Kilian Jornet Tackles U.S. 14,000‑Foot Peaks Challenge

Kilian Jornet on the first day of his Alpine Connections project. Photo: David Arino

He began in Colorado with the LA Freeway traverse, moving from Longs Peak to South Arapaho Peak along the Continental Divide. Jornet never dropped below 12,000 feet (3,658 m) during this first stretch.After sixteen hours of hard terrain, he followed with a 79 km overnight gravel ride to Echo Lake Campground. “Sometimes, the best recovery is to keep moving,” he said.

In those early days, aided by locals like Kyle Richardson and ultra-endurance cyclist Lael Wilcox, Jornet pushed forward despite little rest. Mount Blue Sky (formerly Evans) and Bierstadt were among his early summits – though afternoon storms forced him to adjust the route, adding hours to his day. He went on to summit Grays and Torreys before merging back with his support team late in the evening.

With only a few hours of sleep, Jornet continued: he cycled, then climbed Quandary Peak. By then, he had covered 259 km by foot and bike, moved continuously for roughly 41 hours, and had already reached six fourteen-ers in Colorado. He didn’t stop. On day three, he tackled the peaks Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln, and Sherman in the Mosquito Range. One peak, Mount Bross, was off-limits because of private land

Day four was among his most intense: Jornet climbed Holy Cross Peak in about 3 hours and 49 minutes round-trip. Then, cycling onward, he tackled Colorado’s highest giants – Mount Massive and Mount Elbert – in a late-afternoon push, finishing after a long stretch into the early morning.

Photo: Kyle Richardson

By September 7, the numbers were already impressive: 13 of the fourteeners scaled, 570 km traveled, and almost 80 hours of activity. Jornet paused briefly, but reports indicate he hasn’t slowed down amid the rugged and demanding terrain.