who took turns to be with him throughout the challenge. As well as support from the Romsdal ski club, Jornet received the backing of the ski resort, who provided a space for him to take up this challenge without endangering the other skiers.

The carpark next to the resort is where Jornet left his van, which served as a basecamp to stock up on provisions and to take short breaks.
“During the first 12 hours I felt great”, explained Jornet, adding, “there were 4 hours which were a little harder but I kept my spirits up. I’ve also had so many people coming to join me and keep me motivated. In the final 4 hours I was feeling strong again”.

All in all, Jornet achieved a total of 51 climbs over 195 km, with the corresponding skin changes. At the end of the challenge, Jornet stopped the watch on 23,486 m after 24 hours and smiled, satisfied, saying, “It’s been really interesting to do this test, to see how my body would respond”. Jornet had used Lars Erik’s mark as a reference, who in May 2018 recorded 20,939 metres in 24 hours. However, Jornet adds, “For me it wasn’t about breaking a record, as the conditions, gradient and equipment were not the same. But using Lar’s mark as a base has inspired me into taking on this personal challenge”.

The challenge has been filmed and an audio-visual piece will be created which will be shown in the next few weeks.

Do you wanna know which gear he used?, here you have

– Suunto 9 Titanium
– Skis: Salomon Minim + Ultimate Pierre Gignoux binding (750 gr- I used only one pair of skis but had others on standby in case something broke.
– Salomon nordic poles 135 cm
– Gignoux Race boots (the same pair of boots and liner for the entire time)
– Salomon skimo suit
– Salomon long tee
– Salomon thin down jacket (loops 1,2,12-37)
– Salomon down jacket (loops 37-51)
– Thin globe (change to 2nd pair after loop 37)
– Neck warmer
– Beanie (after loop 30)
– Headlamp (Silva explore 3 from loop 15-37, Petzl Nao from 38-46)
– Pomoca Race pro / Grip skins (4 pairs, I had the 3 pairs I wasn’t using during the uphill at the bottom of the slope drying)
– Sunglasses (loops 1-15)

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PHOTO GALLERY: By Matti Bernítz – Lymbus