Into the (Un)known documentary adventure: Kilian Jornet returns to his routes

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Spanish runner, mountain climber and adventurer, Kilian Jornet, returns to his route in the adventure short, “Into The (Un)known.

The adventure in the Pyrenees took place in October 2023. He covered 177 peaks over 480 kilometres in eight days.

During the film, the narration is in English, while much of the dialogue is in Spanish. While the message gets across, subtitles would have been helpful for those who do not speak Spanish.  

“The experience pushed me to my limits and reminded me why I love what I do,” shared Jornet.

As a child, Jornet climbed in the Pyrenees. At age 5 he climbed and revisited in the documentary a peak at 3000m. It was an emotional moment for the 36-year-old who feels he is being confronted by age. He was also confronted with the reality that some of the summits had no permanent ice or snow, as he recalls as a child. Briefly, he talks about climate change. While hiking, talking into a POV camera, he mentions the heat, fatigue and dehydration.

At one point, Jornet becomes overcome with emotion having climbed all day and through the night, making some questionable decisions on the top of ridges with sheer cliffs on either side. Becoming clumsy from fatigue was dangerous.

The footage, albeit skewed by the wide-angle lens (perhaps using a GoPro camera), will make some viewers skittish. Loose rock and sheer drops seem to be no obstacle for Jornet.

Jornet introduced his climbing friend as well as his mother, who climbs too and his first coach.

It could be argued that the short could have benefited from more of a storyboard process and a camera crew capturing Jornet, rather than the POV, wide-angle shots that were almost exclusively used. However, the vistas were breathtaking, climbs and descents not for the light-hearted and the emotional reaction draws the viewer in.