Trail Runner Sets Women's Speed Record on Kilimanjaro

Danish trail runner Kristina Schou Madsen has set a new women's speed record on Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. According to Gear Junkie, she was able to complete the 19,341-foot (5895 meter) ascent in a mere 6 hours, 52 minutes, and 54 seconds. For those keeping track at home, that's even faster than the 7 hours and 14 minutes that it took Kilian Jornet to do the same run back in 2010, but still well off the pace of the men's record, which is held by Karl Egloff and stands at 4 hours and 56 minutes.

Madsen set the record back on February 23, launching her run from the Meek Gate located at 5347 feet (1630 meters). She then managed to beat previous female record holder Fernanda Maciel by about 15 minutes, with her times verified by SPOT, Garmin GPS and the International Skyrunning Federation.

In addition to setting a new FKT (fast known time), Madsen used the speed run to raise funds for the Zara Tanzania Charity, in organization that conducts a number of different projects amongst the Maasai people. Kristina brought in $1000 for the charity, which will use the money to help build a classroom, dining hall, toilets, and a kitchen in a village school near Ngorogoro.

In an interview with Gear Junkie, Kristina talks about why she chose to take on Kilimanjaro, the gear she used for the ascent, and how she trains in her home country where the highest point is just 613 feet (187 meters) above sea level. She also tells GJ what's next on her schedule, with a couple of upcoming ultra competitions to keep her busy.

Congratulations to Kristina on an impressive performance. It never ceases to amaze me how these endurance athletes continue to raise the bar in terms of speed records. To put this in perspective, the rest of would find its challenge to complete a Kili climb in six days, let alone six hours. Well done!

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Video: 13-Minutes of Footage From the New Speed Record on the Nose

Back in October, rock climbers Brad Gobright and Jim Reynolds set a new speed record on The Nose in Yosemite, zipping up the most iconic climb in the world in a blistering 2 hours, 19 minutes, and 44 seconds. That's 4 minutes faster than the previous record held by Hans Florine and Alex Honnold. In this video clip we get a look at the two men on the wall, as they're making their way up. This isn't some stylized, highly produced climbing documentary, but is instead raw footage captured on their way to the record. That makes it all the better.

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Sherpa Stripped of Everest Speed Record by Nepali Supreme Court

One of the most impressive and unbelievable speed records for Mt. Everest may have been just a little too unbelievable. So much so that the Supreme Court in Nepal has invalidated the record, citing no evidence to support the claims, and stripping a famous Sherpa of title that he has held for 13 years in the process.

For more than a decade the speed record for climbing Everest has belonged to Pemba Dorje Sherpa, who claims to have summited the world's highest peak in a startling time of 8 hours and 10 minutes back on May 21, 2004. That claim is more than two hours faster than anyone else has ever been able to make the climb from Base Camp to summit, and back again.

The case against Pemba Dorje Sherpa was brought to the courts by Lakpa Gelu Sherpa, who set the previous speed record in 2003, making the climb in 10 hours, 56 minutes. Lakpa's assertions against his rival maintain that there is no evidence to support Pemba's alleged speed record. There were no liaison officers in BC to corroborate the claims, nor is there photographic evidence that shows Pemba on the summit in the time frame that he claims.

Summit fraud is obviously not unheard of on the world's tallest peak, where some look to capitalize on their climbing exploits – real or imagined – to make a profit. There have even been allegations against a very high profile summit from this past season (spring 2017), which also lacked much in the way of evidence. In this case, the lack of GPS tracking, photos, or any witnesses has come back to haunt Pemba Dorje, who now will have his title stripped away. As far as the record books are concerned, the fastest climb of Everest now belong to Lakpa Gelu once again.

I always thought that both of these records seemed incredibly fast, but they also both occurred before I was following the proceedings on Everest as closely as I do now. Today, the two men would likely be questioned extensively about their climbs, and with lightweight and affordable GPS equipment easy to come by, a record of their speed attempts would need to be produced in order to verify their claims.  The lack of that kind of evidence has called more recent speed climbs into question, creating the groundwork necessary to ensure that these kinds of claims aren't falsified. I would expect a few other "speed records" to get this type of scrutiny in the future as well.

