New Speed Record Set for Tour Divide Mountain Bike Race

The Tour Divide is one of the longest and hardest mountain bike races in the entire world. The ride begins in Banff, Canada and runs south along the Continental Divide Trail until it reaches its terminus in Antelope Springs, New Mexico, covering some 2745 miles (4418 km) in the process. It is a grueling affair with competitors traveling in self-supported fashion along single track, dirt roads, and jeep tracks.

This year's version of the race began back on June 13, with 159 riders setting out for the trail. One of those riders was a man named Josh Kato, who went on to set a new course record, arriving at the finish line last week. Kato was able to ride the entire course in an unbelievable time of 14 days, 11 hours, 37 minutes, which means he was able to average close to 190 miles (305 km) per day on trails that aren't exactly made for speed.

The 40-year old may have set a new mark with his impressive performance, but he wasn't alone. The second and third place riders – Jay Petervary and Neil Beltchenko respectively – were just 25 and 45 minutes back. That is practically nothing on such a long race. In fact, Kato caught both of those men in the final 100 miles (160 km), taking the lead on the way into the finish line.

To put things in perspective, there are no stages of the Tour de France that approach 190 miles in length, and those riders have plenty of outside support to assist them throughout the course. On top of that, Tour cyclists ride smooth roads, while riders in the Tour Divide are on off-road routes that are incredibly demanding and difficult.

Congratulations to Josh on setting this new speed record. Impressive work indeed.

Scott Jurek Sets New Record on Appalachian Trail

The Adventure Blog remains on hiatus for one more day while I continue to celebrate getting married this past weekend, but I did want to break radio silence to update one of the bigger stories that has broken in the past few days. As expected, ultrarunner Scott Jurek has broken the speed record on the Appalachian Trail, but he didn't smash it as it seemed he would.

Jurek started his quest to become the fastest person to hike the AT end-to-end back May 27 when he set out from Springer Mountain in Georgia. Ahead of him lay 2185 miles of trail, and a four year old record that was currently held by Jennifer Pharr Davis. The time to beat was 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes. In order to set a new speed record, he would need to reach Mt. Katahdin in Maine in less time than that.

At the mid-way point of the attempt it appeared that Jurek would crush the old mark by three or four days. But the second half of the run didn't go quite as expected, and the ultrarunner's cushion began to evaporate. As the days slipped away, it even appeared at some point that he might not break the record at all. Jurek himself even told his support crew at one point that the attempt was over. He himself didn't believe that he had enough time, and could travel fast enough, to catch Pharr Davis' record. But in the end, he managed to finish the hike, and set a new mark in the process.

The speed record for completing the Appalachian Trail now stands at 46 days, 8 hours, 7 minutes. That's an impressive time no matter how you slice it, and Scott should be incredibly happy with his efforts. Congratulations to him on a job well done. His efforts were both inspiring, and a good reminder of just how difficult these types of endeavors can be.

Indian Ocean Rowers Rescued for Second Time

For the second time in two months, a pair of ocean rowers has been rescued while at sea. British adventurers James Ketchell and Ashley Wilson called for assistance today when they were hit by a big storm that rolled their boat on multiple occasions, possibly causing Wilson to suffer a concussion. 

The two men first set out on their attempt to row across the Indian Ocean back in May. They had hoped to set a new speed record for a two-man crew, but just one day into the journey they had to be towed back to their starting point in Perth, Australia when an electronic guidance system failed. 

After spending several weeks getting their boat back in order, the duo set out once again last Friday, but just five days into their second attempt, bad weather descended upon their route. The large storms rolled the boat, causing the crew to lose some of their gear, and Wilson to strike his head. The adventurer suffers from what is described as severe epilepsy, which means a head injury could be incredibly serious. It was under those conditions that the rowers activated their emergency locator beacon this morning. 

According to reports, a merchant vessel reached them within a few hours, and the duo are now en route back to Australia. A helicopter was standing by to evacuate either of them should immediate medical attention be required. 

