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Key highlights - Kilian Jornet's States of Elevation
A breakdown of the main stats, gear, and details behind the journey.
Mountain athlete Kilian Jornet has successfully completed States of Elevation, an unprecedented journey linking the 14,000-foot (4,267 m) peaks of the United States. Over the course of a month, Jornet summited all 72 fourteeners in the Lower 48 (the continental United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii), covering thousands of kilometers on foot and by bike in one of the most demanding projects of his career.
For Jornet, the journey was a discovery beyond a physical challenge — a way of moving and exploring new places, powered only by his own movement. What made the challenge even more remarkable was not only the climbing itself, but the sheer distance required to link peaks across different states. The scale of the project is hard to grasp. To put it into perspective, the project is comparable to linking “several Tours de France and dozens of marathons, but all at high altitude.
Key Highlights
- 72 peaks over 14,000 ft (4.267m) summited across six U.S. states: Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, and Washington
- 31 days of activity - 488:52:07 hours in movement
- 5,145 km covered with 123,045 m of elevation gain
- Average sleep: 6 hours 15 minutes per night
- 80% by bike / 20 % on foot but 60% of time spent on foot vs 40% on the bike
- 50% of the summits climbed in company - 27 athletes joined Kilian to run & bike parts of the project
- Norman’s 13 completed with a supported FKT (pending official confirmation)
Body & Performance
- Weight remained stable at 55 kg, after dropping to 52 kg during the first week and recovering as adaptation set in
- Longest single activity ever recorded by Kilian: 390 km by bike / 15 hours total
- Average sleep ranged from 2 h 30 min to 10 h 15 min, increasing as recovery improved
- Average calories spent: 9000kcal per day
- Meals consisted in: 1 yogurt with berries for breakfast + one sachet of Lyvecap probiotics. 1 full meal after finishing the stage consisting of rice, potatoes, and vegetables. During activity: sandwiches and some Maurten products.
People & Support
- Support team: Rotating team of two people following in a van, managing logistics and supplies
- Film crew: Three filmmakers — David Ariño, Joel Badia, Nick Danielson documenting every stage (Nick’s stats for the project: 555.5 km distance / 37,310 m elevation gain / 16 of 72 summits (~22 %) and missed Kilian only once!
- Footage captured: Over 6TB
- Three interactions with police — no fines
- Three flat tires on the van and 2 times being towed out
- Three showers, and one washing machine during the entire project
- Four paellas eaten, always on Thursdays following the Catalan Tradition
Gear
- 2 different pairs of shoes used during the project (Kjerag 02 and Tomir Gore-tex)
- Most predominant gear used by NNormal has been the thermal & rainwear lines: Trail Wind, Trail Rain Jacket and Active Tight
- 2 bikes used: Trek Madone & Treck Checkpoint. 0 flat tires on the bike, 1 minor bike repair and 0 injuries
- Backpack weights ranged from 1 kg to 7 kg
- Maps & Navigation created and followed with the Coros APEX and Coros DURA
- 18 nights spent on the mountains using the Noctia Moonlight headlamp
- Spikes used on Crestons and Shasta and grampons in the Tahoma-Rainier
Wildlife & Environment
- 4 bears, 3 moose, numerous mountain goats; a few bighorn sheep and bald eagles and many coyotes spotted
- Iconic crossed during the project: Crossed multiple U.S. National Parks, including Rocky Mountain, Sequoia, Yosemite, and Tahoma-Mount Rainier; traverses like LA Freeway, Elks Traverse, Nolan's 14 and Norman's 13. Other iconic places such as Cascade-Siskiyou National National Monument, Mt Shasta, Tumanguya (Mt Whitney), Longs Peak or Pikes Peak.
- 15 days out for 31 marked by bad weather
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About Kilian
KILIAN JORNET is widely regarded as one of the greatest mountain athletes of all time. With his vision, he has redefined what’s possible in trail running, ski mountaineering, and mountain projects, always guided by a consistent set of values. Today, his impact extends well beyond sport.
Mountains are Kilian’s home and inspiration: they ground him and push him forward. Through more than two decades in mountain sports, he’s made a career by pushing limits—physically, as well as in how we design gear and care for things that matter.
As the co-founder of NNORMAL, Kilian brings his personal experience into product development—striving to create gear that reflects how he moves and what he believes in: durability, function, and responsibility. Through the KILIAN JORNET FOUNDATION, he advocates for the preservation of mountain environments and works to raise awareness of the climate challenges facing our planet. Whether through competition, entrepreneurship, or activism, Kilian uses his voice to inspire a more conscious way of moving through the world.