It was 36 days, 1900 km of ski touring, about 90,000 m of ascent, and three times harder than anything 37-year-old Mark Smiley has ever done in the mountains.   The 2018 Red Bull Der Lange Weg (The Long Way) took everything he and his wife Janelle had in the tank. Plus some. The world’s longest ski tour from Vienna, Austria across the Alps to Nice, France started on March 17 and finished on April 26. Only seven athletes started, only five finished, including Mark and Janelle, who became the first woman to do so.     Their average moving time was 10.5 hours a day. They covered about 32 km a day and burned 12,000 calories everyday. No amount of Wiener schnitzel and potato dumplings could fill the hole. “It was insane,” Mark says back in the comfort of his own home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.   The mountains have been Mark’s happy place since he first laid eyes on them as a kid. “I remember going on a family skiing trip when I was 11 and driving down Interstate Highway 70, which has big mountains on either side, and I was like, ‘why hasn’t anyone told me about this before now? I’ve been jipped!‘” After that he moved from the farming plains of Indiana, where he grew up, out to the Rocky Mountains. He’s been there ever since.   He and Janelle have attempted all of America’s 50 classic climbs, and have been successful on 48 of them. It’s took them seven years to get that far.   “No one has climbed all of them. We were trying to become the first,” Mark says. “Now I’m more psyched about combining technical climbing with technical skiing. The combination of the two is cutting edge. If I can get in both on a trip then I’m winning!”     Mark started mountain guiding 17 years ago, and has been doing it pro for five years. With many teachers in his family it’s not surprising he enjoys educating and empowering people in the outdoors. “I treat the people I guide like partners, rather than risks,” he says. “The best teachers can teach without the pupil feeling like they’re being taught.”   It was a logical next step for him to combine his knowledge and passion for outdoor education with his filmmaking skills. He recently produced an online video course on Crevasse Rescue for the Modern Climber, and it’s proving popular.   “This course is like a seat belt,” Mark says. “You wear a seat belt even though you probably won’t actually need it.   “Most of the time out there it‘s fine, but when you need it, you really need that rescue knowledge. Especially in the US, it could be days before someone else comes along and finds you. It’s crucial to be self-sufficient.”     “I‘ve spent 300 days on glaciers and have never fallen in. The chances of needing to use these rescue skills are pretty low. But when you need them, they’re suddenly super important.”   Mark is clear the course doesn’t replace in-person learning in the field. He says it’s always better if people can come out and do a three-day course with him, and drill the skills so they become muscle memory. However, the online course has some advantages.    “Online learning has limitations, but the benefits outweigh them,” he says. “You can rewind it, pause it, play it 100 times. You can’t do that in person. So if you’re a slow learner you can watch it until you get it. If you want to hire me for the day, it’s $600, plus travel, plus time away from work. So, for many people, this course is more accessible.”   He encourages people to try the course and if they don’t learn anything he offers a full money back guarantee. The course offers the latest, cutting-edge ways of carrying out crevasse rescue.   As a taster, Mark offers three tips:   1. "Tie butterfly knots every three or four meters apart in your rope between each two people. The butterfly knot acts like a boat anchor and it will drag the victim to a stop and potentially hold all of the victim's body weight."   2. "Buy a Petzl Micro Traxion and know how to use it. They’re a game changer."   3. "Getting yourself out of crevasse is five times faster than waiting for your buddy to haul you out. Have a good plan about how to get yourself out."     Mark is offering Suunto.com readers 20 % off the course price until July 22, 2018. The promo code is: suuntoclimb. Watch or download the course here.        All images are from Red Bull Der Lange Weg and taken by Philipp Reiter and Christian Gamsjäger. ©Red Bull Content Pool     