Ketchell and Wilson had planned their record-setting attempt for three years before launching their rowing expedition. They chose this time of year for their Indian Ocean crossing as they had hoped it would allow them to avoid the big storms and cyclones that are common at other times of the year. Unfortunately, heavy storms can take place at any time of the year, and they just happened to get caught in one. Their goal had been to reach Port Louis in Mauritius in less than 85 days, 2 hours, and 5 minutes. 

The attempt was also meant to raise funds for a couple of important charities, including Young Epilepsy, the Scouts, and the Elifar Foundation. 

Scott Jurek On Pace to Break Appalachian Trail Record

When I set out for Alaska a couple of weeks ago ultrarunner Scott Jurek was in the midst of an attempt to break the speed record for completing the Appalachian Trail. Now, he approaching the end at last, and he remains on track to complete the long-distance hiking route in an unbelievable time.

Jurek launched his attempt on the AT back on May 27, setting out from the southern end of the trail on Springer Mountain in Georgia. At the time, he hoped to reach the northern end on Mt. Katahdin in Maine – some 2160 miles (3476 km) away – in less than 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes. That's the current record held by Jennifer Pharr Davis, which she set back in 2011.

The ultrarunner passed into Maine a few days back, and is closing in on the finish line now. He's been running about 50 miles (80 km) per day, and should finish up very soon. Today is Day 43 of the run, and he remains on pace to break the record, most likely shaving a couple of days off the mark set by Pharr Davis. It is unclear exactly when he will finish, but it should be within the next day or two.

There have been some hints that Jurek may be considering retiring from competitive ultra-running. If so, he will leave a legacy that will be tough to beat. During his career, he won seven straight Western States 100s and two Badwaters Ultras, two of the toughest races ever. Completing the AT in record time would be a fitting way to end such an impressive resume.

Stay tuned for more updates as Scott nears the end.

Bradley Wiggins Sets New Hour Record For Cycling

With the 2015 Tour de France now less than a month away, it is certainly time to start thinking about cycling once again. If you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you probably already know that Le Tour is one of my favorite events to follow each year. It is cycling's grandest stage, and a daily dose of inspiration for those of us who like to ride.

This past weekend, 2012 Tour champ Bradley Wiggins, who has all-but given up road racing in favor of returning to the track, set a new UCI hour record. For those who don't know, the hour record is an attempt by a rider to go as far as possible in just 60 minutes. It is conducted on a track instead of the road, and the cyclist rides completely alone. The event has received quite a bit of attention in the past year or so, as last September Jens Voight set a new mark by traveling 51.11 km (31.7 miles) over the course of his ride. Since then the record was broken three more times, with Brit Alex Dowsett the current record holder at 52.937 km (32.89 miles) going into the weekend.

The 35-year old Wiggins, who is known for being a powerful cyclist both on and off the track, managed to smash that mark however, and by most accounts it didn't appear that he was even working all that hard to do so. At the end of the ride, Wiggo had managed to travel an astounding 54.526 km (33.88 miles), beating the old record by a kilometer and a half.

This is an impressive feat for a rider who has struggled with injuries since winning his Tour de France nearly three years ago. He was left off the Sky team altogether last year, and more recently he has expressed his interest in returning to track cycling, which is where he got his early start, and has continued to show his prowess.

After hearing that his record had been broken, Dowseet – who is a road cyclist himself – has already said he would like to try to regain the title. It is unclear as to when exactly he would do that, but it seems that there is a real arms race going on right now to push the hour record even higher. Wiggins has already indicated that this was his one go at the mark, and that he would not continue to try to extend the distance. Considering how impressively he handled the ride, it seems he could probably go further, but having shown what he can do, it seems Sir Bradley has other things he'd prefer to concentrate on.

Congratulations to Wiggins on this very impressive feat. Now who is going to step up to challenge the record next?

Polish Adventurer to Attempt New Speed Record for Iceland Traverse

A Polish adventurer by the name of Rafal Bauer is preparing for a very big adventure in July. That is when he will travel to Iceland to embark on an attempt to set a new speed record for traversing that country north to south on foot. He'll also be making the journey completely solo and unsupported.

