Want to know what kind of terrain you will face when heading into hilly or mountainous areas? The Climb Guidance in the Suunto app and Suunto watches is here to help! The route altitude profile in the Suunto app and as part of route navigation in Suunto watches has taken a major step forward. With the release of Suunto Race S, we brought the new Climb Guidance also to Suunto Race, Suunto Vertical, and Suunto 9 Peak Pro GPS watches (software version 2.35.34 or later). It will help you both in the route planning phase and out on the trails. Use it to optimize your pacing, make your race-winning moves, or simply enhance your outdoor experience.   Learn the climbs while planning The elevation profile grows in real-time as you plan your route. Color codes on the elevation profile match the colors on the map.   When planning a route in the Suunto app, the route is split into sections – climbs, uphills, downhills, descents, and flats. These sections are visualized with color coding both on the map and in the altitude profile below. A climb is marked in red, uphill in orange, downhill in lime, and descent in green. Flats are marked in blue. The section categories consider the length and steepness of the ascent (or descent). In the categorization, climbs are harder than uphills and descents are bigger than downhills. The elevation profile of your route keeps growing in real-time as you plan your route. Already in the planning phase, you can scrub the altitude profile and see where each point is on the map. This is a useful way to get to know the route you are planning to navigate.   Get alerts and zoom in on the details during activity   Overview of the elevation profile (left) and a zoomed in climb section (right).   The Climb Guidance sections are synced to your watch along with the route you planned. When you start navigating the route, by default you will see the route on one screen and an overview of the elevation profile on the next. You can zoom in on the elevation profile using the digital crown on the Suunto Race and Race S watches. On the Suunto Vertical and Suunto 9 Peak Pro, press the upper button to zoom in and long press it to zoom out. (Tip: Similarly, you can zoom in and out on the map view. The zoom-out level was updated to 20km in this latest software update.) When you zoom in from the elevation profile overview, you will see the current section in more detail. You will, for example, see the ascent covered and ascent remaining on that section along with your position on the elevation profile.   A notification 100 meters before the start of a new section (left) and a full-screen notification with details as the section starts (right).   When you are approaching a climb, a notification is given to you 100 meters in advance. As the section starts, you will get a full-screen notification with section details (vertical, distance, gradient). You will get a similar notification before a descent. Notifications are not triggered for uphill, downhill or flat sections of the route. Climbs are categorized on a scale of 1–4 and HC (hors categorie) based on their difficulty. The section notifications can be turned off in the exercise settings. Before starting an activity, go down to exercise settings and select ‘Climb Guidance’. You can then toggle the notifications off and on. You can also select whether you want to see the gradients in percentages or degrees. By default, the gradient is shown in percentages. The climb notification and grade settings are persistent per activity type; they are automatically remembered the next time you start the same activity.

We have partnered with the nutrition experts at Näak to provide you with real-time nutrition guidance. Gastric and dietary issues affect 85% of runners and are the leading cause of abandonment, says Näak. The company has made reducing these figures their greatest challenge. First, they created the Nutrition Calculator: a simple, concrete, and user-friendly online tool that designs personalized nutrition plans for you, based on your profile, goals, and race characteristics.  Now, Näak partners with Suunto to sync your custom nutrition & hydration plan to your Suunto watch for real-time guidance. A plan is a plan, but you also need to execute it well. That's when the SuuntoPlus Näak Nutrition Guide comes into play! How to Use 1. Go to the Näak website and plan your nutrition needs for your race. Select the race you are interested in. Fill in the required info, like your personal profile and a target time. 2. Click ‘Add to Suunto’ on the result page to connect your Näak and Suunto accounts. The plan is then pushed to your Suunto account. 3. Before starting an activity, go to ‘Exercise settings’ -> ‘SuuntoPlus’ and scroll down to select ‘Näak Nutrition Guide’ for your race. 4. During the activity, you will see the nutrition guidance on its own screen on your Suunto watch. All images by Simon Morice. Athlete Arthur Joyeux Bouillon.