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Climbers Set New Speed Record on The Nose in Yosemite

Two climbers have set a new speed record for climbing the most iconic route on El Capitan in Yosemite. This past weekend, Brad Gobright and Jim Reynolds took on The Nose, and managed to put up an impressive new time for the 2900-foot (884 meter) rock face, completing the ascent in a blistering pace and finishing in just 2 hours, 19 minutes, and 44 seconds. That is a full 4 minutes faster than the previous record held by Alex Honnold and Hans Florine.

The duo used a mix of both free climbing and aid climbing to make the ascent, preferring to go without safety equipment on the easier pitches, but employing it where they felt its was most needed. The climb took place on Saturday, with Gobright and Reynolds overcoming the 31 pitches in the fastest time yet.

About a decade or so ago there were a number of attempts to set new speed records on The Nose, with the mark being lowered four times in 2007 and 2008 alone. Honnold and Florine set their record back in 2012 however, taking nearly 13 minutes off the previous fastest time. That is where the bar has stayed until this past weekend, when Gobright and Reynolds were able to take it even lower still. Whether or not anyone will step up to challenge their pace in the near future remains to be seen.

You can read more about the climb and new record at Climbing.com. And while you're at it, check out the awesome video from the ascent too.

The Nose Speed Record :: 2:19:44 from Tristan Greszko on Vimeo.

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Video: Kilian Jornet's Speed Ascent of Everest in His Own Words

On his way to the summit of Mt. Everest a few weeks back, Kilian Jornet wore his Suunto watch, which tracked his movement along the route. In this video, we see the path he took while Kilian himself tells us about the experience. This one-minute clip isn't super detailed, but it does provide some context of the climb with the Spanish mountain runner explaining his approach in his own words.

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Video: Suunto Celebrates Kilian's Double-Summit on Everest

By now, we're all well aware of Kilian Jornet's exploits in the Himalaya this spring. This video was put out by Suunto – one of his sponsors – to celebrate and congratulate him on his accomplishments. It doesn't really share anything new, nor does it have footage from his Everest summits, but it does remind us of what an exceptional athlete Jornet truly is. Speed records and double summits without oxygen are impressive enough, but the fact that he does these things with humility and grace is something special too.

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Himalaya Spring 2017: Kilian Jornet Summits Everest for Second Time in a Week

It is a long holiday weekend here in the States at the moment, so as a result I won't be posting a full round-up of stories today. That said, I did want to share this story before getting back to a normal schedule tomorrow.

On Saturday (May 27), Spanish mountain runner Kilian Jornet added to his already impressive accomplishments on Everest. Last week he set a new speed record by running from Base Camp to the summit in 26 hours, all without oxygen, fixed ropes, or Sherpa support. Now, he's done it again, bagging a rare second summit in a single season, once again without the uses of bottled oxygen.

For his second summit bid, Jornet set out from Advanced Base Camp, and traveling to the summit in 17 hours, which is just shy of Hans Kammerlander's record of 16 hours, 45 minutes. But while this isn't a speed record, to be able to summit a second time in such short order, and without using oxygen, is an impressive accomplishment nonetheless.

In a statement sent out to the media Kilian had this to say:“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”

While making his fast attempt last week, Jornet suffered stomach cramps and vomiting on his way up the mountain. That slowed him down considerably, and forced him to stop at ABC while making the descent. He had hoped to go all the way back to Base Camp. While recovering throughout the week, we started to hear rumblings that he might try a second summit bid, and try to go even faster. He wasn't able to quite set a new speed record, but very few climbers are ever able to summit twice in the same season, let alone do it without supplemental oxygen.

Now, the spring climbing season is winding down, and the teams are wrapping up their work. Most have left the mountain although Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki is still on the South Side and attempting a final push to the top, weather permitting.

I'll post a full update on the final weekend tomorrow, along with an update Kuriki's position as well. It has been a long, eventful, and exciting season to say the least, but it is almost time to close up Everest for another year. More to come soon.

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Video: Kilian Jornet Tells Us Why Everest is So Different

While we're all still marveling over Kilian Jornet's latest accomplishment on Everest, and waiting to see what he does next, this video comes our way to help explain the challenges he faced in preparing for Everest and making his epic speed ascent of the mountain. Obviously shot before he left, the clip gives viewers some insists into what makes this mountain so different from others.

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Himalaya Spring 2017: Kilian Preparing For Another Go at Everest?

Once again, I know we've been posting a lot of news from the Himalaya lately, and already have one article about ongoing expeditions there from earlier today, but considering the general interest in this story, I thought it was worth giving it its own post.

