Suunto Blog

Jeff Pelletier, a trail runner and filmmaker from Vancouver, BC, Canada put together this great video with some tips for navigating with the Suunto Spartan. He showcases how you can navigate in new surroundings or challenging terrain using these three different features of the Spartan. 1. Routes 2. Compass 3. Breadcrumb   Watch the video now!   You are not limited to these three ways to navigate. You can also use POI navigation (read how this is done here). In addition, as of the Spartan update in June (1.9.36) you can now also use find back navigation which plots your quickest route back to your starting point utilizing the compass to guide you.   Main image by @jpelletier   Learn more about Suunto Spartan GPS watches

I’ve been to the Himalayas before, but not like this I’ve been running in the Himalayas plenty, but I’ve never done anything quite this: an attempt on Cho Oyu, an 8000m peak and the sixth tallest mountains in the world. We did all the acclimatization at home I was there for less than two weeks – most people take two months to acclimatize. This is very much new-school, fast-and-light alpinism. We did all the acclimatization at home hooked up to a machine that simulated being up at 7500m. People hear we did an expedition, and they think ‘sherpas’ But that’s not how we did it. That’s not how I want to go the mountains, and not how Kilian wants to go to the mountains. There was no pressure This was a trip I did for myself, out of my own pocket – so there was very little pressure to ‘do it for the sponsors’. I wanted to explore for myself and see what was possible for myself. At sea level Kilian is much faster But at altitude we start to even out a little bit more – although he will always be stronger and more technical. We were surprised at how fast we were moving at altitude – about 250m an hour at 7500m. That’s pretty fast. I reach 7500m and 7800m on two different days The first time was a planned acclimatization. The second attempt was a summit bid – it was our last day, and there was a small weather window. But it got late, bad weather started rolling in, and I simply decided to turn around. Kilian and I discussed that he would go on. I had to wait a few hours for him to come down – during that time I regretted a bit the decision to split up. Ueli’s death gave us a big scare We were in Cho Oyu we got the news about Ueli Steck. I didn’t know him personally well, but he was friends with Kilian. He was extreme but he was a hero. His life was an affirmation of everything that is possible. When he died it was hard. Kilian never considered not following through There is a big difference between Ueli’s very technical route and Kilian’s Everest Route. I knew Kilian was in a really good shape and responding well to the altitude. I knew he would be fine on Everest in the right conditions. When he was taking longer than expected I began to worry a bit, as Kilian is usually extremely good at predicting his times – but I was getting updates from Seb Montaz. I don’t want to do Everest I want to go to some high altitude mountains. I really liked it. Mountains are the foundation, racing is just the topping. I love running and skiing, and I’m fascinated with alpinism, but I’m more concerned about the exposure. I don’t like that. I’m a big fan of life. I don’t see myself moving in the kind of terrain that Ueli did, in the way that he did. Even if I attained the technical skills, I don’t think I want to be here. I would like to go back to Mt Blanc Ii have been running up and down many times, but I want to put a record on that one – there’s not so many women doing it. I would like to go back to Cho Oyu to ski, as the winter route looks amazing. Some other bigger peaks as well. But Cho Oyu on skis might be my next dream trip. I am happy Kilian is done I want to keep his passport so that he can’t go anywhere for some time!

