If you thought that flying should be faster than running, you will definitely have a big surprise!
The passion for nature and sports brought together ultra-trail runner Kilian Jornet and base jumper Tom Erik Heimen on the famous Romsdalshorn mountain in Norway.
The amazing race, the athletes' unbelievable skills, their spirit of camaraderie and the breathtaking views made up for one great video that went viral right away.
On 20 January 2020, base jumper Tom Erik Heimen and trail-runner Kilian Jornet raced up & down the iconic Romsdalshorn in Norway.
Situated in Rauma, in the middle of the beautiful fjord lands on the west coast of Norway, Romsdalshorn is a famous climbing mountain that reaches 1,550 meters (5,085 ft) in altitude.
Kilian ascended the North wall (grade 4) and descended the normal route Halls Renne (grade 3). Tom Erik ascended the Normal Route and parachuted down toward northwest.
| Uphill Time | Summit Time | Downhill Time | Max. Speed | Gear Weight | Total Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kilian Jornet | 30'45'' | 1'08'' | 20'58'' | 18.3 km/h | 0.7 kg | 52'26'' |
| Tom Erik Heimen | 46' | 7' | 2' | 250 km/h | 12.2 kg | 53'55'' |
While both Kilian and Tom Erik expected that Kilian would be faster on the ascent, they were both surprised that Kilian managed to do a very fast descent & win the competition.
The video gathered over 180,000 views in a week and it shows two hard-working and skilled athletes engaged in an impressive competition. "A nice "down to earth" competition. No unnecessary added drama", as one Youtube user commented.
The Athletes
Kílian Jornet Burgada (32) is a Spanish professional sky runner, trail runner, ski mountaineer and long-distance runner. Among his many accomplishments, Kilian Jornet holds the record for fastest known time for the ascent and descent of many summits, such as the Everest, the Mont-Blanc, & the Matterhorn, is a six-time champion of the long-distance running Skyrunner World Series, and former UTMB® champion in 2008, 2009 and 2011.
Tom Erik Heimen (44) is one of the worlds most experienced base jumpers. Currently 2147 jumps. World record holder in vertical meters flown in 24 hours; 66.000 meters, in Loen, Norway, 2019. He is also a very experienced mountaineer. In 2019 his Suunto 9 logged an impressive 200.000 meters vertical.
The athletes' feedback
"It was very unpredictable who would be faster. I knew I could climb much faster, but the downhill is down climbing so it takes as much time as going up for me. And I also knew that Tom Erik has a very good physical level, so he would be quick to climb and of course very fast on the way down. During my whole descent I was expecting at any second to hear him fly by me", says Kilian.
"Being in the mountains with Kilian is truly motivating. He has a capacity, playfulness and motivation I have never seen before. [...] What surprised me most with the challenge was how fast Kilian is descending the technical and steep, Halls Renne, with the challenges of loose rocks all the way. I know he is very fast going up and had no doubts that he would beat me to the summit, but I was expecting him to spend more time climbing down than climbing up. When I was summiting in only 46 minutes, my personal best ever, I was 100% certain that I would beat him to the finish line. During my flight back down I was constantly looking for Kilian, and when I realised how far he had come I was super surprised", declared Tom Erik.
