Because It’s Beautiful: The Meaning Behind Kilian Jornet’s States of Elevation

When British explorer George Mallory was asked why he wanted to climb Everest, he famously replied, “Because it’s there.” But what if the real answer is simpler and potentially more beautiful?

Today on Open Container, Doug explores the deeper meaning behind Kilian Jornet’s “States of Elevation” project, a 3,200-mile, human-powered journey linking all 72 fourteeners in the lower 48 states. Jornet ran, climbed, and biked his way across America’s highest peaks, not to set a record, but to experience the wild beauty of the mountains.

Joining Doug is Bryon Powell, ultrarunner, writer, and founder of iRunFar.com, who ran with Jornet on Colorado’s Handies Peak and witnessed the project firsthand.

Topics include:

• The philosophy behind Jornet’s project: why beauty, not conquest, drives true adventure.
• How the “States of Elevation” linked wilderness, athleticism, and mindfulness.
• The power of community and support in massive endurance undertakings.
• Indigenous and public land connections to the mountains we climb.
• Why projects like this remind us to protect and cherish wild places.
• How everyday runners and hikers can find their own “states of elevation” close to home.

Doug and Bryon also discuss how outdoor storytelling and recreation can spark stewardship and how being out there makes us care more deeply about what’s at stake for public lands.

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