UKC

Matterhorn Record Smashed by Killian

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 cuillinman 21 Aug 2013
Killian Jornet has smashed the record for a return ascent of the Italian Ridge on the matterhorn from Cervinia. 2hours and 52 mins. Just under two hours in ascent and an hour or so to descend. The previous record was 3hrs 14 mins. He did the route in shorts and trainers. Respect.
 drunken monkey 21 Aug 2013
In reply to cuillinman: Mentalist
 Purple 21 Aug 2013
In reply to cuillinman: Yeah, but what's he ever done on the Cuillin Ridge?
Nowt is what. He's a wuss & should man-up.
 Dave 21 Aug 2013
In reply to cuillinman:

Incredible. I've done that route in a good time many years ago but find his time difficult to comprehend.


Anyone fancy a jog up the Matterhorn before breakfast? Anyone?
 xplorer 21 Aug 2013
In reply to Purple:

Topics with informed & intelligent debate.
 Tom Last 21 Aug 2013
In reply to xplorer:
> (In reply to Purple)
>
> Topics with informed & intelligent debate.

Oh give over.
 Purple 21 Aug 2013
In reply to xplorer:
> (In reply to Purple)
>
> Topics with informed & intelligent debate.

Oh give over.

But I do sound rather up myself. I'll change that. Thanks xplorer.
 George Ormerod 21 Aug 2013
In reply to cuillinman:

It's the descent bit that I find astonishing. There must have been some amazing speed downclimbing of techincal terrain.
 Banned User 77 21 Aug 2013
In reply to cuillinman: Awesome.. looks so funny seeing him in shorts run a 4000m peak.. very impressive guy.
 Banned User 77 21 Aug 2013
In reply to Purple:
> (In reply to cuillinman) Yeah, but what's he ever done on the Cuillin Ridge?
> Nowt is what. He's a wuss & should man-up.

Is he was a good enough climber?. I think he should go for the welsh 3000ers and the BGR.. but probably do agree with Es that the Cuillin could be too technical.

Surprised both are out of scope him so far, it would provide huge UK coverage.. 2 of the greatest UK fell records.
 Paul Atkinson 22 Aug 2013
In reply to IainRUK: I would love to see him come over and give the BGR, UTLD, Cuillin, PB and CR his attention. I'd be amazed if he couldn't break the records for all of them with decent conditions and the right pacers. He's shown himself capable of running extreme technical ground as seen on that film of him on the Innominata for just one example. The number of hours he takes out of other elite ultra runners in some of the 100s is quite incredible - Billy Bland is a great hero of mine but surely nobody can believe KN isn't way faster, even over Lakes terrain. I think that sadly the UK is regarded as too much of a backwater to tempt the likes of Killian over and he's already heavily involved in his worldwide "mountains of my mind" thing. All that having been said, I'd like to think the lad does do it all for the sheer love of it and not just the filthy lucre and might just get romantically inspired by our little hills....
 Adam Long 22 Aug 2013
In reply to Dave:
> (In reply to cuillinman)
>
> Incredible. I've done that route in a good time many years ago but find his time difficult to comprehend.

Agreed. I can almost imagine how you'd do the ridge in that time, but I really can't get my head around doing it from Cervinia.
 lowersharpnose 22 Aug 2013
In reply to Adam Long:

Jeez, one hour to descend to Cervinia.

I remember being in a trance on this route at times, just looking for foot placements the whole time - and this guy ran it. Amazing.
 HeMa 22 Aug 2013
In reply to IainRUK:
> but probably do agree with Es that the Cuillin could be too technical.

Yes, after all when Jornet ran from Courmayer to Cham via Mont Blanc, he selected the easiest non tehcnical route (Not) of Innominata ridge...
http://www.summitpost.org/the-innominata-ridge/546034

Purely a slog...
 Paul Atkinson 22 Aug 2013
In reply to HeMa:
> (In reply to IainRUK)
> [...]
>
> Yes, after all when Jornet ran from Courmayer to Cham via Mont Blanc, he selected the easiest non tehcnical route (Not) of Innominata ridge...
> http://www.summitpost.org/the-innominata-ridge/546034
>
> Purely a slog...

well quite - this is perhaps more to the point:

youtube.com/watch?v=zh_dvyJXJwc&

the idea that KJ would regard the BG, or even the Cuillin too technically difficult is risible - reminiscent of the "foreigners can't climb grit" thing that has been so comprehensively trashed in recent years
 Lew13 22 Aug 2013
In reply to IainRUK:

Are you for real? If he ran up Pointe Innominata I'm sure he could manage the Cuillin.
 MG 22 Aug 2013
In reply to IainRUK:


it would provide huge UK coverage.. 2 of the greatest UK fell records.