 We caught up with Kilian as soon as he returned to Europe and talked a bit about his two Everest summits. “It was really interesting to see the Himalayas and Everest as the mountains in the Alps. In the Base Camp I packed all the gear I needed, a backpack of about seven kilos, and started running towards the night and then kept moving all the night and during the day on the ridge. When I was on the summit it was night again. It was a really good feeling to be on the summit of the world alone,” Kilian says.   Watch a Suunto Movie of Kilian’s amazingly fast ascent from Base Camp to the summit Kilian started the climb at the Base Camp at the ancient Rongbuk monastery at 5.100m. The climb began well but Kilian was hampered by stomach problems from 7.500m, which slowed him down considerably and forced him to make repeated stops. “I didn’t feel great and was moving very slowly. I had to stop every few metres with cramps and vomiting. But I felt ok with the altitude and decided to continue. When I got back down [to Advanced Base Camp] I thought I would like to try another attempt if I felt well enough,” he explained. And Kilian did. Only six days later he summited Everest from the Advanced Base Camp (6.400m). The weather was worse than during his first climb, very windy and snowing at the top. However, the conditions improved throughout the night and he returned to the camp 28 hours 30 minutes after leaving. “I was feeling a little tired from the first climb but it was good to know that it is possible to climb these big mountains on consecutive days, not only as one month projects with one summit per month. It is possible to do many activities in the big mountains. It was really windy and it was snowing on the summit but it was another incredible moment,” Kilian says. The two ascents are part of Kilian’s Summits of My Life project, which has taken him to some of the most iconic mountains across the globe setting records for fastest known ascents. He began in the Mont Blanc range in 2012 and has since climbed in Europe (Mont Blanc & Matterhorn), in North America (Denali) and in South America (Aconcagua). He tried to ascend Everest already in 2016 but then poor weather conditions forced him to abandon his climb.  Kilian was accompanied on this Everest expedition by mountain guide and cameraman Sébastien Montaz-Rosset.

“I’m so happy to have made the summit again! Today I felt good although it was really windy so it was hard to move fast. I think summiting Everest twice in one week without oxygen opens up a new realm of possibilities in alpinism and I’m really happy to have done it,” Kilian said after returning to the mountain’s Advanced Base Camp. Jornet had already reached the summit on May 22, but stomach cramps had prevented him from completing his route as planned. Jornet reached the summit via the North Face of Everest on May 27 at 9pm. He had left the Advanced Base Camp at 6.400m at 2am. He climbed to the summit on the ‘normal’ route passing the three high altitude camps used by climbers attempting the world’s highest mountain, a climb which takes on average four days. The climb to the summit was slow but continuous. The wind was the main obstacle Jornet had to overcome, on an extremely windy Himalayan day. Weather conditions improved throughout the night in the latter part of the route and he returned to Advanced Base Camp 28 hours 30 minutes after leaving. With this ascent Jornet repeats the feat of reaching the world’s highest point after having climbed to the summit only six days earlier. On the previous climb, he reached the summit in 26 hours, but he started that one lower down, at the Base Camp at the ancient Rongbuk monastery at 5.100m. The first climb had begun well but he was hampered by stomach problems from 7.500m, which slowed him down considerably and forced him to make repeated stops.   “I didn’t feel great and was moving very slowly. I had to stop every few metres with cramps and vomiting. But I felt ok with the altitude and decided to continue. When I got back down I thought I would like to try another attempt if I felt well enough,” he explained.    The two ascents are part of Kilian’s Summits of My Life project, which has taken Kilian to some of the most iconic mountains across the globe setting records for fastest known ascents. He began in the Mont Blanc range in 2012 and has since climbed in Europe (Mont Blanc & Matterhorn), in North America (Denali) and in South America (Aconcagua). He tried to ascend Everest already in 2016 but then poor weather conditions forced him to abandon his climb. Jornet was accompanied on this Everest expedition by mountain guide and cameraman Sébastien Montaz-Rosset.