Yesterday it was widely reported that Spanish mountain runner Kilian Jornet has set a new speed record on Everest. While that record comes with a number of qualifiers, there is no doubt that Kilian's 26 hour ascent is an impressive feat to be sure. Especially when you consider that he began having stomach issues at around 7700 meters (25,262 ft), but pressed on anyway. But, it seems Jornet might not be down with the mountain just yet, despite having already put on such an amazing performance.

On his descent, Kilian still suffered from his bout with the stomach illness, so rather than going all the way back to Base Camp, he stopped in Advanced Base Camp for some much deserved rest. While there, he ran into Adrian Ballinger, who reported on the encounter on his Facebook page. This is what Adrian had to say.

"#pro - if you don't follow @kilianjornet, stop reading this caption and go follow him. I'm lucky to be surrounded by some amazing athletes on a daily basis. But Kilian...wow. Today he made a 26-hour push from Base Camp to the summit of #Everest, without supplemental oxygen. This is superhuman. But three things make it even wilder. First, he suffered gastro distress throughout the summit push but somehow suffered through and still stood on top. Second, he thinks he can do it faster and hopes to recover in time to make another attempt before this season ends. Third, after 30+ hours awake and enduring real suffering, he still graciously signed autographs in ABC before sleeping or eating. I am so blown away, humbled and inspired for my attempt. Congratulations Kilian! #everestnofilter #everest201"

In other words, it looks like Kilian is already thinking about making another run at the summit and improving on his time. But, he's not thinking about coming back in the fall or returning for Spring 2018, but will instead try to recover now, and if the weather window is good, make another attempt at the speed record in the next few days. If that happens, it would be even more remarkable than his first summit.

Before he can do this, he'll first need to rest and fight off the gastro distress he's been dealing with. With high winds on the mountain today, he wouldn't be able to go up anyway, and with massive summit pushes now underway, it would probably be best for the endurance runner to wait for the crowds to clear out. That would make Friday or Saturday a perfect time for another push, provided he's feeling up to it. Will it happen? We'll just have to wait around to find out.

Stay tuned!

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Himalaya Spring 2017: Kilian Jornet Summits Everest without Oxygen and in Alpine Style

There has been a lot of news coming out of the Himalaya this past weekend, and it'll likely take a few days to get caught up on everything that his happening. That said, I thought that this story definitely deserved its own post, especially since I know so many people have been following the expedition.

Kilian Jornet has closed out his Summits of My Life project in epic style by climbing Mt. Everest from the North Side in alpine style and without the use of supplemental oxygen or fixed ropes. The Spanish mountain runner set out from the Rombuk monastery at 10:00 PM local time on May 20, at an altitude of 5100 meters (16,732 ft) and reached the top of Everest (8848 m/29,029 ft) at 12:15 AM on May 22, taking roughly 26 hours to complete the ascent in a single push. He then descended safely back to ABC for a total roundtrip time of approximately 38 hours.

Kilian says that he was moving well for most of the climb but once he hit 7700 meters (25,262 ft) he began to have stomach problems, which slowed him down some. Still, he was able to continue upwards to reach the summit nonetheless and set an impressive time in doing so. Most climbers who will be following in his footsteps on the next summit push, will likely take 3-4 days to complete the same route.

Following his success on the mountain, Kilian is claiming another FKT (fastest known time) on for the climb. It would be pointed out however that Hans Kammerlander made the ascent without bottled oxygen from Base Camp in 16 hours and 45 minutes back in 1996. Presumably he did it using fixed ropes however, so there may be some room for interpretation of the true "FKT."

This brings an end to Jornet's Summits of My Life challenge, which over the past couple of years saw him setting new speed records on Kilimanjaro, Denali, Aconcagua, Mont Blanc, and the Matterhorn. During that time, he has proven himself to be one of the most adept mountain runners – and now climbers – of all time and he likely has another project already in the works. But for now, he's going to savor his accomplishments on Everest and enjoy a bit of rest and relaxation.

Congrats to Kilian on finishing this epic quest. It has been a joy to follow along and we can't wait to see what you'll do next.

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Mountain Runner Sets Female Aconcagua Speed Record

Standing 6961 meters (22,838 ft) in height, Argentina's Aconcagua is the tallest mountain in South America, and the highest peak outside the Himalaya in the world. That makes it one of the Seven Summits of course, luring in hundreds of climbers each year who are looking to add one of those iconic mountains to their resume. While not nearly as challenging as Everest, it remains a formidable peak, as Ranulph Fiennes discovered recently.

