Freezing temperatures and strong winds scuttled the Swiss Machine’s attempt to climb 7861 m Nuptse in Nepal. Is he disappointed? No, he feels stronger than ever! Suunto ambassador Ueli Steck and climbing partner Colin Haley reached 6900 m on Nuptse before abandoning their attempt to reach its summit. Nuptse. © Ueli SteckWhile a borderline weather window opened on October 23 and 24, conditions were poor with a temperature of -28°C and a 50 km/h winds at the summit. The weather report for the following days predicted worse; -35°C and 80 to 100 km/h winds. “We decided to give it a go on the south face anyway,” Ueli says. “We scooped a fast, less technical line and hoped to at least reach the top. But from the beginning the meteorological test wasn’t positive.” No one has successfully climbed Nuptse via its highly technical south face since Russian climbers Valeri Babanov and Yuri Koshelenko first did it in 2003. Climbing the south face. © Ueli SteckUeli, Colin and two French climbers began the attempt from Chuckung valley at 04:30 and reached the base of the south face two hours later. After changing boots, they began the climb, which included sections of ice at 75° degrees, but mostly between 35° and 45° degrees. “It was beautiful climbing,” Ueli says. At around 14:00, they reached 6900 m and set up camp for the night. The following day they planned to summit and return to camp. But it wasn’t to be. Strong winds that night and in the morning made it too dangerous to continue so they packed up and returned to Chuckung. “It’s just impossible with 50 to 60 km/h winds to climb at that altitude without getting frostbite,” Ueli says. “There was also a significant amount of fresh snow so avalanche danger was also a factor.” © Ueli SteckDespite not achieving his goal, Ueli says he learns and grows as a climber from every climb, whether successful or not. Another attempt on Nuptse is on the cards in the future. “It’s the perfect mountain to me,” Ueli says. It’s almost 8000 m, which is definitely another game than climbing 6000 or 7000 m peaks. “Also, it’s not a remote mountain that takes weeks to get to. I like the climbing, but I don’t like too much hiking.” Over the coming winter months, Ueli plans to work on and present slideshows of his big summer in the mountains. In spring next year, he and German alpinist David Goettler will attempt to climb 8027 m Shishapangma, the 14th highest mountain in the world, via its technically demanding south face. © Ueli Steck For now, he's back in Switzerland enjoying some well deserved rest time. “I am super postive from the trip to Nuptse,” Ueli says. “I didn’t have many restdays and I climbed and ran a lot. I feel stronger then ever!” Click the links for part one, part two and part three of our series on Ueli Steck’s Nuptse expedition.

Step into Suunto ambassador Emelie Forsberg’s running shoes for a week of training, yoga, gardening, baking and cooking. When it comes to the mountain lifestyle, she’s living the dream. Take a peek into her world and be inspired! Trail running champion Emelie Forsberg lives in Chamonix in the French Alps and spends her days running around the Mont Blanc massif. But her life isn’t all intense training and competition. She has downtime and spends it doing yoga in stunning outdoor locations, tending her vegetable garden, studying and baking her signature treats. “I think for me, because I haven't always been in the world of training and racing, as many other athletes have, I find it very important to do other things on the side of the athlete life,” Emelie says. “I like to make up new recipes, read biology articles to keep my education up-to-date. I love taking time for the garden, and harvesting veggies in the summer and autumn. I also like writing, which I do for a Swedish magazine. All of these hobbies make my life as an athlete better!” Press play to watch Emelie talk about her love of running Monday: double training session Morning: I often wake up early (5 or 6 am), which means the sun has not normally risen over the mountains to reach the house. I often do yoga inside and then I make a coffee and go outside and walk around my little garden. I eat some homemade muesli and yoghurt. I leave the house and start the training. The first run is a harder session with some intervals.Noon: After getting home from my run, I prepare the lunch, usually with something from the garden. My favourite food now is a zucchini lasagne with tomatoes and cheese and Swiss chard. Then I need to catch up with emails and when I’m finished I bake some tasty cookies to enjoy that night. Afternoon/evening: Then it’s time for the afternoon session and I go for an hour easy run. Afterward, I do stretching and 10 core and back exercises. Prepare