Join Suunto ambassador Philipp Reiter and his friend Martin Schidlowski as they retrace a historic journey to the Eiger North Face in their film, Bike2Eiger. Suunto ambassador Philipp Reiter invited his childhood friend and climber Martin Schidlowski on an adventure that combined history with the modern-day challenges of mountaineering. Riding 600 km from their home in Berchtesgadener Land, Germany, to Grindelwald, the base of the Eiger in Switzerland, and attempting to climb its notorious north face was merely the backdrop for something more meaningful and thought-provoking. We caught up with Philipp to discuss his film, Bike2Eiger. The film has been touring mountain film festivals for the past winter and is now released online. Read on – and watch the film below! Philipp Reiter and Martin Schidlowski are friends since childhood.   You were following in the footsteps of some true Alpinist legends. Who were they and what was their story? Anderl Hinterstoisser and Toni Kurz were two alpinists from the Berchtesgadener Land, where Martin and I also grew up. In the 1930s, they wanted to solve the last unclimbed problem of the Alps - the Eiger North Face. As they had no money to travel by train, they went from Bad Reichenhall to Grindelwald by bike. (Read more about them here.) What is your connection with your adventure buddy Martin? Martin Schidlowski is my kindergarten buddy. We have done many alpine adventures together, running, climbing, and mountaineering. Since the beginning, we have had the same mindset and passion for the mountains. He is a super good climber and alpinist, and I am more of the endurance athlete in our team. Not the conditions the duo was hoping for.    The adventure started with three long days in the saddle. How did that go? Haha, not very well! 1.5 hours after we started, we were stuck and had to push the bikes through 30–40 cm of fresh snow. Generally, it was super cold, and we underestimated the weight of the bags. We carried in all our gear – alpinism by fair means. The first night, the police also kicked us out of our little wood cabin as in Austria sleeping somewhere out counts as illegal camping.  Did you start to question why you didn’t simply drive to the mountain? We wanted to experience the same as the two pioneers in the 1930s, which is why we also took the bikes. Studying the route and the weather are part of any adventure.   Do you think Martin will ever again go on a bikepacking trip? No, never! He had never ridden more than 100 km before, and on day one we had to do around 220 km! He did not like it. And what about you…? Well, generally, I like cycling a lot as to me it’s the perfect way to explore new areas at a decent speed. But on this ride, my leg warmers were too tight, and I got an inflammation around the knee, which was super painful. First attempt on the Eiger: too much snow.   The weather conditions and the amount of snow made the first Eiger attempt hard. Is there anything you could have done differently? At one point, there were just too many people with busy schedules involved in the project, and we couldn’t keep shifting the dates all the time. So, we had only a few time slots planned, and basically, only this one was left. That’s why we started in okay conditions, knowing that it might become too tricky to climb the face. And then there was too much snow. Mountaineering has a lot to do with conditions. Usually, you need to be patient and wait for the right conditions. It’s never a good idea to rush it in the mountains.  Before the second attempt, the atmosphere was different. Can you explain a bit about what was happening? When we came back one year later for the second try, we knew that the conditions were very good and that it was just a matter of us making it happen. Also, we didn’t do the bike approach again, which made it easier. When we went up to Eigergletscher to sleep, there was so much positive energy. I remember this situation well. Second try, better conditions – but different route.   Could part of the mood be that you were so sure that with the right timing and team, you could just show up and finish the project? Yes, exactly. It was almost like: We just need to climb it now, and that’s it! Is it possible that the slower approach and early difficulties set you up differently? Martin and I had done some more training together, like the Matterhorn North Face. We felt more ready than the first time and were more relaxed as we did not have heavy legs from three long days of riding. Summit of the Eiger!   Did the adventure teach you something? Most of the time, things come out very differently than we have planned, and we always need to keep the capacity to adapt.   Watch now: Bike to Eiger Watch now: Philipp Reiter and Martin Schidlowski follow the footsteps of their local mountaineering heroes from the 1930s on a multisport adventure to the "Eigernordwand“.

