The Suunto EON Steel was created with the feedback of active divers from all over the world. Among them was our own ambassador Jill Heinerth. In case you don't know Jill, she's a renowned underwater explorer and 2013 recipient of the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for exploration from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. She's dived inside caves, underneath icebergs and in some deep waters all over the world – the ideal person to put the Suunto EON Steel through its paces. Here's what she had to say about Suunto's new launch: We're guessing you gave it a good testing! I first took the EON Steel to Christmas Island on a unique cave and deep ocean exploration project sponsored by National Geographic. The device was in its earliest form, but I could already understand the potential of the product. I wasn't really supposed to show it to anyone, so I had to quietly hide it in my pocket until we could snap a few photos! I finally had the chance to dive a fully functional device in France when other Suunto Global Distributors got to see it for the first time. The boat was buzzing with excitement form everyone that used it. And you also used in the Arctic right? Later, I took a unit to Newfoundland and on the Sedna Epic Expedition to the Arctic this summer. It was on these trips that I had the full opportunity to appreciate its full potential and functionality. I realize now that I have taken it from the warmest to the coldest conditions on the planet in the last year. I'm never very kind to my gear but it doesn't need to be handled with kid gloves. It is well built and simply works! Jill Heinerth tested the Suunto EON Steel in both warm and cold climates. ©Jill Heinerth What was the feedback you gave Suunto?What I saw in the Suunto EON was far beyond a typical diving computer. The EON is capable of taking a diver from their first dives, through technical and eventually CCR diving. The beauty is that the diver can customize their display and won't be mired in unnecessary features that they are not ready to use. As they progress, they can move to new modes of diving and use additional features. Furthermore, I envision the EON as more of a platform than a singular device that will need to be replaced. How do you like the product?I love the quality build and easy readability of the EON. I also love being able to plug it in for recharge or downloading.How is it different to previous dive computers you've used. The EON feels fully modern and fresh – more like my iPhone than a tired old diving computer display that looks like a relic of Windows 98. The EON interface is simple and intuitive and although it came with excellent instructions, there was no need to refer to them. The three button operation was obvious and features were easily found and activated. The audible alerts are also intuitive with unique, well designed sounds that make sense. The alarms alone can guide the diver to correct their behavior. Anything else? I was using the EON with a cave survey class recently and should add that the compass feature on the computer is extremely easy to access, very accurate and quick to respond. This feature can be used easily without losing other critical display information. Jill Heinerth is a Suunto ambassador. Discover more about her exploits and photography here. All images ©Jill Heinerth

We're all familiar with training rides. Sometimes you go hard and aim for a big distance day. On others it's more about the intensity and quality. But what if you're ice climbers Matthias Scherer and Tanja Schmitt and you're looking for the perfect training for ice climbing? Well, naturally you go for a non-stop 24 hour mountain bike challenge and try for as much distance and elevation as possible! Check the video below for a little teaser on how they got on: “It worked out great,” Matthias tells us. “It was a perfect test and training for our 24h ice challenge coming this winter.” This is a project to ice-climb non stop for 24 hours. “The night was quite cold and that was exactly what we wanted to have – winter like conditions on the descents. We both achieved our goals – me by cycling over 8,000 m of vertical and Tanja by passing 7,000 m. He adds: “The circuit we cycled was a true MTB circuit – 75% rough mountain roads with loose rocks, gravel and mud!” All images ©Matthias Scherer. Location: Urtier Valley, Cogne, Italy

The location for the Suunto Vertical Blue could not be more conducive to diving deep. Dean's Blue Hole is a natural wonder and is the deepest known blue hole in the world. Situated off Long Island in the Bahamas, it opens up approximately 10 m beneath the surface before plunging to 202 m. “It has a reputation for being the greatest freediving location on the planet,” says multiple record holder and Vertical Blue organiser Will Trubridge. “Its deep, warm and calm waters which are literally a step off the beach, provide the best environment for freedivers to attempt to break national or world records, or just to exceed their own personal bests. Spectators on the beach. Photo ©zooom.at/Samo Vidic “Spectators can watch the whole event from the warm Caribbean water, while feasting on local seafood salad that is prepared on the beach,” he adds. “It is an event like no other, not just in freediving, but in all sport.”One of the area's attractions is also its remoteness. Long Island, Bahamas is not as developed as many Caribbean destinations – just getting there is an adventure. Hotels and bars are laid back and you're unlikely to bump into lots of other tourists. In fact, during the nine days of Suunto Vertical Blue, probably every hotel guest will be a fellow freediver, which adds to the familiar atmosphere that makes the event so special. Dean's Blue Hole, the view from 15m. Photo: zooom.at/Agustin Munoz