my running pack for the following day. I always go to bed early because I wake up early. Emelie recently attended a one week yoga camp. © Emelie Forsberg Tuesday: long mountain day Morning: Wake up early and take a quick breakfast. Grab my pack and go into the mountains. Training: Often the approach is around 3.4 hours and then the climbing and scrambling starts. I like to choose mountains where you need crampons and one ice axe. Evening: Coming home around dinnertime, I prepare a good dinner with veggies from the garden and then I spend the rest of the evening at home and maybe on the sofa reading. I like easy reading books that are like movies, like books by Ken Follet, or sometimes books by people like John Muir and Umberto Eco. Emelie has two vege patches. One is 3 m x 3 m, the other 1 m x 1.5 m. © Emelie Forsberg Wednesday: easy day Morning: I go on a short morning run before breakfast, come back and catch up with computer work. Then I bake something and do some gardening. I like to bake cakes, pastries and desserts as well as sourdough or fruit and nut bread. I experiment with flour like with chickpea flour, coconut flour and almond flour. Afternoon: I do a yoga session in the afternoon. This is a rest day. Click here to read more about Emelie Forsberg Cinnnamon buns are one of her favorite things to bake. © Emelie Forsberg Thursday: mixed day Morning: Yoga, coffee in the sun, then breakfast followed by a three hour run at a good pace. The pace depends on the terrain, but it’s almost racing pace.Noon: Lunch, with veggies from the garden. Afternoon: Roller skiing. Only uphill! Emelie's tips for improving your trail running! She runs straight out of her door and into the mountains. © Emelie Forsberg Friday: interval day Morning: Yoga, coffee in the sun, breakfast and then an interval training session. Afternoon: A two-hour easy paced run A coffee in the sun is a daily must in her routine. © Emelie Forsberg Saturday: rest day Just taking it easy today. Maybe going for an easy run. "I love maps! Looking to new routes and adventures," Emelie says. © Emelie Forsberg Sunday: big day This is normally a race day! If there’s no race, I normally do about a four hour run in the morning and stretch and do a core workout in the afternoon.Click here for Emelie's power pancakes recipe! Emelie does a core workout surrounded by her gardening equipment © Emelie Forsberg

Strong winds above 7000 m in the Himalaya have made things more difficult for Suunto ambassador Ueli Steck. But a good weather window might open just long enough for him to make a dash to the summit of 7861 m Nuptse. Here’s part three of our four part series. Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck is ready to make an attempt on Nuptse any day now. While he’s been enjoying good weather in Khumbu Valley, where he’s been acclimatizing since late September, strong winds above 7000 m have forced him and climbing partner Colin Haley to consider an easier line up the notoriously difficult south face of the mountain. Ueli caught up with fellow Suunto ambassador Kilian Jornet. © Ueli Steck“We might start tomorrow or the day after tomorrow for an attempt,” Ueli says. “We decided to choose a different route because of the conditions and weather. “The weather window is quite short and the conditions are not great. But we will try!” No one has successfully climbed Nuptse via its highly technical south face since Valeri Babanov and Yuri Koshelenko first did it in 2003. However, whereas the two Russian climbers climbed it with fixed ropes, Ueli and Colin intend to climb it in the far more challenging alpine style, which means a one-time single push to the top. Click for more about Nuptse Kilian Jornet is training in Nepal. © Ueli Steck Meanwhile, Ueli has been enjoying perfect weather up to about 6000 m. He’s been spending his days running and climbing smaller peaks. Suunto ambassador and mountain runner Kilian Jornet is also in the valley and the pair caught up and went climbing together. “Kilian, Helias Millerioux and myself did a little tour climbing today,” Ueli says. “It’s just great to hang out with these guys. It’s very inspiring for me. The hope for Nuptse is still alive!” Tenji Sherpa on the summit ridge of Cholatse. © Ueli Steck Ueli also teamed up with Tenji Sherpa, a Nepalese mountain guide, and together they climbed 6440 m Cholatse via its north face. In 2005, Ueli made the first solo ascent via the north face. “Tenji became the first Nepali to climb this difficult face,” Ueli says. “It’s so cool to see this new young generation of Sherpa that loves to climb and not only for business!” Stay tuned for the next report on Ueli’s attempt on Nuptse. Click the links for part one and part two of our four part series.