But about the same time that Sir Ran was preparing to head home a few weeks back, another climber by the name of Sunny Stroeer was preparing to make a run – quite literally – at the speed record by a woman on the mountain. On January 23, she did just that, setting a new mark for climbing from Base Camp to the summit, despite the fact that she had a respiratory infection.

Outside magazine has posted a profile of the 32-year old Stroeer following her epic ascent, which took 8 hours and 47 minutes to complete, shaving 29 minutes off the previous record. Stroeer is no stranger to long endurance events, as she is an ultrarunner who has competed in such events as the legendary Western States, amongst numerous other 50 and 100k runs. Perhaps her biggest adventure so far however is quitting her job back in 2015 to focus on running and traveling full-time. Since then, she has roamed around the southwest states of the U.S., and gone trekking in Thailand, Nepal, Tanzania, Germany, and other places.

Back in 2014, Stroeer climbed Aconcagua for the first time, going solo and unsupported, which is an impressive accomplishment in its own right. She told Outside that she was shocked at how few women were on the mountain, which gave her the idea of forming an all ladies team to make another attempt on the summit. She did that this year, and her record-setting run was a part of that expedition.

Sunny's story is an impressive one on a number of different levels. There is certainly a lot of inspiration to be had from her adventures. Congrats on the new speed record!

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105-Year Old Cyclist Sets New World Record

If you're looking for a dose of inspiration to get your new year off to a good start, look no further than    Robert Marchand. Yesterday, the Frenchman rode a total of 14 miles in one hour, setting a new world's record in the process. Now, I know what you're thinking. 14 miles in an hour isn't particularly very far and that you could probably cover that same distance in less time. But, here's the real meat to this story: Robert is 105 years old.

Yep, that's right. At the age of 105, Marchand set a new mark for the longest distance ridden in an hour by someone in his age group. And, he says he could have gone faster had he not missed a sign telling him that he had 10 minutes left in his ride. While conserving his energy for the final push, he failed to see the notification, which meant the didn't give it his all when he was in the final stage of the event.

Robert says that he picked up cycling at the ripe-young age of 68, when he rode from Paris to Moscow back in 1992. He also leads a healthy lifestyle and doesn't smoke, rarely drinks, and recently gave up eating meat after learning about how unethically some animals are treated. He lives in a small apartment in Paris, where he rides a stationary bike every day.

If a man who is more than a century old can lead this kind of active and energetic life, why can't the rest of us? Think about that the next time you're climbing on your own bike or lacing up your running shoes.

Congratulations to Robert for setting this record. You're an inspiration to us all.

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Antarctica 2016: Johanna Davidsson at the Pole and in Record Time!

Before taking a hiatus for the holidays last Friday, I posted a story about Swedish adventurer Johanna Davidsson, who was on the verge of reaching the South Pole, and breaking the speed record for a female skier to reach that point on the planet. Now, we can confirm that she has indeed completed that stage of her journey, and has established a new mark for the fastest time from Hercules Inlet to 90ºS by a woman.

In the original story that I posted, I wrote that Johanna was aiming to reach the South Pole by December 25 – Christmas Day. Instead, she crossed the finish line on December 24, which mean that her journey took 38 days, 23 hours, and 5 minutes. That's 10 full hours faster than Hannah McKeand did it back in 2006.

ExWeb reports that for Johanna, this was a completely unexpected record. It was never part of her plan to set a ski to the Pole in such a quick time, and had originally told the website that she planned on a 50 day journey. Instead, she found that her training and gear were more than up to the task, and while conditions were challenging at times, she was able to cover further distances than she had originally intended on daily basis.

The final stretch wasn't an easy one however. Whiteout conditions made skiing a challenge, and the snow was soft enough that it slowed Johanna's progress. But, she pushed on with her goal in sight, and was able to finish one very long day of skiing to make it the research station located at the bottom of the world, where she was welcomed by the staff there with a hot meal and champaign.

The journey isn't quite done just yet however. She'll rest briefly at the Pole before turning around and heading back to her starting point at Hercules Inlet. If she's successful, she'll become the first Swede to complete the round-trip journey.

Congrats to Johanna on an amazing job setting a new speed record. We'll be following along as you head back to the coast.

