Text and images by Jill Heinerth Last summer, I embarked on a transformative journey alongside the passionate young environmental scientist, Kayla Martin. It was a season that left an indelible mark on both our lives, a tale of mentorship, perseverance, and the power of community. Kayla Martin playing in the sea foam in Les Escoumins. The story began when I seized a unique opportunity to nurture Kayla's burgeoning talent. She was a beacon of potential, and I was determined to foster her growth. Drawing upon the network of organizations that support me, I took a leap of faith and dipped into my personal funds to launch an expedition. This venture was more than just a scientific mission; it was the next step in her career in environmental science and communication. As we prepared for the adventure that lay ahead, we ventured into local waters, diving to enhance our skills in the cold underwater environments we were about to explore and document. Yet, it didn't take long for me to realize that Kayla needed more reliable gear to navigate these unforgiving waters. In this critical moment, when determination met resourcefulness, Suunto came to our aid by transferring my annual gear support to her. Hollis, recognizing the importance of our mission, provided Kayla with a state-of-the-art sidemount harness, and Fourth Element crafted a snug, protective drysuit to keep her warm in the chilly depths. I passed along essential equipment like a backup computer, undergarments, and various other items she required for our underwater expedition. A small plane lies in a freshwater quarry in Quebec, one of the first stops on their expedition. The result was a remarkable collaboration that transcended the boundaries of our initial project. Our shared dedication to environmental preservation and scientific exploration continues to flourish. Fast forward to the present day, and Kayla has emerged as a trailblazing leader in her field. This year, she is at the helm of an expedition dedicated to surveying an undocumented shipwreck, an endeavor that exemplifies her unwavering commitment to education, conservation, and groundbreaking environmental research. Our journey serves as a testament to the profound impact that a helping hand and the right tools can have on shaping a promising career. Diving is an expensive passion, and the financial barriers often deter young enthusiasts from pursuing studies that could safeguard our precious planet. This experience has reinforced the belief that if you encounter a young and eager individual in your midst, someone who harbors the potential to be a future leader in their field, consider rallying your community to lend support. When we equip and empower the next generation, the possibilities are limitless, and together, we can shape a brighter future for our world. Watch now: How Great Lakes Freshwater is Linked to the Ocean More people have walked on the moon than have been to some of the remote places Jill Heinerth has explored on Earth. Jill Heinerth is a veteran of over thirty years of scientific diving, filming/photography, and exploration. Her expeditions include the first dives inside Antarctica icebergs and record-breaking scientific missions in deep underwater caves worldwide. Jill’s book INTO THE PLANET – My Life as a Cave Diver has drawn wide acclaim from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and even Oprah magazine. Her children’s book, THE AQUANAUT, has been selected by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library as a part of her inspirational initiative. Jill bought her first Suunto gear in 1988 and still dives with Suunto. For more info: www.IntoThePlanet.com

Suunto ambassador Courtney Dauwalter wins the UTMB® and completes her "Triple Crown Challenge". Suunto ambassador Courtney Dauwalter became the first person ever to win the three legendary 100-mile ultra-trail running races, UTMB, Western States Endurance Run and Hardrock 100 in the same year. And not only in the same calendar year but within just two and a half months. Courtney’s UTMB win also completed her UTMB hat trick. Saturday’s win was her third in the 170 km race around Mont-Blanc. Her previous wins were from 2019 and 2021.   “I think anytime we are given the opportunity to try something difficult or crazy we should absolutely take it. This was totally crazy and really, really difficult – but worth it,” Courtney said at the finish line, only moments after completing her unbelievable feat. Courtney approached all three of the races as if each was the only race of her season. She didn’t think of the fatigue there might be and was giving it all that she had in each of them. Her tactic paid off as she set new course records at the Western States in California in late June as well as at Hardrock 100 in Colorado in July. Courtney started the UTMB with that same intention; without being conservative with pacing. “Let’s race how I normally would and see where that road leads us,” she thought.   