Oct 17, 2025
latimes In just over a month, Spanish mountaineer Kilian Jornet climbed 72 summits over 14,000 feet in the contiguous U.S., including 15 in California.
He traveled entirely under his own power, running 629 miles and biking 2,568 miles between peaks across Colorado, California and Washington.
He also battled desert heat, howling winds on Mt. Shasta and knee-deep snow on Mt. Rainier.
Asked why, exactly, he puts himself through so much agony, he snapped back into aw-shucks mode. He sank into his comfy seat, smiled with the confidence of a man who has parried that question a thousand times, and said:
“Why not?”