Emphasis on UK - I think he has bigger fish to fry.

 Paul Atkinson 22 Aug 2013
In reply to MG: perhaps with the ultra running explosion that has been taking place Iain's point about UK exposure is well made and the likes of Salomon (KJ's sponsors), Raidlight and some of the US brands will come to perceive the UK as more of a major market worth pointing their headline sponsored athletes at
 Banned User 77 22 Aug 2013
In reply to Paul Atkinson: We have more of a history than most. The BGR and the W3000ers have stood for decades.. in many ways more impressive than some of these which have very few times to compare with. hence why he can smash them. Impressive but I'd love him to go for records which have been attempted by the very best.

Stecks set some good records but he's not that fit as a runner (on a clasic mountain race I beat US), so you'd expect KJ to hammer his records.

But look at the classic european races and its the english who dominated back in the 80's. Its exploded in the past decade.
 Banned User 77 22 Aug 2013
In reply to Paul Atkinson: I'm surprised the W3000s isn't on the cards as he has north wales friends/management. He clearly has a genuine love of the mountains.

How hard was the Mt Blanc climb? I just know even top climbers have had real issues on the cuillin. I think it was Corny in the lakes who said he had a proper whitey on it. Es said something similar about one of his mates who was a high E grade climber just being terrified. There's technical terrain and there's technical terrain.
 Lew13 22 Aug 2013
In reply to IainRUK:

D....certainly doesn't look like a walk in the park!
 HeMa 22 Aug 2013
In reply to IainRUK:
> How hard was the Mt Blanc climb?

See
http://www.camptocamp.org/routes/54513/en/mont-blanc-innominata-ridge
http://www.summitpost.org/the-innominata-ridge/546034 (linked above).

So hardest rock is french 5b (and pretty exposed), plus loads of easier rock, snow and ice.

Not to mention, it's rather long and considerably at a higher altitude than Cuillin.
 Banned User 77 22 Aug 2013
In reply to HeMa: Altitude won't be a factor.. he spends all his time up high. It'll be interesting what he does about Everest..
 Lew13 22 Aug 2013
In reply to IainRUK:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlAmmR2YNP0

I wouldn't fancy it in a pair of trainers.
 MG 22 Aug 2013
In reply to IainRUK:
> (In reply to HeMa) Altitude won't be a factor.. he spends all his time up high. It'll be interesting what he does about Everest..

He was walking in some that video! The Innominata is substantially longer, harder, higher and more serious than the Cuillin ridge.
 Tom Last 22 Aug 2013
In reply to MG:
> (In reply to IainRUK)
> [...]
>
> He was walking in some that video! The Innominata is substantially longer, harder, higher and more serious than the Cuillin ridge.

Is it longer?
 MG 22 Aug 2013
In reply to Tom Last: Well Courmayeur to Mont Blanc is 3600m of ascent and at a guess 10km horizontally, so yes.
 Tom Last 22 Aug 2013
In reply to MG:

Fair enough, some bloody ridge!
 MG 22 Aug 2013
In reply to Tom Last: Actually 12-13km!
 jon 22 Aug 2013
In reply to MG:

Wouldn't have been far out of his way to tag Baretti and Brouillard.
 walts4 22 Aug 2013
In reply to MG:
> (In reply to IainRUK)
> [...]
>
> He was walking in some that video! The Innominata is substantially longer, harder, higher and more serious than the Cuillin ridge.

Just getting to the Eccles hut is enough of a day for most people!!!

Some people have been known to stop at the Monzino for the night to break the journey up.
In reply to cuillinman:

Apart from anything else it sounds fantastically dangerous.
 MG 22 Aug 2013
In reply to walts4:

> Some people have been known to stop at the Monzino for the night to break the journey up.

<looks around innocently>
 malk 22 Aug 2013
In reply to MG:
>
> He was walking in some that video!

i saw a rope as well!

what would be a good route for a Killian-Ueli duel?
 Robert Durran 22 Aug 2013
In reply to malk:
> (In reply to MG)
>
> what would be a good route for a Killian-Ueli duel?

Anything hard but (Killian in Ueli's rucksack) with a long and arduous but easy approach (Ueli in Killian's rucksack).

