Tag Archives: kilian jornet

Authenticity

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What is it?

I have no interest in looking it up on Wikipedia or God forbid the Oxford…

What does it mean to you?

Are you authentic? True?

Bombarded by SM messages by our own doing we seek but find only perfect portfolios of our heroes. I have tried and failed to portray that image. I hate those that can do it well. In truth I just envy them.

In the last week I read Kilian’s words: “Myself the first thing I do when I finish a activity is to post my trainings on movescount and Strava, tell my feelings on Twitter, post a nice picture on Instagram and say something stupid and existential on Facebook.” Read the full article here.

And then Brand Jodie: “A pioneer of our sport who produced Spirig, Wellington, Snowsill, and Harrop is reduced to justifying his grammar.” Read about #effingtwitter

Be inspired by Temple Grandin.

We need more genius, insanity and we need authenticity.

I challenge you to think beyond 140 characters. I challenge you to be authentic.

Roses for Killian

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The recent Roses for Killian incident described here by Dakota got me thinking about the past and the future. How one generation hands over to the next and how we progress and develop. Deep thoughts.
It is all Tristan’s fault that I walked up to the Ledge at lunch time one Sunday. I was carrying only a daypack (my 70l TNF pack had actually been retired only a few weeks earlier. It had done a few too many trips carrying literally tons of gear). I was so out of the scene I had to think quite hard about how to do this climbing thing.
Anyway iPod was in and tunes were good. That is how things get done these days- apparently?!
I was half way up India Venster when the sms came through that my climbing partners were actually still in bed but would meet me at the base of the route. Sandbaging had not died in my absence.
(They would take the cable car and then abseil to the start of the route- very Euro I thought)
Anyway I arrived at the Ledge witnessing the first ascent of some route by a new kid on the block. I really had no idea that this was still possible here. Maybe there will even have to be and update  of the not so current guidebook. Lord forbid.
I tried to look cool despite the threatening weather. T and gorgeous partner arrived and we roped up. Tristan was in charge of the leading and I assumed my responsibilities as sweep. He did not even ask me to belay. Maybe I had forgotten some stuff in my absence?
We arrived at the hanging belay very euro style. I had forgotten how intimate these can be but I did not mind.
The summit cafe served lattes and charged prices that make alpinists feel at home.
A quick shower and we had dinner at a locale in the village below. Now days you can’t just go directly to the eatery. You go and clean yourself first and put on cologne and aftershave (so does that imply that you have to shave?) and things to make you more attractive to the fairer sex.
I was always under the impression that girls like the tough, unshaven types with a smell of adventure.
Some things have changed and some things have not.

Western States 100 2010

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This last weekend was the 39th running of the oldest 100 miler in the US. The Western States started as a horse race after Wendell T. Robie rode the distance from Squaw Valley to Auburn in California in 1955. In 1974 Gordy Ainsleigh ran the course after his horse fell sick just before the race. The undoubted king of Western States is Scott Jurek who has won the race 7 times. This year the men’s field was hot with Anton Krupicka, Spanish wunderkind Killian Jornet, and eventual winner Geoff Roes. Check out the interviews for Anton, Killian and Geoff here on iRunFar. It is really interesting listening to the three perspectives of a really hot race (temperature and pace). Geoff hung back and then pushed hard later on in the race. Amazingly he was running 4:40 min km in the last 30 kms.

Interestingly Salomon machine Killian did not carry water for most of the way despite temperatures to 40*C and Anton carried bottles. Montrail’s Geoff managed to consume 40 cal/h which obviously gave him the necessary boost he needed.

So the rematch is coming at UTMB with Killian, Geoff and Scott dancing the big dance!