What's been happening? I have been in Auburn, California the last four weeks preparing for the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run (WS). I came early to see what the trail holds, and to get used to temperature and altitude. I’ve adjusted well. I really eased into, and then moved to run in the hottest part of the day. It’s about 35 degrees celcius, and hotter still in the canyons. I’ve been lucky that over the last few years I’ve chased the sun, and haven’t had a winter. I’m feeling good! What’s been new for you there? The WS trail is super unique because of its downhill nature. I’ve never run a trail with so much grinding downhill. It sounds good, but after a while you’re searching for a hill. The quads feel it! Western States is quite special for you, right? Absolutely, because I’ve wanted to run it forever since I was 15. It was the first race I ever heard of, and I’ve been trying to get to the start line for three years. My aim for the race is to give my best; it’s an honor just having a bib. To complete my first 100 miles is a big thing – it’s a really long way. The people I get to stand on a start line with are amazing. I was their fangirl when I was a teenager. Now they are giving me advice, which says a lot about the camaraderie in our sport. What's in your diary this summer and what's the main focus? WS is the main focus. I’ve left the back half of the year open. WS is my first 100-mile event, and I’m not sure how I will feel physically, mentally, emotionally after it. I’ll play it by ear. I have respect for what WS will take from me. I’m heading to the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc in France, just to be there. I’ll spend some time traveling in Europe. What are you most excited about? I’m excited to head to the Sky Running World Championships in Scotland at the start of September. I’ll be there as a supporter or a competitor – we’ll see. It’s my first time visiting Scotland. It would be nice if there was sunshine on race day! But I think I’m dreaming. Favorite post-training meal at the moment? I am plant-based, vegan. I use that to my advantage – I get to eat a lot! The foods I choose are plants and fruits so the quantity I have to eat is quite big and that pleases me. I love making green smoothies, or commonly known as “Shrek Poo” – lots of green vegetables blended with frozen bananas, and Amazonia vegan protein powder. It has a thick consistency. I top it with nuts and fruit. Delicious! Anything else inspiring you at the moment? I practice yoga, more for the mental benefits than the physical. When I run, because I’m so efficient, I drift off and think about other things. With yoga, I fully concentrate and listen to my body. It’s really intuitive. I’m living a simple life: run, eat, sleep, yoga, repeat. To be honest, I’m pretty happy with it. VIDEO: Follow along Lucy for a day as she prepares for the Western States Endurance Run!

If Jill Heinerth didn’t spend so much time underwater, we’d be a little more comfortable making this statement: the Canadian-American explorer is so darn busy, she barely has time to breathe. Between her expeditions, documentary filming, and you know, winning lifetime achievement awards, it’s a little tough to find a free moment – but unsurprisingly for those who know her, Jill was happy to fill us in. (And don’t worry – she’s got plenty of time to breathe.) First, the awards. What did you win? At the TekDiveUSA biennial conference, I was surprised with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the technical diving industry. In a fun tradition, they run a cave diving line into the audience to surprise the recipient. I was then blindfolded and had to follow the safety line to the stage while a show about my life was playing for the crowd. It came with a trophy… and quite the compliment. The award was a perfect little action figure of me in my diving and camera gear that was made by an artist in Poland. The citation read, “For a lifetime of consistent contribution and discovery that has opened up the field of technical diving.” But what really humbled me was that I was described as "our generation's Cousteau." I still feel quite speechless. I am the first woman to be recognized for the honor. Congratulations! On to the future. Where are you going to be this summer? Filming in the Arctic, filming with French-Canadian filmmaker Mario Cyr. We’re working on a film documenting climate change, dramatic changes in the sea ice. We'll be working with local Inuit elders to hear about their observations and adaptations. We’ll be in Arctic Bay, Repulse Bay and Greenland. You’re in a hurry. The climate in the Arctic is changing twice as fast as anywhere else on earth. The sea ice sets up later and breaks up earlier each year. In fact, we had to move up our filming by a month due to the receding ice. Our climate change doc is being thwarted by climate change! Our Inuit hosts called us and recommended that we hurry north as soon as possible due to unprecedented break up this year. So basically: ice is melting way to fast. If we lose Arctic sea ice, we lose an important regulating function on global temperature. The white ice reflects the sun's rays back into the atmosphere. The darker open sea, absorbs heat, further increasing the feedback loop that rises ocean temperatures and ultimates affects the global circulation of water currents. Furthermore, both the people of the north and the wildlife rely on sea ice. The Inuit call the sea ice, "the land" since it represents their hunting ground and their ability to travel to other places. The wildlife also hunt on "the land.” This is a big problem! The entire food web of the Arctic relies on sea ice. From the algae beneath its surface that feed the zooplankton to the polar bears that roam in search of seals, all organisms use the ice as a part of sustaining their feeding activities. To learn more about Jill’s Into the Arctic on the Edge film project, check out the website – and be sure to check out the teaser for her film below. WATCH ARCTIC ON THE EDGE

The 70th edition of Jukola Relay and the 41st Venla Relay will take the orienteers to Lahti and Hollola in Päijät-Häme Region about an hour north of Helsinki, Finland. The competition area is quite peculiar, as it is dominated by depression terrain formed by the Ice-Age. These depressions make navigating hard; the hollows are not as easy to see in the terrain as hills and rises would be. One also has to read the map carefully; are the contour lines up or down?   “Most of the features we use for navigation are below the main running level, not above as we're used to,” says Mårten Boström.     The depressions vary in size, some are small, some go down as much as 40 meters. Most of the terrain is pine forest with good runnability. There are also a lot of existing trails.   To get an idea of how the maps will look, check this out   “You should not plan on running through all depressions. If there's yellow on the bottom it might be a good idea to run along a depression's bottom, but otherwise, I'd suggest using the ridges between the depressions. Most animal trails and runner's tracks will also be going along the ridges, where you'll be avoiding the excess climb.”     Smart use of compass use is crucial in this year's Jukola.   “Most features you'll use for navigation are contours with soft edges, so it's hard to get your 100% specified location. When going through depressions (be sure you will no matter how well route choices you make) you need to be careful to exit in the correct angle,” says Mårten.   Main image by Kimmo Hirvonen / Lahti-Hollola Jukola, other images by Petri Kovalainen / Suunto   READ MORE THREE REASONS TO USE A THUMB COMPASS HOW TO USE SUUNTO AIM-6 THUMB COMPASS LEARN MORE ABOUT SUUNTO AIM-6 