With heat of the day soaring to 35° C, it was one of the hottest races in the history of the Kona Ironman. Suunto ambassador Åsa Lundström gave it everything she had and improved her placement by six positions from last year. We caught up with her for the final instalment of our four part series about her road to Kona. © OrcaHer goal was to finish in the top 15, no small feat at the world’s premier Ironman. Placing 11th, Swedish triathlete Åsa Lundström achieved this and says she’s confident she can do even better next year. “After learning several lessons from last year’s race, I had a better strategy for this year’s,” she says. “I know also I still have a lot of unused potential, both in terms of my physical capacity and from a strategic point of view.” To prepare for the Kona Ironman in Hawaii and the race’s humid conditions, she spent the prior three weeks training in the Canary Islands. “I was alone for the first week in Kona, which was pretty good for mental preparation, and a few days before the race my parents came to support me, which was incredibly valuable.” Click to learn about the Kona Ironman! © Orca Mental preparation is an important aspect of her training and focus on race day. Åsa visualizes potential race day scenarios and how she would handle them if they did occur. She has a list of mantras and other mental techniques ready to use when the going gets tough during the race. “I try to focus on my own performance, look back on what I have done in my training and believe I have done enough,” she says. While Åsa didn’t have the perfect race, she’s happy with the improvements she did make. Being more patient, focusing on her performance and not giving much thought to the performance of other athletes were important lessons. “I learnt that cooling myself on the bike and run is on of the biggest factors that affect the outcome of the race,” she says. “Cold water under the helmet, over the body while cycling, ice in the sports bra, cold water sponges over the body and holding ice in the hands while running are useful methods to avoid overheating.” Click here to read more about Åsa Lundström © OrcaThe end of the road cycling leg was the most challenging part of Åsa’s race. Pedalling with tired legs into a strong head wind in hot conditions required all the mental toughness she could muster to get through. “There is much more to get out of my potential, and I’m already super psyched to start working to lift my level another couple of inches for next year’s Kona Ironman,” Åsa says. “Before I begin my off-season I will race in the Ironman 70.3 Middle East Championship in Bahrain in early December. “Thanks to all who follow and support my journey! It means more to me than you might think.” Here are links to part one, part two and part three of our four part series on Åsa's road to Kona Ironman. Lead image: © Orca/Gines Diaz

Here are the last two candidates in the Dream Traverse Video Contest final! Vote for your favorite to make its creator's dream come true. View all six videos and choose your winner at traversecollection Three Suunto Traverse outdoor watches will be raffled among all voters. SNOWBOARDING IN JAPAN Candidate number five is Tom Harrison from London, UK. Or actually the whole Harrison family has a dream of snowboarding in Japan. “As a family we enjoy adventure, and I helped my sons create the film for the competition about the familie's dream trip to Japan,” Tom says. “Whether it’s camping, climbing, hiking or skiing, we can’t get enough of new challenges. Leaving London for a new adventure, even if it’s for only a couple days, is always a thrill.” When asked what the outdoors mean to him, Tom turned to his 15-year-old son to get an answer. “The outdoors is something that he can’t even begin to comprehend; a place that breeds adventure. Living in the city he feels contained, boxed in, always looking out the classroom window into the unknown, and all he wants to do is explore it.” “Outdoors give you an overwhelming sense of achievement. Getting out of London and going on an adventure is an