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Antarctica 2016: Solo Skier Johanna Davidsson Closes in on the Pole and a New Record

Yesterday I posted an update from the Antarctic during which I shared info on a couple of expeditions I hadn't written about before, and made some quick updates on several of the skiers making their way to the South Pole. But one of the skiers I failed to post an update on was Swedish adventurer Johanna Davidsson, who is now closing in on polar history at the bottom of the world.

As of now, Johanna is just 57km (35 miles) from reaching Pole, which is still a daunting distance of course. But, in recent days she has been skiing as much as 35 km (21 miles) per day, which means that if she manages to put in a solid effort, she should reach 90ºS on Christmas Day. As quickly and as efficiently as she has been moving, that seems like a real possibility at this point.

As ExWeb points out, if she does manage to complete the journey by December 25 Johanna will set a new speed record for a woman skiing solo along the traditional Hercules Inlet to the South Pole route, which covers a distance of 1130 km (702 miles). The current record is held by British skier Hannah McKeand, and stands at 39 days, 9 hours, and 33 minutes. Since Johanna started on November 15, she even has a few days to spare and could beat that record rather soundly.

Obviously she still has quite a bit of distance to cover, and this record isn't int he bag yet. In fact, it wasn't even part of her original plan. She had just hoped to ski to the South Pole and hopefully kite-ski back to Hercules if time permitted. It seems like she should be able to do that if she still wants to. Reaching the Pole by Christmas gives her plenty of time for the return trip.

The days in the Antarctic can be long and tedious, with little to break up the monotony of skiing. Most of the skiers look forward to Christmas as they typically have saved a few special treats to enjoy on that day, and perhaps even a present or two. But for Johanna, it could mean something even more special. The completion of the first leg of her journey and a celebration at one of the most remote places on Earth.

Stay tuned!

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Himalaya Fall 2016: Kilian Jornet Cancels Everest Speed Attempt

One of the current Himalayan expeditions that we've been watching closely has come to an end before it ever even had a chance to really get started. It was announced earlier today that Spanish ultrarunner Kilian Jornet has pulled the plug on his attempt at a speed record on Everest due to poor weather on the North Side of the mountain.

In a quote that was sent out via a press release a few hours ago, Jornet says “During the first few weeks we were acclimatising well and the conditions were good. However, when we were getting ready to prepare the attempt the weather began to change. There were some heavy snow storms and a large accumulation of snow. As a result, although we were in good physical shape, there was a high risk of avalanches and in the absence of good safety conditions it was impossible to climb.”

Apparently, the expedition was actually nearing its conclusion when the decision was made to go home instead. There hasn't been a lot of news from Kilian or his team, but it seems acclimatization was going very well, and he was extremely happy with his progress. Unfortunately, heavy snow has been falling on the mountain over the past couple of weeks, and that was making the route much more dangerous. So much so that they made the wise choice of cancelling the summit attempt and going home instead.

Kilian says that he has learned a lot from the experience and will now return to Spain where he'll evaluate how this expedition went, and decide from there how to proceed. He has already indicated that next time around he'll do a few things differently both in preparation and acclimatization once on the mountain. He had spent three weeks training at 6500 meters (21,325 ft) which will give him a better understanding of the Everest environment the next time around.

Honestly, an attempt in the spring would probably provide more stable weather conditions, but Kilian would then have to contend with a lot more people on the mountain. For most of the time that he was there, he had Base Camp all to himself. We do know that Japanese climber Nobukazu Kuriki is also there for a solo bid on the mountain, but he didn't arrive until last week. It is unclear whether or not the heavy snow will impact his attempt to summit Everest, which will be his sixth time trying to accomplish that feat.

For now, we'll have to wait to see how Kilian does on Everest. Remember, he's never climbed an 8000 meter peak before. Hopefully he'll get another crack at it in the future. It will be interesting to see what an athlete of his caliber can accomplish there.

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Miranda Oakley Sets New Female Speed Record on the Nose in Yosemite

It has been good couple of days for female climbers. Yesterday we had word that Maddie Miller set a new speed record for nabbing all of the high points in the U.S., and today we learn that Miranda Oakley has managed to break the record for climbing The Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite in the fastest time ever by a woman. What's more, she didn't just break the record, she smashed it, setting a new high water mark in the process.

A few days back, Oakley completed a solo summit of Yosemite's most iconic route in 21 hours and 50 minutes. That shaved more than 2.5 hours off the previous record, which was set by Chantel Astorga back in 2014. Astorga went up the nose in 24 hours, 39 minutes, which means Oakley is also the first woman to break the 24-hour mark as well.