The trek will start in Rifstangi, the northernmost part of Iceland, and will continue south until reaching the ocean in Kotlutangi. All told, the route will cover approximately 560 km (348 miles), a distance that Raf hopes to cover in just 13 days. That means he plans to cover more than 43 km (26.7 miles) each and every day, while crossing over rough terrain and carrying a pack that weighs 25kg (55 pounds). No easy task to say the least.

Raf is no stranger to adventurous endeavors. In the past he has hiked the length of Scotland along the Cape Wraith Trail, and has spent a lot of time backpacking through remote regions of Northern Europe. He has also participated in ultramarathon events, which will likely serve him well on this journey too.

One of the more challenging sections of the trek will take place when he passes through Iceland's volcanic desert. For roughly two days he will have no available sources of fresh water, so he'll be forced to carry plenty with him on that leg. Additionally, since he hope to complete the expedition in an unsupported fashion, Raf won't be able to accept outside aid of any kind from anyone he meets along the way.

Bauer is still a few weeks away form launching his Iceland traverse attempt. Once it does begin however, you'll be able to follow his progress on his official website, his Facebook page, Link to Poland, and National Geographic Traveler.

Incidentally, the record he looking to beat is 19 days, which was set back 2007 by our friend Louis-Philippe Loncke. If successful, Bauer will complete the trek 6 days faster. Good luck Raf!

Ultrarunner Scott Jurek Attempting Speed Record on Appalachian Trail

Ultrarunner Scott Jurek has been a legend in the endurance running community for years. Not only has he won both the Badwater and the Western States Ultras, he has scored wins in numerous other major races as well. Additionally, back in 2010 he set a record for the 24-hour run, covering 165.7 miles during that time period. To say he has had a stellar career would be an understatement, and although he has started to hint at a possible retirement, he isn't quite ready to hang up his running shoes just yet. In fact, he has just set off on his greatest challenge of all – an attempt to set a new speed record for completing the Appalachian Trail end-to-end.

Last week, Jurek began what he hopes will be a record-breaking run on the AT. He's chasing the record set by Jennifer Pharr Davis back in 2011, when she managed to cover the entire length of the 2160 mile (3476 km) trail in 46 days, 11 hours, and 20 minutes. In doing so, she managed to travel about 47 miles (75 km) per day. Jurek hopes to be closer to 50 in his pursuit of a new speed mark.

The ultrarunner launched his record bid on Spring Mountain in Georgia last week. He'll now head north toward Katahdin, Maine, where the trail officially ends. Along the way, he'll pass through 14 U.S. states, and face enough vertical gain to climb Everest 16 times over. He'll also be attempting to run the equivalent of two marathons per day for a month and a half. If everything goes as planned, he will wrap up the speed attempt on July 6, although he'll need to stay healthy and have the weather cooperate along the way. He is, of course, making this attempt in supported fashion, with a three-person team providing resupplies throughout the journey. Pharr Davis did the same thing on her record-setting trek as well.

You can follow Scott's efforts on his Facebook page and official website.

Two Ocean Rowers to Attempt Record Crossing of the Indian Ocean

Two British adventurers are about to attempt a speed record for rowing across the Indian Ocean. The duo – James Ketchell and Ashley Wilson – plan to set out from Perth, Australia next week with the intention of rowing to Mauritius in just 85 days, covering approximately 3600 miles (5793 km) in the process.

When they do set off on this ocean crossing it will be their second attempt. A few days back they launched their rowboat but experienced technical difficulties with their navigation system and had to be towed back to shore just one day into their speed attempt. That issue has apparently been resolved now, and they hope to return to the water and restart sometime next week, although no specific date for the relaunch has been given just yet.

For Ketchell, this will be his second go at rowing an ocean. He successfully crossed the Atlantic back in 2010, and has a successful summit of Everest in 2011 on his resume as well. In 2013 he also made an unsupported round-the-world cycling journey, covering more than 18,000 miles (28,968 km) along the way.