 Paul Atkinson 22 Aug 2013
In reply to IainRUK: In addition to the Inominata and Italian ridges I think the Owen-Spalding on Grand Teton in this
youtube.com/watch?v=Z_Z1-smRsoU&
is not dissimilar grade wise to anything on the Cuillin and from all available evidence the guy is clearly not upset by a bit of exposure That's the thing the filming can't quite capture as KJ runs down the I ridge in trail shoes passing all those roped parties gingerly stepping down - the sheer buttock clenching exposure on those ridges where a slip at running speed doesn't bear thinking about. I've got mixed feelings about people even trying to break records like the Cuillin...
He grew up in a hut in the Pyrenees where his parents were guardians and suspect his cardiac anatomy and physiology is half way to Sherpa. as you say it'll be interesting to see what he does on Everest etc if he doesn't kill himself.
The best KJ story to me though is when he waited and allowed, I think, Jurek and Krupicka to catch him up on a 100 mile race (WS100?) because he was enjoying the mountains so much and he wanted to share the running with some mates
 Simon4 22 Aug 2013
In reply to MG:

> <looks around innocently>

Some people wished they had done that.

Some people have (allegedly) been known to stop and drink beer and eat a lot at the Monzino on the way down.
 jon 22 Aug 2013
In reply to Simon4:

You two simply disgust me. Lack of moral fibre or what?
In reply to cuillinman: Whilst I'm sure this is something that has brought him a deal of personal satisfaction, and is a very impressive athletic event, beyond that it is something of little interest; akin, perhaps, in UK terms to knocking a bit of time off a challenging fell race. Pleasing for his sponsors, useful for publicity but beyond that (and noting my first comments), not a very big deal.

It's an unfortunate truth that signature mountains like the Matterhorn, the Eiger and Everest attract this kind of attention. I'd be much more impressed if he'd done something more challenging on a peak that is perhaps lesser known but more difficult; Gasherbrum IV, perhaps.

But for all I know he might have done. Still, that's my grumpy old sourpuss gland exercised for the afternoon...

T.

 jon 22 Aug 2013
In reply to Pursued by a bear:

Well I think that's very sad Mr P. Bear. He didn't knock a bit of time off - he completely destroyed the old record. And managing to maintain an ascent rate of over 1200m/hour over two hours on that sort of ground is fantastic. And doubling that rate in descent...? You are trolling Mr Bear.
 Banned User 77 22 Aug 2013
In reply to Pursued by a bear:
> (In reply to cuillinman) Whilst I'm sure this is something that has brought him a deal of personal satisfaction, and is a very impressive athletic event, beyond that it is something of little interest; akin, perhaps, in UK terms to knocking a bit of time off a challenging fell race. Pleasing for his sponsors, useful for publicity but beyond that (and noting my first comments), not a very big deal.
>
> It's an unfortunate truth that signature mountains like the Matterhorn, the Eiger and Everest attract this kind of attention. I'd be much more impressed if he'd done something more challenging on a peak that is perhaps lesser known but more difficult; Gasherbrum IV, perhaps.
>
> But for all I know he might have done. Still, that's my grumpy old sourpuss gland exercised for the afternoon...
>
> T.

Why be more impressed on another mountain?
 Simon4 22 Aug 2013
In reply to jon:
> (In reply to Simon4)

> You two simply disgust me. Lack of moral fibre or what?

Physical fibre Jon, not moral. The spirit is wildly over-optimistic, but the flesh is .... old!

In reply to jon: No, that's my view. I noted, you'll recall, that it was a very impressive athletic achievement and I don't doubt his mountaineering skills; but I can't see the value in doing it.

I have the same views about, for example, people trying to climb Everest in a record time. I'm sure they're all consummate mountaineers and fiercely determined and honed athletes but really; why?*

But like I said, my grumpy old sourpuss gland has had its exercise. I wouldn't normally let it release about such a subject, but I've been e-mailing Legal and General about pension-related matters and it felt the need to growl a bit. I'll be off to watch the cricket while it calms down for a bit now.

T.
* yes, I know you could ask the same about any form of climbing or mountain-related exercise



 Robert Durran 22 Aug 2013
In reply to Pursued by a bear:
> (In reply to cuillinman) Whilst I'm sure this is something that has brought him a deal of personal satisfaction, and is a very impressive athletic event, beyond that it is something of little interest.

