Kilian’s Journey Through the Eyes of Dakota Jones

Dakota Jones shares a post when he joined Kilian for a few miles and lots of icy during Kilian’s quest to climb (almost) all 14ers in the Lower 48s for the project Kilian calls ‘States of Elevation‘. I’ve always loved Dakota’s witty and smart voice on social media and I’m glad he’s turning this into more long form articles on his website. But this article is more than just the usual self-deprecating humor, he addresses one of the key feelings and thoughts I’ve been pondering countless times when traveling in the mountains: How does one assess and deal with an acceptable level of risk, especially as a team.

“Kilian,” I called out to him. My voice was clear in the windless night. “I’m really sorry, but I’m not comfortable with this.”

He paused. “No? You don’t feel safe?”

Dakota expresses and shares so perfectly these feelings and questions and worries one has darting through their head when traveling in terrain that’s just beyond their comfort level. And in sharing these personal moments Dakota gives us a glimpse into not just his own psyche, but he also shares a side of Kilian that truly epitomizes why he’s one of the greatest trail runners and alpinists who’s ever lived.

At the top of this post I shared my excitement about Dakota writing longer form blog posts and not just social media bits, but the more I think about it I wish this story would be even more than just a post on Substack. It’s so great, I wish it be a feature in the American Alpine Magazine, a beginning of a book, a voice over on a feature film. It’s that good.