It seems that her tactic worked out – until about two-thirds of the way. On top of one of the biggest climbs, the Grand Col Ferret, total body fatigue hit. “The entire second half of the race was really, really hard. My body was not wanting to run anymore. My stomach was a little finicky. I almost lost my lunch on the streets of Champex Lac but luckily held it together and was able to will myself to this finish line.” “Honestly I am not sure if I would have made it back here without Kevin, my husband, and some of my family crewing and all the insane fans out on the course. Thank you so much! That was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced! And the volunteers were just the best. Thank you all for helping me get back to Chamonix.”   The UTMB starts in Chamonix, France and circumnavigates the tallest mountain in Europe through Italy and Switzerland to finish again in Chamonix amongst the passionate trail-running crowd. Courtney finished her race in 23 hours, 29 minutes and 14 seconds. The second female finisher, Katharina Hartmuth stopped the race clock – as well as her Suunto Vertical – in a time of 24:10:52. Courtney ran the race with her trusty Suunto 9 Peak Pro. She likes the lightweight and compact design of the Suunto 9 Peak Pro. Despite the smaller form factor and 55-gram weight, the Suunto 9 Peak Pro has a 40-hour battery life with best GPS settings, great accuracy and all the features Courtney needed to make ultra-trail history – again.   All images by The Adventure Bakery   READ MORE Ultra champ Courtney Dauwalter’s 6 tips for mental strength Courtney Dauwalter and her pursuit of mind power Be my adventure valentine: what you need to know to be the ultimate support person

The idea of the Backyard Adventure Challenge was to start right at your doorstep. There was no need to travel far or to make big plans. Adventuring close to home is also good for the environment. All you needed was some free time, a few good friends and the will to let loose. This is exactly what we got! Thank you, everyone, for participating! It was inspiring and fun to see how different your adventures were. The Backyard Adventure Grand Jury (well, that’s our brand manager and our social media manager) went through the candidates and ranked them. The winner was a very positive, approachable short film from Nova Scotia, Canada. Congratulations Aryn, Bader and Alex for your win, and thank you for sharing your Lighthouse Imitation Tour. You will each receive a brand new Suunto Vertical GPS watch to accompany you on your future adventures. View this post on Instagram Henkilön Alex MacLean (@alexmaclean.902) jakama julkaisu ”The bottle pointed in the southwest direction…” Hey Alex. Thank you for participating in the Suunto Backyard Adventure challenge. Who was out there adventuring with you and where were you? The team consisted of Aryn Sanojca, Bader Kanawati, and myself (Alex MacLean). Our Backyard Adventure took us on a tour of the Chebucto Peninsula just outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. What were some of the highlights of your adventure? I think the main highlight of the trip was actually creating the human lighthouses! This created a purpose at each stop, instead of just riding to each lighthouse and taking a photo. It also added some humour to the day, which was much appreciated at the end of a long day in the saddle. But besides that, the Timbits and Iced Capp I bought at Tim Horton's were fantastic and the weather remaining rain-free for the entire ride was also great! Can you tell me a bit more about the lighthouses? When the bottle stopped spinning and pointed in the southwest direction, we did quite a bit of brainstorming. We considered biking to the most southwestern tip of Nova Scotia, Hawk Beach. Recent flooding had washed out sections of the local rail trail and road, eliminating this from our options. We also considered aid climbing all the climbs at a local crag, but concluded that this would involve primarily Type 2 fun. We decided we wanted something a little more enjoyable, and committed to an activity on the Chebucto Peninsula. The "Peggy's Cove Loop" on the Chebucto Peninsula is a loop that is approximately 100 km round trip from Halifax, and passes by the famous Peggy's Cove lighthouse. It's a common route for cyclists, and we decided it wasn't unique enough to be deserving of the Backyard Adventure challenge. So we built upon this, and decided to attempt to visit each lighthouse on the Chebucto Peninsula with our bikes. And to add an element of silliness to the adventure, we decided to "build" a human lighthouse at each stop and take a photo. Unfortunately, the photos proved somewhat unsuccessful. Bader missed the turn for the first lighthouse, and decided it wasn't worth cycling 15 minutes in the opposite direction to join Aryn and I. Access to the second lighthouse was restricted as it was on private property, even though it appeared on Google Maps. We settled for a photo at a small lookoff over the ocean. The third lighthouse had been demolished, so we took our photo on its old foundation. The fourth lighthouse was also blocked by a private road. We walked down a vague path until we were as close as we could get, and settled for a photo there. We never did make it to the Peggy's Cove lighthouse as a 25-foot section of the road was washed out from the recent flooding. We decided to take our final photo in front of the washed-out road, before wrapping up the tour and heading home. Thanks for sharing! Sounds like your Backyard Adventure was full of surprises – as it should! Learn more about the Backyard Adventure Challenge – and the tools for your adventure.