This came up in the thread when he did the Innominata. The trouble is that people are trying to big the stuff he does up as mountaineering achievements and this is a mistake. In a mountaineering context they look like stunts on pretty easy routes and are in no way comparable with the west face of G4 or, more arguably, with Stecks fast solos of quite technical routes. Seeing them in mountaineering terms does him a disservice; they are best seen as massively impressive achievements in running/speed scrambling - just doing what average punters can do but a bogglingly amount faster. He should be seen as an athlete, not a mountaineer. Jornet is to the average alpine punter what Billy bland is to the average british hill walker.
 MG 22 Aug 2013
In reply to Pursued by a bear:
> (In reply to jon) No, that's my view. I noted, you'll recall, that it was a very impressive athletic achievement and I don't doubt his mountaineering skills; but I can't see the value in doing it.
>


There's not much value in doing it slowly either. It's of interest to me partly because anything done really, really well is interesting but also because I have climbed some of this ground and it is curious to see just how much quicker it is possible to cover it. The combination of fitness and technical ability is also interesting - there are plenty of people as fit as him but very few who could climb at D so fast.
 MG 22 Aug 2013
In reply to Pursued by a bear:
but I've been e-mailing Legal and General about pension-related matters and it felt the need to growl a bit.

Understood. Carry right on (Do you want to talk to HSBC on behalf in exchange for a further three free moans?)
 jon 22 Aug 2013
In reply to MG:
> (In reply to Pursued by a bear)
> [...]
> there are plenty of people as fit as him...

Hmmm, I photographed him coming through Vallorcine on the UTMB one year. He was an HOUR ahead of the second person!
In reply to MG: Lord, no.

Despite the best efforts of Legal and General I haven't so much lost the will to live as gained the will to, as the Book of Ezekiel might put it, strike down upon someone with great vengeance and furious anger.

Harrumph, etc.

T.
 MG 22 Aug 2013
In reply to jon: Alright, scrub that bit!
 Simon Caldwell 22 Aug 2013
In reply to cuillinman:
www.ansa.it/web/notizie/videogallery/sport/2013/08/22/Sale-scende-Cervino-meno-3-ore_9184733.html
 Paul Atkinson 22 Aug 2013
In reply to Toreador: that jump over the 'schrund and trail shoe glissade looks like fun
 Es Tresidder 23 Aug 2013
In reply to IainRUK: It was a good few years ago that I said I wasn't sure whether Kilian was a good enough climber to have a crack at the Cuillin ridge record. Wasn't sure as in I didn't know one way or the other. At the time I didn't know whether or not he was a climber as well as a runner/ski-mountaineering racer, and he hadn't done anything that I'd seen that involved any technical climbing.

After seeing what he's done in the past few years (Innominata, Grand Teton, loads of serious alpine stuff with skis on his back/feet) I have no doubt whatsoever that he's a good enough climber to do an extremely quick time on the Cuillin. Would be fantastic to see!

Amazing effort on the Matterhorn. Very inspiring.

Brilliant footage here if it's not been posted already: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200896714474535
 Ben Briggs 23 Aug 2013
In reply to cuillinman: surprised no one has mentioned Ueli Stecks recent trip from Val Veny to Les Houches in 16hrs 9m via the Peutral Intergeal. Wonder if its a time Kilian could beat?
 jon 23 Aug 2013
In reply to Ben Briggs:

No idea that he'd done it Ben. Now, that's impressive!
 Dave 23 Aug 2013
In reply to Es Tresidder:

> Amazing effort on the Matterhorn. Very inspiring.
>
> Brilliant footage here if it's not been posted already: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200896714474535

I know its a bit pedantic but on the basis of that video he doesn't seem to have actually summited the Matterhorn, rather he turned round at the Italian summit cross. Maybe thats the accepted turning point for record attempts from the Italian side. Though why not go to the true summit for the sake of a minute or two more ?

 jon 23 Aug 2013
In reply to Ben Briggs:

In 1990 it took Alain Ghersen 12 hours to go from the Val Veny to the summit of the Noire, but he had soloed the Walker earlier in the day - and the American Direct the day before! http://www.alpinisme.com/FR/histoire-alpinisme/les-drus/index.php?fic=p29
 Mr Lopez 23 Aug 2013
In reply to Ben Briggs:

A walk in the park...

"I reached the church at Les Houches. I thought of eating something. But I decided to move on. I wanted first to go to the campground in Les Bossons. I briefly considered calling someone to pick me up. But it was such a nice evening that I decide to comfortably walk to Les Bossons. A good hour later I sat next to my tent."
In reply to Dave:
> (In reply to Es Tresidder)
>
> [...]
>
> I know its a bit pedantic but on the basis of that video he doesn't seem to have actually summited the Matterhorn, rather he turned round at the Italian summit cross. Maybe thats the accepted turning point for record attempts from the Italian side. Though why not go to the true summit for the sake of a minute or two more ?