The Nose has a long and storied history in climbing. It is considered one of the most famous routes in all of rock climbing, requiring equal parts skill, strength, and stamina to complete. Rated a 5.9 C2, the classic ascent is a 3000-foot monster that tests the dedication and determination of any climber. Oakley did it solo for the first time last year, completing her climb in a little under 27 hours.

For reference sake, the current speed record on The Nose for a two-person team is held by Hans Florine and Alex Honnold. That talented duo managed so complete the route in 2 hours, 23 minutes, and 46 seconds. The solo record for men is held by Tommy Caldwell, who topped out in just under 12 hours.

Congratulations to Miranda for an impressive display of skill and strength. Well done!

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Himalaya Fall 2016: Kilian Jornet is Off to Everest

It is extremely early to begin reporting on the Fall 2016 climbing season in the Himalaya, but of course everyone is eager to hear news of the progress of Kilian Jornet as he prepares to make an attempt at the speed record on Mt. Everest. We won't have long to wait to get updates however, as the Spanish ultra-runner has already departed for Kathmandu and is now putting the finishing touches on his preparation there.

Kilian has gone to the Himalaya early in order to avoid any other teams who potentially could be on the mountain. He'll be making his speed attempt from the North Side in Tibet, although exactly which route he'll use remains to be seen. Some of the preliminary work of the trip will be to scout the trails and determine which one will best suit his needs. He'll also wrap up his acclimatization efforts and keep an eye on the weather for the best summit days too.

Although of that is still a few weeks off however, as Jornet only left for Nepal late last week. He'll spend some time getting organized and rested before making the journey to Tibet and Everest itself, where he'll then get comfortable in Base Camp before the real work begins. I would expect that we'll begin seeing more updates later in the week as he starts the process of getting accustomed to the high altitude.

Prior to setting out for the Himalaya the endurance athlete was focused on acclimatizing in the Alps. The video below gives you an idea of how that training went and the efforts that were made to prepare for Everest prior to leaving. As you would expect, Kilian used Mont Blanc as his training ground, although it is less than half the height of Everest.

It will be interesting to see how Jornet does in his quest for yet another speed record. He has yet to climb above 8000 meters (26,246 ft) in his career, and what that will be like for him will be crucial. We'll keep a close eye on his progress and post updates regularly in the days ahead. This expedition will truly be exciting to follow.

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How Kilian Jornet Plans to Set a Speed Record on Everest

One of the expeditions to Everest that we'll be watching very closely this year is Kilian Jornet's attempt to set a new speed record on Everest. As an amazing mountain runner, Kilian has already set records for fast ascents of Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn, Denali, and Aconcagua, but now he's taking his considerable skills to the Himalaya where he hopes to go to the summit of the tallest mountain on the planet in record time.

Recently the Spaniard sat down with Men's Journal to talk about his upcoming adventure. In that interview, Kilian talked about what he learned last year on Everest when the April 25 earthquake hit Nepal, bringing an abrupt end to the climbing seasons. He also talks about his biggest concerns for his upcoming return to the mountain, the gear he'll take with him on the summit attempt, and more.

Probably of the most interest to readers is Kilian's game plan for the upcoming expedition. He'll be climbing from the North Side of the mountain in Tibet, and hopes to ascend via either the Horbein or Norton couloir depending on conditions. He'll scout out the route ahead of time, and spend some time acclimatizing before making the attempt, with altitude and safety being amongst his biggest concerns.  As you would expect, he'll be going as fast and light as possible, and make the ascent without bottled oxygen.

As of this writing, Kilian has not left for the Himalaya yet, so it is unclear when he'll set out for Everest. Speculation has him traveling to Tibet this spring to attempt his climb, but in the Men's Journal interview Jornet says that he will be going at the end of the summer, which would indicate he's planning a fall attempt on the speed record. According to his social media, the ultrarunner is still in Europe, but he still has plenty of time to set out for the mountain and get ready for a late season summit attempt. We'll just have to keep an eye on his plans to see what happens. A lot of people have been waiting for Kilian to take a shot at the Big Hill, and hopefully we'll see him go for it soon.

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Grand Canyon Paddling Speed Record Broken Twice in Three Days

The speed record for paddling the length of the Grand Canyon was first set back in 1983, when three river guides rowed a wooden dory down the 277.1 mile (446 km) stretch of the Colorado River in 36 hours and 38 minutes. For more than three decades that mark stood as the time to beat, although very few people actually attempted to break it. But this past weekend, that record was broken not once, but twice, by two independent teams who didn't even realize that they were both hoping to achieve the same goal.