Wilson, on the other hand, is not quite as an experienced adventurer. He does, however, suffer from epilepsy and is hoping to use this row as a platform to help spread better understanding of the affliction, and inspire others with the same disability to chase their dreams and do great things.

This journey isn't just about the speed record of course. James and Ashely are hoping to raise £100,000 ($156,000) that will be spread amongst three different charities. Those charities include Young Epilepsy, an organization that supports children with the conditions, the Scout Association, which is an outdoor group for kids, and the Elifar Foundation – a nonprofit dedicated to helping people with severe learning disabilities. All worthy causes for sure.

The current record for an Indian Ocean crossing is 85 days, 2 hours, and 5 minutes. Kettle and Wilson will take shifts at the oars for 24 hours per day while out on the water in the hopes of besting that time. Along the way, they'll face unpredictable weather, potentially large storms, and swells that could exceed 4 meters. They are of course hoping for calm conditions to aid them on the crossing, but as always with an ocean rowing journey, their fate is in the hands of nature.

You can follow their progress at the expedition's official website.

Video: Extreme Athletes Ski and Climb Seven 4000 Meter Peaks in 24 Hours

Speed skiing is a sport that is gaining in popularity, particularly in the Alps in Europe. Recently a pair of extreme athletes – Beni Hug and Tony Sbalbi – decided to test their skills by speed climbing and skiing seven 4000 meter peaks in a single day, setting a new record in the process. Over the course of the day, they climbed an amazing 7000 meters (22,965 ft), as they chained together a route that passed over ten total mountains, including the famous Moench and Jungrau peaks in Switzerland. The video below gives us a brief look at what turned out to be a very long day. As you'll see, it was exhausting work.

New Speed Records Set on Matterhorn and Half Dome

Continuing my attempt to catch up on some of the bigger adventure stories that took place while I was away, I have details on attempts at speed records on two of the most iconic mountains in the world – the Matterhorn in Europe and Half-Dome in Yosemite National Park.

First, back on April 22 Swiss climber Dani Arnold successfully set a new record on the 4478 meter (14,692 ft) Matterhorn when he raced up its North Face in just 1 hour, 46 minutes. That bests the previous record set by fellow countryman Ueli Steck by 10 minutes. To put that time into perspective, ExWeb says that most good alpinists will require approximately 8-10 hours to complete the same route.

Arnold took the Schmid Route to the summit, free-soloing without ropes the entire way. The climber says that while he didn't feel he was going particularly fast, he was able to find a good rhythm on the ascent, which allowed him to speed up the mountain at a steady pace. That seems like an understatement when you consider his accomplishment. Climbing the Matterhorn is a classic mountaineering challenge, but to do so in record time is impressive indeed.

This speed record is another reminder of just what a force Arnold is on the mountaineering scene. Back in 2011 he broke another record of Steck's by going up the Eiger 20 minutes faster than the "Swiss Machine." While Dani hasn't gotten the same level of attention from the press that Steck has, he is certainly one of the best climbers working today.

Meanwhile, Dean Potter faced an entirely different type of challenge on his attempt to set a new speed record on Half Dome. According to the Adventure Journal, the climber/BASE jumper used a combination of trail running, fast hiking, and rock climbing to reach the top, and descend back down, in just 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 52 seconds. That effort shaved six minutes off the previous record set by Kyle Williams just last September.

While on his speed attempt, Potter carried no food or water with him, but instead simply went up wearing just a pair of shorts, socks, and running shoes. That is outdoor adventure in its purest form, and is also an impressive feat on a route that almost any reasonably fit person could follow.

Both of these speed records are impressive and inspiring in their own right. Congratulations to both Dani and Dean for completing these challenges.

Himalaya Spring 2015: Expeditions to Watch

This weekend many climbers from across the globe will set out for Nepal at long last. Even though there has already been action in the Himalaya this spring, the season won't truly get underway until next week when the teams begin arriving in Kathmandu in droves. It'll take them some time to get out to their various Base Camps, but things are about to get very interesting in the big mountains.

