From August 13 to 31, 2024, Kilian Jornet Burgada traversed the Alps from east to west by foot and bicycle, reaching all 82 of the 4,000-meter-plus summits. The previous fastest time for this link-up, using no motorized transportation, was 60 days. Dubbed Alpine Connections, Jornet’s 19-day adventure—with one weather-related rest day—involved more than 160 alpine routes. He partnered with various friends but reached more than half of the peaks alone. Jornet posted a detailed report at his website soon after finishing; these excerpts and data are drawn from that account, his daily Strava posts, and Coros.com. 

—Dougald MacDonald, AAJ

Day 3, Bernese Alps, 99km, 6 summits

ALETSCHHORN: After a couple of hours of sleep, Jornet looped over five peaks in about ten hours, then descended off the Jungfrau and headed toward Aletschhorn. Heavy rain fell as he approached the north spur. “It was going to be dark soon…. I was completely soaked. So I decided to change plans and go to the south face, hoping the rain would stop…. The way out the Aletsch Glacier was insanely long.” About 24km and 1,400m lower, he finally started climbing again. A 10-minute nap on the floor of the Oberaletsch hut revived him just enough to continue. “I reached the summit just after sunrise…. I could see just under me in the north the place where I stood 12 hours ago in the rain. It was a long detour, but with those conditions I believe it was the right call.” In all, Jornet climbed 7,890 meters (25,886’) on this 32.5-hour day.

Day 15, Mont Blanc Massif, 24km, 4 summits

VERTE TO DROITES TRAVERSE: Warned by guides that conditions had seriously deteriorated in this part of the rapidly warming range, Jornet felt a sense of dread. “I knew the risks I would be taking that day would be high. It felt a bit like I was going to the slaughterhouse.” On the Moine Ridge, headed to the Aiguille Verte, “The arête I remembered didn’t exist anymore. The multiple rockfalls and collapses had changed its shape.” The traverse to the Aiguille du Jardin was like “playing Jenga with the rocks.” On Les Droites, he was left hanging by one hand after rocks collapsed. The decision to continue did not make him proud: “I mean, the small decisions of where to abseil, how to downclimb, or how to protect myself had been good, and that’s what kept me alive, but the decision…to keep going was something that I wasn’t happy about.”

BY THE NUMBERS

Distance: 1207km+ by foot and bike

Elevation Gain: 72,233m (236,985’)

Longest Day: 34 hours

Average Sleep: 5 hours 17 minutes

Calories Burned: 8,300/day avg.

PAST 4,000ER LINK-UPS

1993: Simon Jenkins and Martin Moran link 74 peaks in 52 days by foot and bikes; later that year, the UIAA creates “official” list of 82 peaks

2004: Patrick Berhault and Philippe Magnin link 65 peaks on foot and skis before Berhault dies in a fall on April 28.

2007: Miha Valic attempts to climb the 82 peaks in 82 winter days, using a van between climbs; he finishes in 102 days

2008: Diego Giovanni and Franz Nicolini climb the 82 peaks in 60 days with no mechanized transport.

2015: Ueli Steck links the peaks in 62 days, using a paraglider for some descents.

2024: Chrigel Maurer and Peter von Kanel make extensive use of paragliders to summit the peaks in 51 days.

LEARN MORE: To read Jornet’s in-depth personal blog on the traverse, search “Petite Balade Alpine.”