Outside magazine has a great piece on their website explaining the entire story, and it is an interesting one. Essentially, no one really cared about this speed record until author Kevin Fedarko wrote a book called The Emerald Mile back in 2013 detailing the 1983 record row. That sparked a renewed interest in trying to beat the old record within the paddling community, with kayakers Ben Orkin and Harrison Rea trying to set a new record last January. They failed in that attempt, coming up an hour and ten minutes short.

But last week a new team of paddlers hit the water with the hope of chasing the record. Ben Luck, Ryan Casey, and Matt and Nate Klema set off on January 20, with Matt actually reaching the finish line in 35 hours and 5 minutes, shaving an hour and a half off the previous record. Of course the foursome were ecstatic over their success, but they soon began to hear rumblings of another kayaker who was about to attempt the record himself.


Ben Orkin, who had missed setting the record last year, was back out on the river on a solo mission this time. He had no idea that the other team was even trying to set the record, let alone that they had already accomplished that goal. He was preparing to put-in the Colorado on Saturday morning when he received an email from Ben Luck informing him of the new time to beat. Knowing that he'd now have to go even faster than he had previously thought, Orkin moved forward with his plans.

The paddle wasn't an easy one. Orkin grew exhausted after paddling for hours on end completely on his own. He also flipped his kayak in some of the rough rapids, costing himself precious time. But in the end, he was able to best Matt's new record, covering the distance between Lee’s Ferry to the Grand Wash Cliffs in 34 hours and 2 minutes, 57 minutes faster than the two-day old record.

You can read a lot more about this story on Outside Online, where more details of these record-setting paddles are shared. The interesting thing to watch now will be how many more people will attempt to kayak the Grand Canyon, and just how low this time can truly go.

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Outside Probes False South Pole Ski Record Claims

Last January the world of outdoor adventure and exploration was shocked to learn that a little-known German Antarctic skier had set a new record for covering the distance from Hercules Inlet to the South Pole. The old record had been set back in 2011 by a Norwegian explorer by the name of Christian Eide. He managed to cover the 1175 km (730 mile) route in a blazingly fast 24 days, 1 hour, and 13 minutes. But a man by the name of Martin Szwed seemingly came out of nowhere to claim that he had shattered that record by nearly 10 days, skiing to the South Pole in just 14 days, 18 hours, and 43 minutes. It was heralded as a triumph at the time, with Szwed's sponsors and social media trumpeting his accomplishment.

But then, something funny happened on the way to the South Pole. It all started to fall apart as holes appeared in Szwed's stories of where he was at certain times, and how he managed to get there. His photographic evidence of reaching 90ºS appeared to be photoshopped, and his claims of previously summiting Mt. Vinson were also proven false. Just as quickly as he had shot to the top, Szwed came tumbling back down.

Now, Outside magazine is taking a look at the controversial story, with none other than Eric Larsen writing a piece about the whole affair. Larsen probes into Szwed's claims using flight manifestos from Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions, the company that supports most expeditions to the frozen continent, to further discredit his story. Eric, who is an accomplished polar explorer himself, even talks to other members of the close-knit community to get their take on the situation, with most saying they knew it was a false story from the beginning.


The article is an extensive one, with lots of details on how the situation unfolded, the reaction from the media, and Szwed's own denials. Within a few days the disgraced explorer's sponsors started to backtrack, and in-depth examinations of his claims started to punch holes in the story. There was even a public exchange between Szwed and Eide.

When writing the piece for Outside, Larsen when directly to the source, contacting Szwed himself. The German says that he has GPS tracking information that will serve as proof of his claims, but if he releases it he could face jail time and a substantial fine in his home country. The one-time mountain guide is under investigation for claims of fraud and possibly visiting Antarctica without proper authorization.

The whole story is a sordid one, but well worth a read. For my part, I wrote about the controversy last year and at the time thought that the story was suspicious from the start. For one thing, as someone who follows the Antarctic ski season closely, Szwed hadn't even shown up on my radar in the reports I was writing. That isn't necessarily proof that his claims are false of course, but it is a bit unusual to not know about a speed-record attempt of this kind.

The sad thing is, that Szwed's story isn't the only one like this. There have been others who have also falsified reports and records. This probably won't be the last time it happens either.

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