What Kilian Jornet packs to climb all 14 pitches of the West Mountain in 31 days

Welcome to beginners Pack, a gear-obsessed series that gives WIRED readers a peek into how notable figures live, shop, and tinker.

When it comes to sheer physical ability, Kilian Jornet is far ahead of other world-class runners and mountaineers as well as the rest of us. This fall, the Spanish runner completed his mission Altitude countries The project that New York Times Named “Objectively ridiculous.” Its fully autonomous mission summited all 14,000-foot peaks in the Mountain West. He reached 72 summits, hiked 629 miles, and biked an additional 2,568 miles while accumulating 403,691 feet of elevation, all in 31 days. Was it difficult for him too? No. Oh.

We spoke to Jornet after he returned to Norway from the highlands, where he spent some time at home with his wife, a world champion skydiver. Emily ForsbergAnd their three children. Forsberg also joined the team in unnaturalthe equipment company that Jornet co-founded with the shoe company The cart. The name combines the words “Norway” and “Mallorca” – the two places where the shoes were designed and tested.

“I try to take a simple approach, but as humans, we’re not built to go into extreme environments,” Jornet said over Zoom. “If I went naked, I would probably die very soon, or if I went running, my feet would be badly bruised if I didn’t wear shoes.”

Here are some of the gear selections Jornet took with him.

Running shoes

Nnormal’s goal is to establish sustainable practices in manufacturing equipment. “The most important system is probably the most complex,” Jornet said. “It’s very expensive to constantly rotate things… How can we have a (business) that doesn’t depend on excessive consumption?” The solution was to create incredibly durable running shoes that only had to be replaced every two to four years. For his thousands of miles of altitude, Jornet merely swapped between two pairs of seedy shoes. (To clarify, the average runner will throw off his shoes after 300-500 miles.)

Tomir is the waterproof, winter-ready version of KjirajIt was the shoe that Jornet took with him. They feature Vibram lugs and a tough, but still light, outsole; Abrasion-resistant upper with asymmetric laces that you can manipulate to relieve pressure on the top of your foot; And a specialized midsole for running. A. also attends Regular Running Jacket ($220) Everywhere he goes.

the hour

a lot Fitness trackers Link to your phone’s Navigation capabilities. However, when you’re covering a large area like the Jornet, this isn’t a great idea. “The phone’s battery will die instantly,” Jornet said. Instead, he uses Jurnet Apex Choirs 4 ($429) Everything from keeping in touch with people, collecting data on all his travels, navigating with GPS to avoid falling into a crevasse, and noticing how he feels every day.

The Coros Apex 4 is the company’s most lightweight mountain watch. It has about 65 hours of battery life with GPS tracking — more than enough for the Jornet to run up and down the mountain — with dual-frequency GPS and a number of climbing-specific features, like vertical algorithms for ascent. “I’m not a data geek, but it helps me analyze every project and every race, and stay safe,” Jornet said.

Nutritional supplements

Ultrarunners have very specific nutritional needs, which can be difficult to meet if you spend a lot of time in remote places around the world. Jornet has been tracking the data on Its gut microbiome For about five years, Working with universities and major research institutions to investigate factors such as how his microbiota changes when he is at altitude. “We see different pieces growing and dying,” he said. “Yes, I used to carry bags of poo with me (during the altitude),” he laughed.

When he can find them, Jornet nourishes his gut microbiome with lactobacilli, which he has found to stimulate bacterial growth in the intestines. Enhancing athletic performance By increasing endurance and reducing pain. You can find lactobacilli in many unpasteurized fermented foods, such as yogurt or kimchi. However, when he travels, Jurnet takes doses of Lifcap probiotic. Jornet is such a huge fan that he points out that he never drinks Filtered water in remote areas. “If you have a good immune system and good bacteria in your stomach, I won’t have any problems at all,” he said. This is not a practice I can endorse for everyone.

The bottle

Jornet burned about 9,000 calories per day during highs. If you’re trying to eat that many calories as a food, that means you should pack multiple steaks or chicken with it. “If I only ate gels or carbs, I wouldn’t be able to eat as much food,” he said. “It’s too heavy.” For more calories on the go, he adds a few tablespoons of olive oil, butter, or coconut oil to a Morten’s soft drink flask.

Notebook

And finally, Jornet always was Paper notebook With him. He doesn’t have a favorite brand: “I just go to a local bookstore and buy whatever notebook is there,” he said, but he likes to take notes while he travels. Sometimes he draws maps and sketches of the country he is passing through; He records the interesting encounters he had; Takes notes about the equipment he uses; Or jot down ideas for future skiing, running, or climbing projects.

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