To prepare us for the season ahead, Alan Arnette shared a post yesterday detailing some of the major expeditions to watch in the weeks ahead. Most of these climbs center around Everest of course, but several will focus on other major peaks too. Alan himself will leave shortly for Nepal as well, where he'll be attempting Lhotse this spring.

Among the climbs that Alan recommends keeping an eye on this year are an expedition to the rarely visited North-Northeast Ridge, where Canadian Raphael Slawinski will be joined by Germans David Goettler and Daniel Bartsch to attempt a new route without the use of Sherpas or supplemental oxygen. This side of the mountain has only been scaled one other time, but a Russian team back in 1996. The trio will be going up the ridge along a different path however.

Kilian Jornet's speed attempt on Everest will certainly get plenty of attention as well. His original plans were to make the attempt from the North Side, but Alan's report seems to indicate that is no longer the case. Considering the challenges and uncertainty that come with climbing in Tibet, and the fact that some operators switched sides and cancelled climbs on the North, perhaps Kilian has had to change up his plans as well. That will make things difficult for him, as the larger crowds on the South Side will certainly alter his approach.

Other interesting expeditions on the schedule an attempt to ski the Lhotse Coulair on Everest by Matt Moniz and Wilie Benegas. Alan says the coulair has never been fully skied before, and these two climbers will do it after summiting Everest. British climber Kenton Cool has ambitious plans for the weeks ahead as well. He'll first attempt to summit Everest – something he has done 11 times in the past – before moving on to Kangchenjunga and eventually K2. 23-year old Brit Rupert Jones-Warner will attempt to summit Everest from both the North and South Side, using a helicopter to travel between the two Base Camps on the respective sides of the mountain. Finally, German climbing legend Ralf Dujmovits is returning to Everest once again to attempt to summit without the use of bottled oxygen. Ralf has already climbed all 8000-meter peaks, but feels he has unfinished business on Everest after using O's to summit that peak.

That's the run-down of Alan's suggestions for climbs to watch this spring. Of course, I'm sure there will be plenty of other interesting expeditions to keep an eye on as well. The season is only about to get underway, so there should be plenty of action to come.

Aconcagua Speed Record Smashed Again!

It seems I missed quite a bit while I was away.

Back in December, Spanish mountain runner Kilian Jornet impressed us all with his amazing run up and down Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America at 6962 meters (22,841 ft). At the time, Jornet destroyed the old record by more than three hours, posting a total time for the roundtrip at 12 hours and 49 minutes. As impressive as that effort was however, the new speed record was short lived, as it has already been broken by another very talented mountain athlete.

According to reports, Ecuadorian-Swiss sky runner Karl Egloff shaved nearly an hour off Jornet's time, by running to the summit and back in a mind-blowing 11 hours and 52 minutes. Both men used the same route up and down the mountain, covering some 40 km (25 miles), and notching up 4062 meters (13,327 ft) of vertical gain in the process.

While not quite as well known as Jornet, Egloff continues to add to his impressive resume. Back in 2013, the Spaniard ran up and down Kilimanjaro in just 7 hours and 14 minutes. Egloff would later break that record as well, besting Jornet by more than 30 minutes.

It seems that Jornet has a rival to keep him on his toes at long last. The Spanish runner is busy preparing to attempt a speed record on Everest this spring, and is probably completely focused on that  effort. Both of these men are supreme mountain athletes of course, and I'd love to see them compete head-to-head on a trail with one another. For now though, we'll probably have to be satisfied with each of them pushing harder on these speed record runs.

Controversy Brewing Over Alleged South Pole Speed Record

There seems to be some controversy brewing over an alleged speed record for skiing to the South Pole. ExWeb is reporting that adventurer Martin Szwed has made claims to various media outlets saying that he broke the speed record for skiing solo across Antarctica. Apparently, Szwed is saying that he not only beat the current record held by Christian Eide, but that he did so by nearly ten days. The problem is, there doesn't seem to be any record of this amazing feat.