Well, at 0;16-0.19 we see him running off eastwards along the summit ridge from the Italian cross towards the Swiss summit ... inconceivable that about 10 seconds later he hadn't got there.
 Robert Durran 23 Aug 2013
In reply to Ben Briggs:

Did he do the S Ridge or E Ridge of the Noire? Either very, very impressive though! Preplaced/abandoned ab ropes?
 Ben Briggs 23 Aug 2013
In reply to Robert Durran: S ridge, no pre placed or abandoned ropes, he took 60m of 6mm cord- http://blog.mountainhardwear.com/ueli-steck-solos-the-peuterey-integral-in-...
 Dave 23 Aug 2013
In reply to Gordon Stainforth:
> (In reply to Dave)
> [...]
>
> Well, at 0;16-0.19 we see him running off eastwards along the summit ridge from the Italian cross towards the Swiss summit ... inconceivable that about 10 seconds later he hadn't got there.

No. We see him come over the Italian summit from the Lion ridge, heading east, tag the cross which is a little below the Italian summit, and turn round heading back west at 0.16-0.19 rather than continuing the 100m or so eastwards to the higher Swiss summit. You get a view of the layout of the two summits and the cross at about 0.08.

In reply to Dave:

Ah, I see what you mean now. I assumed the shot was taken from the Italian side, though the snow shows of course that it was taken from the north. And, as you say, it shows rather clearly that he simply touched the Italian cross and then turned back down the Italian ridge. Umm. But perhaps that's what the race is about (Italian summit and back ... but seems v odd, as you rightly point out.)
In reply to Es Tresidder:

It would interesting to see how he would do on the Cuillin Rdge traverse.

I day hiked the Owen Spaulding on Grand Teton a couple of weeks ago - Cuillin Ridge is in a different league for technical difficulty, longer and more sustained - and the route finding is way harder.

Some local guy has beaten his record on GT anyway now.
 Robert Durran 23 Aug 2013
In reply to Ben Briggs:
> (In reply to Robert Durran) S ridge, no pre placed or abandoned ropes, he took 60m of 6mm cord- http://blog.mountainhardwear.com/ueli-steck-solos-the-peuterey-integral-in-...

Makes it sopund like a quite relaxing day out.

 Robert Durran 23 Aug 2013
In reply to Paul Atkinson:
> well quite - this is perhaps more to the point:
>
> youtube.com/watch?v=zh_dvyJXJwc&

Wow. That is really rather beautiful and inspiring - brings back happy memories for me.

Interestingly he didn't seem to me moving scarily fast on the actual climbing. It must just be his ability to keep moving and run the easy stuff.
 Banned User 77 24 Aug 2013
In reply to Jonathan Lagoe - UKC: It'd be good to see him have a go at UK records. I'd have thought the 3000ers would suit him perfectly. technical, good running, exposure, but nothing overly hard.

But he's also clearly comfortable with exposure which is the big thing about the cuillin. But he'd need to devote a lot of time to recceing the ridge as the route finding isn't really obvious.

Interesting he mentioned Everest on his summits plan.. Seems an odd one as that can't be a run.. and if he's just pulling on ropes and fixed gear.. just seems a tad artificial.

 Banned User 77 24 Aug 2013
In reply to Gordon Stainforth: Wasn't it an established record? So presumably the actual summit was pre-determined?
 Mr Lopez 24 Aug 2013
In reply to IainRUK:

> Interesting he mentioned Everest on his summits plan.. Seems an odd one as that can't be a run.. and if he's just pulling on ropes and fixed gear.. just seems a tad artificial.

You'll be glad to know he's not planning to do the trade route, use oxygen, or jumar up fixed lines. All he knows is that he'll go from the north side, but keeps the options open as to use any of the main couloirs, or the normal N route if he really has to.

You got to give it to him, he's got balls...

 Robert Durran 26 Aug 2013
In reply to IainRUK:
> Interesting he mentioned Everest on his summits plan.. Seems an odd one as that can't be a run.. and if he's just pulling on ropes and fixed gear.. just seems a tad artificial.

Looking at the videos, he didn't seem to be running the steeper snow and the technical bits of the Innominata. And he didn't seem to be having any qualms about using the fixed ropes on the Matterhorn!


New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...