Segments are a key part of the Strava community for many. They are stretches of road or trail created by members where athletes can compare times. The segments can be used to compete with others or to follow your own progress over time. A great example of the power of Strava Segments can be found in Suunto ambassador Philipp Reiter’s home village of Bad Reichenhall in Southern Germany. “The trail up Dötzenkopf is a steep 1,8 km uphill with 400 meters of elevation gain”, says Suunto ambassador Philipp Reiter. “It’s my favorite training area and I have been up there more than 1500 times. From the top you have a nice view over Bad Reichenhall and to Salzburg.” The power of the trail and the segment is more than the physical challenge of it: it brings people together. “People do it for fitness before and after work, the older people in the morning. During Easter and Christmas, they prepare a little tree and hang decoration. It’s also a social meeting mountain for the locals,” says Philipp. Strava Live Segments bring the experience of competing on a run or ride segment to your Suunto Vertical, Suunto 9 Peak Pro, Suunto 9 Peak and Suunto 9 Baro watch. Here’s step by step guidance on how to use the feature. Connect your Suunto and Strava accounts Go to your profile in Suunto app and select “Partner services” -> “Connect with Strava”. Note: If your Suunto and Strava accounts are already connected, you will need to re establish the connection to get the segment data to flow from Strava to your Suunto account: Simply go to the above mentioned "Partner services" section of Suunto app, find "Strava" and tap "disconnect" and then "Connect with Strava" to re-establish the connection. Select your favorite segments On the Strava app, go to the Maps tab to find the segments you want to follow on your watch, then hit the star to save it as your favorite. The starred segments will be available for you as live segments on your Suunto. Unstarring a segment in Strava will also remove it from your Suunto. See your starred segments in Suunto app In the Suunto app you will see your starred segments, the ones that are synced with your Suunto for live-follow-up: Go to “SuuntoPlus Store” -> “My SuuntoPlus Guides” -> “Strava segments” Activate Strava Live Segments on your watch Select Strava Segments Guide for running or cycling in the exercise settings: After selecting your preferred sport mode – but before pressing start – scroll down to “SuuntoPlus” -> “Guides” -> “Strava segments”. Turn them on. Follow segment data during activity Strava Live Segments will be added as an extra screen. Scroll right to see it. During your run or ride, you will see how close the closest segment start is. Once you get within 100 meters, the watch will alert you that you are approaching a segment. As you reach the starting point, the segment will start. During the segment your time will be compared to your personal record (PR), showing you how much ahead or behind you are. If you don’t have a personal best time on that segment, the comparison will be with King/Queen of the Mountain (KOM/QOM). After finishing the segment you will see your segment time, a comparison to your previous PR and whether you managed to earn the new Queen or King of the Mountain crown or not. See the segments as laps in Suunto app After chasing segments with SuuntoPlus Strava Segments and syncing your data with Suunto app, you can see the segments as laps in your activity. Get Strava Subscription with a new Suunto watch When buying a new Suunto watch you will also receive the Suunto Value Pack, a collection of benefits and treats offered by our partners. One of the benefits is a free, 60-day Strava subscription! Learn more about Suunto Value Pack

By Jill Heinerth Deep beneath our feet lies a mesmerizing world that remains largely unknown: a network of water-filled caves winding through the darkness, carrying the lifeblood of our planet. As a cave diver, I have dedicated my life to exploring these mysterious subterranean passages. I invite you to join me on a captivating journey into the depths, where fear and discovery converge, and where the delicate balance of survival and exploration unfolds. The Hidden Pathways These underground tunnels, sculpted by the gentle touch of rainwater permeating the Earth's surface, act as conduits that transport precious freshwater from deep aquifers to springs, rivers, and estuaries. Ultimately, this water embarks on a journey to the vast ocean, sustaining a thriving plankton community that generates the very oxygen we breathe. The caves I explore serve as the life-supporting veins of our planet, nurturing the lungs that allow life to flourish. The Thrill of Exploration While most people recoil at the thought of descending into the darkness of caves, I am irresistibly drawn to their constricted corridors. Equipped with cutting-edge technology and relying on each measured breath, I embrace the unknown depths. In the remoteness of my office, the boundaries between fear and discovery blur, and a single misstep could spell disaster. The exploration of these caves is not without risk, but the reward is an unparalleled sense of fulfillment and a chance to educate others about the fragility of our water planet. A