Sooner or later every adventure hits its challenges — and that's proving the case for Greg Hill. The ski mountaineer is almost half way into a 31 day mission to ascend 100,000m and he's been averaging a vertical ascent of over 4,000m a day since the beginning of the month. While lots of snow is good news for those big smile-inducing descents, it's been making the ascents a lot less fun for Greg. “Days five to seven were really bad and hard days,” he says. “The temperatures were a little warm and the snow very wet, the mountains were going through a state of change and avalanching regularly — some very large. I needed to play it very cautious and stay in the trees. The options were limited and some very uncomfortable days happened.” One of the biggest problems, as Greg's recent Instagram post makes clear, is the build-up of snow under the skis.“It added massive weight and progress was hard. I was screaming really loud obscenities to make myself feel better!” On Sunday Greg took a much-needed rest day to allow for the avalanche danger to subside. “When the dust cleared the skiing has been great. The last two days have been off the charts! Great powder skiing, glaciers, summits and loving the days.” So far Greg is on track but uncertain weather next week is a cause for concern. The body is also holding up for now.  “It's as hard as I imagined, requiring me to dig deep. For 10 hours a day I pretty much hike all day with small intervals of great skiing. The body is feeling the repetitive motions —I'm having to do lots of stretching and eating.” One thing that will help Greg in his 'March Madness' quest to ski 100,000m is your support. Follow him via Instagram and Facebook.  You can also find more adventure on our own Facebook page. Top picture ©Bruno Long. 

Almost a week in to his challenge to ski 100,000m in a month and Greg Hill has put in an amazing performance so far. He's made some big ascents and powered his way through a lot of local powder.“I yearn for bigger summits and more wild lines but the powder has been incredible,” he tells us. In the first four days, Greg has been ski-touring between 9-11 hours a day, covered a daily average of 27km (horizontal distance) but over 4,000m of vertical. There are a lot of mountain lines. On the first day he summited Mt Mackenzie, 2,459m, near Revelstoke. His wife and two kids were there to greet him. “Being able to share my first summit of this challenge with my family was priceless after such an excursion,” says Greg. “Days 2, 3 and 4 have been days of incredible powder skiing - deep and steep lines through trees, pillows and chutes, so it's been fun.” Greg was thinking about putting in a rest day or whether to carry on while conditions were still so good.“It's easy to remain psyched and motivated when every run is so great,” he says.  To follow Greg's progress, stay tuned to our Facebook page. We'll be making regular updates.

It's begun! If Google Earth were live, right now you'd be able to zero in on a guy cranking the kilometers up-hill in a remote corner of British Columbia, Canada. His name, appropriately, is Greg Hill. His mission: to clock 100,000m of vertical ascent in one month. He set off on Saturday, March 1st. Shortly before beginning his latest adventure, Greg told us he was as ready as he'll ever be. “It is more a mental get-ready than a physical one right now. Training for those big consecutive days has been over many years. This season I have toured 50 days, some big ones up to 4,000m - mostly just relaxing before I go hard,” he jokes. The plan will begin with him setting off 'gently' on an ascent of a local peak in which he might be joined on the summit by some close members of his team — his seven and eight your old son and daughter. “They are psyched to summit their first peak,” he says. Conditions were not looking so favorable for the beginning of the month, with high avalanche risks forecast.  “Terrain choices are going to be key,” says Greg. That and staying injury free. “The goal will be big and hard, the biggest challenge being my [38-year-old] body. But I have been stretching a lot, getting things loosened before the big adventure begins.” To follow Greg's progress, stay tuned to our Facebook page. 

Greg Hill plans to ascend 100,000m in a month. It's a challenge that will test his mind and body to the absolute limit and demand all his powers of endurance to succeed. As yet, he doesn't know if it's possible. In March Suunto ambassador Greg Hill will attempt to ski 100,000 vertical meters. That's up, as well as down. If he pulls it off, it will be an awe-inspiring achievement. What makes it all the more challenging is that these will not be repeated ascents on well-groomed pistes at his local ski resort. Instead, in true Suunto style, the ascents will be made in the heart of Canada's backcountry wilderness. Greg will be exploring new lines and making first descents. Nothing will be repeated. “I've always been curious about my human potential and to see what I can do,” Greg says in his new video about the project. “I'm a little scared. There are avalanches, there are injuries, there are lots of things that could happen. But I'm going to try.” But if there's anyone who has a chance of pulling it off it's Greg Hill. In 2010, he skied 610,000m (2 million ft) in a year. He has also skied 15,000m (50,000ft) in a month. He'll use his Suunto Ambit2 to record his ascents. The challenge – in which he’ll struggle to eat enough food to maintain body weight while burning thousands of calories per day – will almost certainly be a first in ski mountaineering. It will require him to spend every waking hour of every day climbing, skiing, eating and traveling and will also involve considerable logistical planning. “It's intimidating,” he acknowledges. The challenge will take place in the 38-year-old's backyard — a remote part of British Columbia, Canada. It's the ideal playground. “There are so many un-skied mountains and lines in the Canadian wilderness around my home. It's just waiting to be explored,” he says. Check out the video and Greg's website for more details on the project. We'll also be sharing updates on our Facebook page.