Kilian Jornet ascent-descent record on 6,194m McKinley

Records seem to be falling by the way side this spring as ultra-runner Kilian Jornet completed an ascent-descent of Mount McKinley in early June with a time of just 11:48. This bests the previous record of 16 hours 46 minutes by Ed Warren of New Hampshire that was set in 2013. On June 7th at 7:10 am the thermometer read -20ºC and Kilian started his climb knowing that more bad weather was on its way. From base camp at 2,000m he made the climb on skis, using crampons in some of the more technical sections, and the descent was on skis.

The ascent was carried out according to plan, as Jornet explained on his blog summitsofmylife.com: “I set off well and at a very fast pace as far as 4,000 m. From there up to 5,000m there were strong winds and my feet got quite cold. The real bad weather started at 5,000m. From there onwards to the summit I found it hard going, due to both the intense cold and the difference in altitude which was starting to take its toll. I had to stop every so often to warm up and that slowed me down a bit. On reaching the top, it took me about 10 minutes to get my skis on and to prepare myself for the descent. It was still windy and very cold. From there, I skied down feeling a bit better, but visibility was poor and so I had to be careful. At that moment I was not fully aware that I was breaking the record and it was not until I got all the way down that I looked at my watch and realized I had made it!”

The chronometer showed 11h 48 ‘ (9h 45 ‘ to the summit) when Kilian Jornet arrived back at base camp, beating the previous record established in 2013 by Ed Warren (16h 46 ‘). Reaching this summit, Jornet completes the sixth challenge of his project Summits of My Life, following the philosophy that inspires the team. Throughout the journey, Jornet was accompanied by film director and mountain guide Seb Montaz, who filmed the start and the first part of the route, and climbers and skiers Jordi Tosas and Vivian Bruchez, who positioned themselves in Rescue Gully to film him.

“I’m delighted with this record. Although it wasn’t technically difficult, I had to face two tough factors. On the one hand, the cold and the wind, which slowed me down throughout the route. On the other hand, the altitude, which affected me substantially from 5,000m. Beyond that, it has been an amazing experience, and two striking memories will remain: the moment I reached the summit (not because it was beautiful, because there was fog or that I could not see a thing, but because I thought ‘now my legs will finally stop hurting’). On the other hand, the moment I got to Rescue Gully, where Jordi and Vivian were waiting for me and we shared a few moments together, which were very special,” stated Kilian Jornet after spending two weeks on the ridge without outside communication.

Most mountaineers spend several days climbing the 20,237 foot mountain with most expedition taking 17 to 21 days, round trip. This includes at least one rest day at 14,200 feet and another upon reaching High Camp. Jornet had already acclimatized on McKinley before his attempt thus cutting down the need for rest days.

This record on McKinley adds to Kilian's other achievements including the speed records on Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. He holds records for Mount Kilimanjaro’s ascent as well as combined ascent/descent times.

Record facts

Start and finish point: Base Camp McKinley (2.000m)

Highest point: McKinley Summit (6.194m)

Ascent time: 9h43

Descent time: 11h48′

Distance: 53,52km

Positive slope: 4.732m

Negative slope: 4.729m