Nordic Gravel Series team member, rider and coach Joonas Henttala gives his essential tips for a successful gravel race. Joonas Henttala, a coach and a Nordic Gravel Series team member, has more than 10 years of experience in the professional peloton. In 2023, after ending his road cycling career, he turned to coaching and gravel event organizing, took up trail running as his personal challenge while also riding gravel. We got in touch with Joonas to get some tips for a gravel race. Read on and be ready for a big, fun day out! Progressively build your fitness Gravel races are long and require a strong, aerobic base, which is built by spending quality time in zone 2 and later layering higher intensities and race spesific efforts on top. Joonas says that consistency and progressively adding training load are the keys to successful endurance training. “Riding one hour five times weekly is a better start than a five-hour smash-fest once a week. After your body starts to adapt, you can progressively add more training load. It does not make sense to do a huge hero ride way beyond your limits on the weekend and then recover from it the entire following week. The body simply can’t assimilate that and progress will be slow. The aerobic needs required in a long event or race need consistent stimulus over long periods of time.” The slower speeds and smaller groups make the power output on gravel slightly different from the road. “On the road there’s often more coasting and higher power peaks, while gravel riding is more grinding, keeping constant pressure on the pedals,” Joonas explains.  Get comfortable riding in a group. (Image: NGS/Falling Leaves Lahti) Practice your bike handling Solid bike handling skills are essential as gravel riding can get technical, almost like mountain biking. Especially if your background is in road cycling, practicing your bike handling can be very beneficial. “If you come from the road, you may assume there’s grip everywhere. But gravel is different. You must learn to find the grip on a surface that’s moving underneath you. Practice different kinds of turns on different surfaces.” Mountain bikers are comfortable with the varied terrain. For them, Joonas recommends getting comfortable riding in a big group. The first hour of a gravel race can be especially hectic. Still, you should be able to stay relaxed and not get intimidated by leaning on one another or touching handlebars with someone. “Joining a few group rides before taking part in a gravel race is definitely a good idea. After a few of them, you will start to feel more comfortable,” he promises. “Solid bike handling skills and experience from group riding help you save energy, too.” Get to know the course Knowing the course well is definitely beneficial. However, pre-riding the entire course is often not an option as the distances of gravel events are so long. That’s when the Suunto app comes in handy: Import the route GPX file to the Suunto app (or sync it from a compatible partner service, like Strava or Komoot) and study the course. Look at the altitude profile to identify the big climbs – and descents. “Try to save some energy for the big climbs. That’s where the strong riders will make their moves,” Joonas instructs. “That same applies to other parts of the course as well: Try to save energy when riding easy sections, like roads. When the riding gets more technical and the speeds slower, be prepared to hammer.” The map in the Suunto app is a great way to identify those key sections: Look at the roads, tracks and trails. How wide are they? When is it getting technical? If, for example, a road narrows to a single track, you don’t want to be in the back of the group and stuck in a traffic jam. Take your positions early. The fun is about to get real! (Image: NGS/Falling Leaves Lahti) Refuel early In a long endurance event, a steady pace would be optimal – but often far from reality in gravel races. If you want to stay in the front, the first hour is decisive: You must weigh whether you can afford to ride a little too fast in the beginning to stay with the group without bonking. Try to also conserve energy: Draft in the group and remember to start refueling already at the beginning of the long race. If you don’t refuel during the first hour, you will have to pay for the consequences later. “Riding should feel hard, but not so hard that after the first hour, you’ll start to question if you’ll be able to finish the race,” Joonas says. Having the necessary energy in the bottle for the first hour might be a good idea. This way you don’t need to mess with gels and bars in the heat of the early part of the race. Remember what’s important People take part in gravel events with quite different approaches: some are there to win, others to test their own limits. Some simply want to have a good time on the bike and make new friends. “Gravel races are quite different from road races. Even in the lead group people chat and have smiles on their faces. I certainly hope it stays this way,” says Joonas. Whatever your goal, ride hard but be polite and considerate of others.  “If you cross the finish line with emptly legs and a big muddy smile on your face, the day has been successful – whatever your goal!” Coach Henttala himself after Traka 360 in Girona in May 2024.   Learn more about the Nordic Gravel Series

We asked the Suunto community for your favorite training music. Here’s what you listen to as two Spotify playlists! In the pursuit of peak performance, the right playlist can be just as essential as the perfect pair of sneakers or a well-balanced meal. Understanding the profound impact music has on our workouts, we turned to the Suunto community for their ultimate training anthems.  The result? Two electrifying compilations curated directly from their recommendations: one pulsating with fast, energetic rhythms to fuel the most intense workouts, and the other, a collection of smooth, easy-listening melodies crafted to accompany moments of serene focus and recovery.  Dive into the beats that inspire, motivate, and elevate our training sessions below!   Fast-paced training music by Suunto Community We asked you delivered: These power songs get the Suunto community through the tough workouts.   Easy-paced training music by Suunto Community We asked you delivered: These chill songs get the Suunto community's workouts to flow smoothly.

Want to know what gears you use and monitor the battery on your electronic shifting? Read on and learn how – and why – to connect your Suunto with Shimano Di2 electronic shifting. The new Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app connects your Suunto sports watch with Shimano’s electronic shifting for real-time guidance and saves data for after-ride analysis. See the gears you are using and the status of your Di2 battery on your Suunto.   Through the Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app, developed in partnership with Shimano, you can monitor crucial data such as gear positions and Di2 battery status directly on your Suunto. You can view details of your shifting after your ride in Suunto app.  The SuuntoPlus sports app also saves Shimano Di2 data in Suunto app for later analyzes. It can be viewed in relation to power and speed, for example.   What gear I am on (and why should I care) Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app offers clear benefits both during and after the ride. During the ride, you will easily see how much battery you have left in your electronic shifting system and the gears you are on. The gears you use, are also saved as part of the activity in Suunto app. Taking a moment to study these, may give you some interesting insights. Firstly, you will learn what gears you mostly use. Did you mostly use the higher or the lower gears or was the use well in balance? This can lead to two findings: is your gearing right for the terrain and how’s your chainline. If you spend most of the time on the lower gears and hardly ever touch the higher ones, you may want to consider a smaller chainring. Or if you are a lot on the hardest gear and spinning out, a bigger chainring might be a good option. Another consideration is the chainline. The word ‘chainline’ refers to how straight your chain runs between the front chainring(s) and the rear sprockets. A straigt chainline is more effective and stresses the components less. So, spending more time on rear sprockets that offer a straight, “perfect” chainline is smart. This data can be collected with the Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app.   How to use SHIMANO Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app Sync the Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app to your watch from Suunto app’s SuuntoPlus Store. Select the Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app in the exercise settings before starting your workout. During activity, scroll with the middle button to view the SuuntoPlus screen. Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sport apps stores data for after analysis in Suunto app. Next time you start your ride with the same sport mode, your Shimano Di2 SuuntoPlus sports app is selected as default and connects with your Shimano Di2. Happy riding!   Lead image: Philipp Reiter / The Adventure Bakery