Kilian Jornet summits Everest twice in a week

Kilian Jornet Burgada on the top of Everest once again. After his ascent on 22 May, the Catalan climbed the highest mountain in the world for the second time in the space of a week, reaching the 8848m summit at 21:00 on 27 May. Once again Jornet Burgada did not use supplementary oxygen.

For his 22 May ascent up the North Face normal route Jornet Burgada had set off from Base Camp on the Tibetan side of the mountain at 5100m and, slowed down by stomach cramps as of 7700m, he reached the summit in 26 hours. This time the 29-year-old set off from Advanced Base Camp at 6400m at 2:00am on 27 May and, fighting against strong winds, reached the summit in 17 hours. Jornet returned to ABC 28 hours 30 minutes after leaving

Commenting after his ascent, Jornet Burgada stated "I’m so happy to have made the summit again! Today I felt good although it was really windy so it was hard to move fast. I think summiting Everest twice in one week without oxygen opens up a new realm of possibilities in alpinism and I’m really happy to have done it."

Without wishing to belittle Burgada’s beautiful double, it’s important to highlight that - as previously reported - in 1996 South Tyrolean mountaineer Hans Kammerlander climbed Everest without supplementary oxygen in 16 hours and 45 minutes after setting off as Jornet Burgada did from ABC. At the time, Kammerlander also carried out the first ski descent of Everest. Furthermore, according to statistics provided by www.8000ers.com, climbing the North face route without supplementary oxygen twice in the space of seven days was achieved by Pemba Dorje Sherpa in 2007 when he summited Everest on May and then on 15 May.