Stages 8-11
From Valais to Val Ferret
246.56
Distance (km)
13
+4000m Peaks
54:27:24
Activity (time)
14274
Elevation gain (m)
4:27:00
Avg. hours of sleep
246.56
Distance (km)
13
+4000m Peaks
54:27:24
Activity (time)
14274
Elevation gain (m)
4:27:00
Avg. hours of sleep
Leaving the Valais area behind
Over Stages 8 to 11 of the Alpine Connections project, Kilian continued navigating the Swiss Alps, linking +4000 m peaks, and sharing parts of his journey with trusted mountain partners. The Grand Combin traverse was a highlight of this segment.
Over the last four stages (8, 9, 10, and 11), Kilian has accumulated over 54 hours of activity and nearly 22,000 meters of elevation gain. He has also summited 13 new peaks over 4000 meters in the Alps, bringing the project’s total to 51 peaks.
During this phase, Kilian Jornet conquered peaks including the Matterhorn (4,478m) and Weisshorn (4,506m), and completed the Grand Combin traverse, a stage he described as really technical.
“It was a very nice climb but actually it’s a dangerous mountain because it’s a lot of rock falling, it’s easy to lose the road. So I was really happy to be here with Alain Tissier.
We were racing together in ski mountaineering a long long time ago. Now he’s a mountain guide and it was nice to share the mountain with him. It was a long day, starting with 100k with the bike. In the evening we started climbing up. We got the sunset at the first summit, which was a very amazing light and then did the glacier summits in the night. A short sleep afterwards”.
Stage 8 / Valais 4: Climb
Stage 9 / Valais 5: Climb
Stage 10 / Valais 6: Bike + Climb
Stage 11 / Transition: Bike + Trail
“After 30 hours out there, you stop feeling human. Time blurs, and my brain is somewhere else entirely.”
Kilian Jornet
Alpine glaciers: the true treasure
Glacial landscapes are one of the defining features of the Alps. These massive ice formations are not only visually stunning but also play a crucial role as indicators of the effects of climate change.
Glaciers play a fundamental role in shaping the Alpine landscape and serve as vital reservoirs of freshwater, supporting ecosystems and providing essential resources for many local communities. They are crucial for water supply, hydroelectric power, and irrigation across much of Europe. Therefore, visible changes in glaciers provide clear evidence of shifts in temperature and precipitation.
During his journey, Kilian Jornet has encountered landscapes that he remembers differently. Today, experts from the Kilian Jornet Foundation are reflecting on this. In this context, glaciologist Jean-Baptiste Bosson from Marge Sauvage and coordinator of Ice & Life, notes that “all is not lost, as we still have a second chance to save most of the world’s glacier ice, but we need the whole society to come together.”
Want to learn more about how we can help slow the retreat of glaciers? Click the link and visit the KJF website.
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