Thought your HR monitor was just a training tool for fitness? Think again. It's actually an invaluable guide to staying safe in the mountains, says Mountain Guide Fabien Meyer. Heart rate monitors are most commonly associated with performance sports and are an invaluable tool to improving your fitness, training intelligently and gauging your progress. But not many people realize they can help you make the right decisions in the mountains – decisions that could ultimately save your life. “If you're not acclimatized your heart rate will be about 20bpm above normal.” How so? Heart rate data can provide an accurate guide as to whether you're acclimatized. That in turn will tell you whether you're moving fast enough to make that summit in time before the weather turns. “You can use heart rate to see if you're going to make the summit,” says Meyer, who's based in Chamonix. “If you're not acclimatized your heart rate will be far above your normal rest rate. So if you're ascending 500 m per hour normally (same activity, same weight, in your home place) at 70-80% of your HR, you will be at a heart rate of more than 85-90% of your max HR. That's going to be too high to sustain. You'll go into your lactic window after five minutes and after 30 minutes you will be obliged to slow down. And because of acidity you can not hope to come back at the same efficiency.” Using HR will help you acclimatize more effectively. ©zooom.at/Ulrich Grill He gives the example of the classic Whymper Couloir route in the Mt Blanc massif. It's south-facing so parties have to move fast to be able to make the summit and get off in time. A heart rate monitor will help you make an informed decision as to whether you can make it. “You have to go quite fast and ascend 400m per hour for 4-5 hours. Using heart rate you can quickly see if you can make it in a good state.” He adds that training with heart rate also works as a powerful incentive to fuel your climbing goals. Climbing is all about efficiency and moving quickly in difficult terrain, he explains. “If you do the same trip you did a month ago but with a 10% lower heart rate that's a great motivation.” Fabien Meyer is a Mountain Guide based in Chamonix, France.  Top image ©Bruno Long   READ MORE This is how Kilian Jornet prepares for Everest Greg Hill's mountain rules  7 tips to accelerating your uphill speed

Unseasonal weather has put the epic north face of the Grandes Jorasses in great condition. On hand to take advantage were Matthias Scherer and Tanja Schmitt. Check out their video below, and also in their own words their experience taking on the 4,208 m icon of the Mt Blanc range at the end of September. Their route? The classic 1,200 m MacIntyre-Colton, grade: VI 6Due to an unstable summer with cold temperatures and a lot of rainfall many ice gullies of the big faces in the Mont Blanc massif started to build up early. By the end of summer many routes that normally only form in colder autumn or winter air suddenly stood splendidly in a fading summer light. Above all the Grandes Jorasses (4,208 m) loomed over the massif, unrivaled, her tremendous north face strewn with veins of daunting, glittering ice. September the 25th 2014 Tanja Schmitt, Matthias Scherer and Heike Schmitt tracked along the Mer de glace and built up their tent for the night. Their objective is the MacIntyre/Colton route on the Grandes Jorasses north face. They decided to embark early, climbing the long ice fields in complete darkness to achieve the more challenging mixed parts of the climb in the oncoming daylight. The plan worked out perfectly. The team simul-climbed the lower ice field in the dark [when parties move together to save time]. In the upper part the ice becomes steeper. The crux existed of a snow/ice mixture, and so not really hard to climb it was impossible to protect. After some more ice fields they achieved the mixed climbing parts of the route: Technical climbing with sections of thinner ice. Everyone enjoyed the climbing. The team achieved the summit late in the day and paused for a rest, melting some snow for rehydration. The fading daylight was bathing the scenery in an incomparable beauty. Says Tanja: “As we stood there, in awe at this unearthly sight, all endeavors before and others yet to come seemed of no importance: the magic of the team- spirit and the magic of the mountains were glowing above all.” The team on the Jorasses summit All images Matthias Scherer

The next generation dive computer is here, offering full customization and amazing color screen. What's next for dive computers? That question has come a little closer to being answered today as market leader Suunto unveils the Suunto EON Steel, the first fully customizable dive computer. It's so intuitive it takes ease of use to a new level. Full customizationWith Suunto CustomDisplay™, you can tailor your EON Steel so that it shows exactly what you want. You can choose from a traditional text-based interface or a graphical view, and customize up to five different displays with Suunto DM5 software, the program that transfers your logbook data to your computer for detailed analysis.  Unrivalled clarityThe EON Steel also offers divers unrivalled clarity thanks to its new, innovative wide-angle BrightSee™ screen. The brightness, high color contrast and easy handling mean the display can be read in all conditions, whether you're diving in shallow and light waters, or deep and dark ones. Comments Mika Holappa, Dive Business Unit Director at Suunto: “We are delighted to launch the Suunto EON Steel, which is the result of our desire to produce the best possible diving computer for active divers. Its customization possibilities and ease of use make it ideally suited to every diving occasion.” Diving with you for years to comeThe Suunto EON Steel will grow with you as your diving and skills evolve, thanks to the way you can customize it to your needs. With user updatable software, including a free fixed point CCR upgrade in 2015, it will dive with you for many years to come, whatever diving you're into. It comes with the choice of a strap or bungee attachment so it can be physically customized as well. The Suunto EON Steel uses the highly advanced Suunto Fused™ RGBM algorithm to maximize your dive time. When used together with the new Suunto Tank POD, you can get tank pressures from multiple PODs with just a glance at the wrist. The EON Steel is rated to 150 m and offers a dive time of 20-40 hours after one charge – meaning it's ideal for those week-long liveaboard trips. Finland-based Suunto has developed many diving innovations in the last 50 years – including the first diving compass and early dive computers. Creating reliable products that are tested and designed for the harshest of elements has been a part of its heritage for almost 80 years. The Suunto EON Steel builds on that tradition. The bezel is made from brushed stainless steel while the housing uses reinforced composite. The Xensation™ glass display is also built to withstand every diving situation. Inside and out the Suunto EON Steel is made with the most advanced components, making it extremely durable and accurate. It's another reason why the Suunto EON Steel makes the perfect partner for your diving adventures. The Suunto EON Steel will be available in spring 2015, at the recommended price of €999. The Suunto Tank POD is available at €299.