amazing feeling, and it’s addictive. You can really find yourself when you are lost in the outdoors.” The Harrison family’s dream is to snowboard in Niseko, Japan. “In Niseko both amateurs and professional shred the fresh snow of the mountain,” Tom explains. Tom would take his sons also to Tokyo and Kyoto to explore the culture and beauty of their dream destination. “I would love to see my boys’ faces as they watch the crowds at the famous Shibuya zebra crossing in Tokyo or marvel at the beauty of the bamboo forest in Kyoto. It would be an unforgettable experience.” TRAIL RUNNING EP.5 Finalist number six is Björn Hunger, 17, from Windischgarsten, Austria. Björn enjoys trail running, mountain biking, ski mountaineering and shooting videos. “For me outdoors mean freedom. It's the best thing in the world to be out in the mountains with my friends and family!” Björn says. Björn’s dream traverse destination is Iceland. “To go to Iceland is one of my biggest dreams and it would be so cool to realize this dream!” “I would like to go to Iceland because the whole nature and the mountains there are so awesome.“ Get to know the other candidates: DREAM TRAVERSE VIDEO CONTEST FINALISTS: KINGDOM TRAVERSE AND PATAGONIA DREAMING DREAM TRAVERSE VIDEO CONTEST FINALISTS: DO THINGS ALWAYS AND WINTRY CHINA DREAM Go to traversecollection, watch the videos and vote for your favorite. Three Suunto Traverse outdoor watches will be raffled among all voters.

Get to know the first two Dream Traverse Video Contest finalists and vote for your favorite to make its creator's dream come true! View all six videos and choose your winner at traversecollection Three Suunto Traverse outdoor watches will be raffled among all voters. KINGDOM TRAVERSE The first candidate, Grobler Basson, comes from Cape Town, South Africa. Grobler and some of his friends actually had their adventure dream long before the contest. “We have been planning our adventure for the better part of this year, we even called it the Kingdom Traverse long before we knew of Suunto's plans and the launch of your new Traverse watch,” Grobler says. “We will traverse Lesotho from one side to the other. We will do this the only way we know possible – high altitude trail running, some off-the-grid mountain biking, cold water swimming and breath-taking kayaking coupled with some off-the-chart camping spots and difficult navigation!” The Kingdom of Lesotho is a land locked mountain kingdom located inside South Africa. It is the country with the highest lowest point on Earth of 1400 m (4600 ft). “The Kingdom Traverse would serve two goals; firstly to stimulate and temporarily satisfy our need for adventure and exploration, secondly, we see Lesotho as an amazing jewel yet to be discovered by international adventure tourism. We believe that the Kingdom Traverse would bring some amazing exposure to what Lesotho has to offer, and possible boost their tourism!” PATAGONIA DREAMING Candidate number two is Kellen Witschen from northern Minnesota in the United States. “The outdoors is a place I can go to and feel free from a schedule and from responsibilities, even if it’s only a quick bike ride at the end of the day. It is a place to test your knowledge and skills, where the consequence of failure is very real and very apparent,” Kellen says. Kellen’s Dream Traverse is far from an evening ride: he wants to ride the Carretera Austral, a 770 mile dirt road that runs from Puerto Montt to the start of the Patagonian ice cap. “Ever since visiting Patagonia in 2012, I have dreamed about going back. While doing research there, I only got to see a small section of the area and the group traveled exclusively by motor vehicle. I want to go back and bike the entire 770 miles of the Carretera Austral.” “The road travels through many different types of landscape and vegetation, ranging from closely woven coastal canals and Patagonian Steppe to high mountain peaks.” Go to traversecollection, watch the six videos and vote for your favorite. Three Suunto Traverse outdoor watches will be raffled among all voters.