The key benefit of a thumb compass over a traditional baseplate compass can be summed to one sentence: It is faster. But what exactly makes an orienteer with a thumb compass go faster?     You can run faster When using a thumb compass you hold the map and the compass in the same hand. This enables you to keep running while reading the map. “Using both hands for map work turns your running into penguin walk,” says Mårten.   You don't need to place the compass on the map again and again No more holding your finger on the map to mark your current location and no more need to place the compass back on the map. The compass is already there and pointing to where you want to go.   “A lot of times people are taught to place their thumb on the map where they are. However, I find it more useful to know where I am going and thus want to know what is the next spot where I can get solid confirmation on my location.”   You can take a new direction quicker There is no need to turn the compass capsule on the AIM-6 thumb compass. Simply see which sector on the compass capsule corresponds with your new direction and go. “I usually memorize the color first and then the shape. But you can create your own system for remembering the correct sector.”   All images: Petri Kovalainen / Suunto   READ MORE LEARN MORE ABOUT SUUNTO AIM-6 THUMB COMPASS HOW TO USE SUUNTO AIM-6 THUMB COMPASS DEVELOPING A NEW ORIENTEERING COMPASS IS A TEAM EFFORT

Packing for vacation should be easy – a couple swimsuits, a pair of flip-flops, some sunscreen, and you’re good to go – right? Not if you’re going diving. To say it’s an equipment-intensive sport is putting it lightly. Good news: you can get your tanks at almost any dive location – so at least you won’t have to put down for overweight baggage fees. But there are a few key items you’re probably going to want. Suunto’s Alec Jones has spent the good part of a decade at the dive paradise of Sharm-El-Sheik as a dive instructor – so he’s a qualified expert.     First off, do a holiday A dive holiday may sound extravagant, or expensive – but it’s one of the best ways to expand your horizons. “You’ll encounter different conditions, visibility, wildlife – you name it. Diving is about exploration!” says Alec.   Your own fins, mask and snorkel Fins and masks are pressure points – you get the wrong fit, and you’re going to be uncomfortable all day, and that makes diving less than fun. At that point you might as well chuck in a snorkel. “Rental kit often isn’t so nice,” says Alec. “Even if you’re just getting into it, I really recommend getting a decent, properly fitting mask, and some decent fins.” And if you’re someone who would call themselves a germaphobe, you might, uh, want your own wetsuit, too.   Dry Bags, sunscreen and hydration You’re probably going to be spending a lot – a lot – of time on a boat in the sun. Sunscreen you know about – but what you might not realize is how much you’ll get dehydrated. Add in that a lot of other counties purify their water – you won’t be getting minerals you’re used to – and it’s a recipe for dehydration. “A lot of people would come to dive in Egypt, get sick, and blame something in the water – but it’s actually dehydration!” says Jones.   Another great thing to bring along? Small or medium-sized dry bags to drag out on the boat – useful for electronics or just keeping a dry t-shirt nearby.   Gaffer tape and zip ties Why? You don’t know yet. Just bring ‘em.     A dive computer you know Your dive computer is an essential piece of kit – and since it’s a little complicated, it’s great to go with something you know. The new Suunto EON Core is an easy-to-use, Bluetooth®-equipped dive computer that will log every meter of every dive. With your own kit, you can pre-load it with your own dive plan – a nice bonus. Another hot tip? A portable power bank to keep your dive computer charged.   Keep going further Water covers over 70% of our planet – there are lots of places to go. “For Europeans, the Red Sea is really close,” Jones says. “But why stop there? There’s Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, the Cenotes in Mexico, the Florida Keys, Costa Rica, the Galapagos – the list is really endless!”   Do everything right, and you’ll have the experience of a lifetime – and you might even make some new friends. “I’ve seen a lot of solo divers come down and make friends that they’ll keep for life,” says Alec. “Now they come back year after year to dive together.”     READ ALSO A pro diver’s essential tips for newbie divers 10 tips to take amazing underwater photos