Ueli Steck, our long-time friend and ambassador, died in a climbing accident in the Himalayas on April 30. Ueli was not just an exceptional athlete and explorer. His humble attitude and persistence to realize his dreams was an inspiration to many – us included. Ueli Steck, 4.10.1976–30.4.2017 We were privileged to be by Ueli’s side since 2005. We saw him grow from a speed climber in the Alps to one of the best mountaineers of his time and an exceptional endurance athlete. Ever since Ueli’s 2008 record-breaking solo speed ascent of the north face of the Eiger Ueli Steck was regarded as one of climbing’s most spectacular talents. In 2013 he was in the limelight after making an incredibly bold solo ascent of the south face of Annapurna (8,091 m) in 28 hours – a new record. The ascent won him the Piolet d’Or, one of climbing’s most prestigious awards. “I was at the limits of my physical and mental ability. To go to such limits changes your consciousness,” Ueli said after the expedition. Climbers regard it as one of the most significant climbs in the Himalayas in a generation. Ueli did not do things the traditional way. He wanted to climb light to be able to move fast. To him fast meant less time spent at altitude which increased safety. But Ueli was also a purist. “It’s out of the question for me to use bottled oxygen,” he said. “I either make the summit without it or I turn back, go home and train more.” And train he did. He was preparing for his climbs like an Olympic endurance athlete. Climbing was just one part of getting faster, being better. In fact, Ueli really fell in love with trail running and believed endurance training could be the best way for him to become even better as a mountaineer: the gains he could get by training climbing were marginal compared to the gains he could get by being in the best possible shape. When preparing for his Everest Lhotse Traverse Ueli travelled to Khumbu Valley for high-altitude training this February. He wanted to spend time and train in high altitude to be ready for his big Himalayan challenge this spring. And he was ready. We have never seen Ueli as confident and relaxed as he was before his travel to Everest in April. He felt that he was in the shape of his life and was really looking forward to the climbs in the highest mountains of the world. “Working with Ueli all these years has been an inspiration; his way to see the sport, his pure way to approach the mountains and his determination in his projects pushed also us to do things better. Our long talks were filled with energy and inspiration. We have not only lost an athlete, but a friend who will always be remembered,” says Joan Sola, sport and community manager at Suunto. It was in the mountains that Ueli felt most at home. To him the north face of Eiger was as casual as a trail in the local park is for us. That is where he felt most at home. But no matter what the route or the mountain, Steck’s inspiration remained the same. “It’s the challenge of moving on in life,” he says. “I always want to try something I have not done before.” And that attitude of moving forward, of making progress, is what inspired us the most in Ueli. He showed us all that dreams can come true with determination and hard work. Ueli, may your spirit forever guard others who live their dreams on the mountains. We will miss you – and your broad smile.

Emelie Forsberg is travelling to Cho Oyu together with Kilian Jornet. After considering various options the couple chose this mountain that has a reputation as one of the least technically difficult 8000-meter peaks in the Himalayan range and that is reasonably accessible from the base camp. Kilian will use Cho Oyu as valuable preparation for climbing Everest. He will be traveling directly to the highest mountain on Earth after Cho Oyu. Emelie, how are you feeling before attempting to climb your first 8000-meter peak? I´m super exited and so motivated to give my all. I know it´s not sure at all that I can reach the summit, but the adventure and the journey there will be very interesting. How did you prepare for this project? Did you train differently than you would otherwise at this time of the year? We did sleep in an altitude tent, and I was not fresh after that so I couldn’t train the same as I normally do. I tried to do that in December and I was so tired after hard trainings. So I did a little longer days instead which can be good for the summit attempt. What do you like about mountaineering? I think mountaineering is just the step after skiing and running, when we come to more technical terrain, that’s when the mountaineering starts! I like it because it´s like the continuation of skiing and running, we need to be able to climb mountains to get ourselves there. I like the focus I need and that it´s so much more I need to learn. Every time I get more comfortable in mountaineering there are higher levels to go, so it never ends! How do you like Tibet? Never been there. It will be a new experience. What’s the highest you have been so far? ”Only” 6600 meters! How do you adapt to altitude? It can be different from time to time, but I have never felt really bad in altitude. But over 7500m will be very different, I think. What will the biggest challenges be for you? The altitude for sure, and to be moving for over 20 hours. What are the conditions like on Cho Oyu currently? Normally in the beginning of May it´s pretty good conditions; not too icy, not too much snow, and pretty stable weather. What’s the goal of this project? For sure it would be a success if I can go to the summit, but everything is an experience that leads us somewhere.