According to recent claims by Szwed, he was in the Antarctic this past season to climb Mt. Vinson and ski to the South Pole. His summit of Mt. Vinson has been confirmed to ExWeb by officials at ANI/ALE, who supported him on that venture. But after he finished climbing, Szwed says that he then launched his ski expedition – presumably from the Russian Novo station – which he was then able to complete in 14 days, 18 hours, and 43 minutes. Eide's amazing record, which was set back in 2011, is an impressive 24 days, 1 hour, and 13 minutes.

To further cast doubt on his expedition, Szwed has told various media outlets that he skied 1192 km, 1280 km, and 1300 km. Those varying distances have further helped to call his story into question. He also claims to have used three supply depots along the way, which as ExWeb points out would invalidate his "solo" claim to any speed record.

To put this in perspective, in order to cover the distance that Szwed is claiming, he would have to cover more than 86 km (53 miles) each and every day in tough conditions, while pulling a heavy sled. That would be an incredibly difficult task for sure. ExWeb calls it "herculean," which seems fitting.


But that isn't all. ANI officials, who are pretty much the authority on what happens in the Antarctic, told ExWeb "Based on our contact with other operators and German officials, we have received no indication that the expedition took place. Umweltbundesamt / Federal Environment Agency Germany did not issue a ski expedition permit for him to go the South Pole and TAC [the logistics operator in Cape Town] did not provide him transportation following his Vinson ascent."

Furthermore, the staff at the U.S. South Pole Station, located at 90ºS, says that no one there has seen nor heard of Martin Szwed, nor has there been any arrivals at the Pole since ALE finished their operations three weeks back.

At this point, it seems like Szwed is trying to pull a fast one in order to bolster is reputation. Until he can provide any kind of evidence to support his claims, or someone else can step forward to act as a witness, all of his speed record claims should be viewed as false. So far, Szwed has not responded to ExWeb's inquiries.

It's a shame that these kinds of stories continue to crop up, particularly in an era when it is so easy to verify the information.

Sky Runner Kilian Jornet in The New Yorker

Kilian Jornet's amazing success in the mountains continues to earn him plenty of mainstream press. We've seen the Spanish sky runner garner attention from a number of unexpected sources as word of his exploits has spread to more traditional media outlets. The latest such outlet is The New Yorker, which recently published an excellent profile of the man who is setting new standards for speed on some of the world's most challenging peaks.

The article catches up with Kilian on Aconcagua, a mountain that he summited back in December, setting a new speed record in the process. It discusses his previous speed records on mountains Denali in Alaska and Mont Blanc in France. It even mentions his attempt at Elbrus, which was turned back due to high winds. The New Yorker says he'll give that mountain another go later this year, but at the moment he is squarely focused on training for Everest in the spring. The tallest peak on the planet will bring new challenges to Jornet, not the least of which will be the extreme altitude.

This profile takes us to Aconcagua Base Camp where we get a glimpse of Kilian's routine while on the mountain. His needs are simple as he shares the campsite with his girlfriend Emelie Forsberg, who is an accomplished mountain runner in her own right. The two make their own meals, boil water for tea, and generally keep each other company as they both prepared to challenge the speed records on the mountain. Due to the high altitude of Aconcagua, the tallest peak outside of Asia at 6962 meters (22,841 ft), both athletes had to take their time with the acclimatization process.

The story offers some good details about Kilian's speed record on the mountain, as well as his intentions for the year ahead. In a few months, he'll head to the Himalaya, where he'll be attempting to set a new "fastest known time" on the North Side of Everest. That makes good sense, as the Tibetan side of the mountain is far less crowded than the busy South Side in Nepal. The route is just as challenging of course, but he also won't have to contend with the tricky Khumbu Icefall, a traditional bottleneck for climbers that can cause progress to slow to a craw at times. On the North Side he'll still have to contend with plenty of obstacles however, not the least of which will be the Second Step.

Still, if anyone can set a new speed record on the Big Hill, it'll probably be Kilian. And you can bet that we'll be following his progress closely this spring. We're two months away from the arrival of the first teams in Nepal, and the anticipation for another season is already starting to grow.