Perilous Pursuit Cave diving has rightfully earned its reputation as a dangerous activity, but it also represents the frontier of scientific exploration. Aquanauts, including passionate enthusiasts, daring researchers, and scientists, push the limits of human capability as they navigate through the eternal darkness of labyrinthine limestone networks spanning the globe. Armed with multiple scuba tanks, advanced rebreathers, and swift diver propulsion vehicles, they boldly venture deep into these treacherous passageways, pushing the boundaries of exploration in terms of both distance and knowledge. Unleashing Art and Science As a filmmaker and photographer, I find myself balancing the creation of art with the meticulous monitoring of life support equipment in demanding circumstances. Whether I embark on solo adventures or join scientific expeditions, self-sufficiency becomes paramount. There is no Mission Control to solve my problems when I find myself blindly searching for a broken safety line in a cloud of silt with zero visibility. The challenges are immense, but so are the rewards. Unveiling Hidden Wonders Through my explorations, I have had the privilege of becoming the eyes and hands of scientists, unveiling a world that has never before been witnessed. Underwater caves serve as virtual museums of natural history, where I collaborate with biologists to uncover new species, assist physicists in studying climate change, and aid hydrogeologists in examining our precious freshwater reserves. These subterranean pathways have led me to grim sources of pollution, vibrant life thriving within Antarctic icebergs, and even ancient skeletal remains of the Maya civilization in the Yucatan Peninsula. Connecting to the Source By venturing into the world beneath our feet, I glide through limestone, passing beneath homes, golf courses, and restaurants. I delve into the ancient conduits of volcanoes and navigate crevices within colossal bodies of ice. Following the trail of water, I am guided from mountain creeks to resplendent blue springs, each emitting its life-sustaining bounty from within the heart of our planet. Even when the passages pinch and my dive is forced to come to an end, the water continues to flow from some enigmatic source. The journey is endless, beckoning me forward to explore the caverns, immeasurable to my imagination. It is a privilege to uncover these hidden shrines and share concealed mysteries from deep inside our planet. I want to connect humanity to where their water comes from and show people that what we do on the land’s surface will eventually be returned to us to drink. More people have walked on the moon than have been to some of the remote places Jill Heinerth has explored on Earth. Jill Heinerth is a veteran of over thirty years of scientific diving, filming/photography, and exploration. Her expeditions include the first dives inside Antarctica icebergs and record-breaking scientific missions in deep underwater caves worldwide. Jill’s book INTO THE PLANET – My Life as a Cave Diver has drawn wide acclaim from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and even Oprah magazine. Her children’s book, THE AQUANAUT, has been selected by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library as a part of her inspirational initiative. Jill bought her first Suunto gear in 1988 and still dives with Suunto. For more info: www.IntoThePlanet.com

This Pride Month, we are calling all LGBTQIA+ trail runners to participate in the 2nd Annual LGBTQ+ Running Retreat in the North Cascades this October, hosted by Queer Pro Ultra-Runner, Suunto ambassador Ryan Montgomery and Aspire Adventure Running! Ryan having a blast at the Javelina Jundred 100-miler. (Image by Nick Danielson) ”A couple of years ago when I started becoming more visible as a queer-identifying elite athlete, I recognized that the opportunity to compete at an elite level also comes with the opportunity to make an inclusive impact in the sport,” says Ryan. “Running has been my conduit and my catalyst for really helping me understand who I am — to come out of my own closet and to be comfortable with my own identity. Part of the genesis of the Out Trails LGBTQ+ Running Retreat is to help other queer-identifying athletes have an opportunity to push themselves physically and mentally, alongside a supportive community, to learn something new about the outdoors or themselves.” All experience levels are welcome The LGBTQ+ Running Retreat is inviting 40 runners to Mt. Baker Ski Area, Washington, USA for 3 nights and 2 full days of running/hiking. If you are a member of the LGBTQ+ running community, we encourage you to sign-up for the running retreat now! And to help eliminate the barrier for some members of the LGBTQ+ community, this Pride Month, Suunto is supporting the event with scholarships for 25 LGBTQ-identifying runners! Also the scholarship applications are now open. Register for the running retreat here, or apply for the scholarship here!   To learn more about the trip, visit the Out Trails LGBTQ+ Running Retreat Course Page.   READ MORE The importance of diversity in the outdoors Allyship in the outdoors: what is it and how to be a good ally for others? A native runner's perspective on inclusivity