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How many of 82 peaks had you climbed before? Not sure, but not too many. I had never climbed the easier mountains before. Climbing Les Droites. © Ueli SteckWhat did the #82Summits project teach you? That it’s all about motivation. I was surprised how long I could keep going without stopping or having rest days. It’s different to an expedition because I was moving almost everyday. That was great. I was so motivated that even on rest days I went for a run! What three words would you use to describe #82summits? Passion. Friendship. Fun. What were some of the most unforgettable moments of the summer? There were many great moments. The last one was on Barre des Écrins, in the French Alps. I ran up the wrong valley in the morning. Instead of taking the trail to Glacier Blanc, I went to Glacier Noir. There was a sign I read and I was sure the trail to Glacier Blanc was on the left. It felt strange, but I kept going. I ran for another two hours before reaching the end of the valley. By then it was daylight and I realized I wasn’t where I should be. I checked Google Maps and figured out I was on the wrong side on the mountain. I ran back down and after 3h40 minutes I was back in the valley from where I started my ascent again. So I did a little extra to warm up! Ueli and wife Nicole on Fiescherhorn. © Ueli Steck When was the project at its hardest? Mentally, it was the hardest in the beginning. You start and there are still so many peaks to climb! You started the project with Michi Wohlleben, but didn’t finish with him. What happened? Michi crashed his paraglider descending from the Schreckhorn Hut in Switzerland. Afterwards he tried his best, but couldn’t continue. Aiguille Blanche de Peuterey. © Ueli Steck How did losing your partner early on change things? It was a difficult moment. What could I do? I didn’t want to give up so easily. That’s not my personality. I would never forgive myself. So I kept going and it turned out great. It was so much fun to climb with different partners and to do solo climbs. I still have very great memories of climbing with Andreas Steindel, a mountain guide and member of the Swiss Ski Mountaineering Team. Climbing with my best friend and supporter Daniel Mader and, of course, also the summits I climbed with my wife, were all great experiences. I also enjoyed solo climbing some peaks. How were the cycling stages of the project? This was something new to me. On the last part down from Massif des Écrins, I really felt the magic of cycling. Going over Col du Galibier, an iconic section on the Tour de France, is a great memory. And after so many kilometres your butt doesn’t hurt anymore! A rainy day didn't stop Ueli having fun cycling over Col du Galibier. © Ueli Steck If you had to choose, what were some of your favourite peaks? 1. Red Pillar of Brouillard, on the Brouillard flank of Mont Blanc, in Italy 2. Dent du Geant-Grandes Jorasses Traverse: multiple 4000 m peaks on the border between France and Italy 3. Monte Rosa Traverse: 18 peaks in one day 4. Finsteraarhorn, Switzerland with my wife 5. Aiguille blanche de Peuterey, Mont Blanc massif, Italy with Jonathan Griffith In some of your Facebook posts you refer to the pioneers who did the first ascents on these peaks. Was there a historical side to your project as well? It was great to be on all of these routes. Sometimes you think about the people who did the first ascents and you realize that what these guys achieved was just incredible!

We all know proper recovery is an essential part of any training regime, but what exactly happens in our bodies while we rest, how does it impact our performance and how can new recovery features released to Ambit3 watches support our recovery? To get the answers on the science of recovery, we talked with Tero Myllymäki, who leads the physiological analytics development at Firstbeat Technologies. Tero, can you talk us through how recovery impacts our performance? The role of recovery is not only crucial to an athlete’s development, but to overall health and wellness; without sufficient recovery, it is impossible to build one’s endurance and stamina. In sports, the whole exercise philosophy is based on the fact that while exercising, body balance, so called homeostasis, is placed in a state of imbalance which lowers our body’s performance level. By taking the time to rest (referred to as “recovery”), this performance level is gained back, and, thanks to this recovery process, it is possible to gain a higher performance level. What about the role of a good night’s sleep? A really important fact in recovery is the need for a good night’s sleep. Sleeping well at night is really crucial to recovery, since it is a repetitive, long period of time, during which all body functions can relax. If recovery is successful, all the stress caused by strenuous exercising, along with other factors in your daily life, is reset at night (while you rest), and the body’s resources are replenished. Body stress and recovery can be compared to batteries: you can only use them or charge them once in a while. Suunto Ambit3 watch offers two tests for measuring my recovery level, but what are the tests measuring in practise? Recovery is analyzed by measuring the body’s autonomic regulation balance through heart rate variance. At night, one would expect the parasympathetic (so-called relaxing body function) to be powerful and thorough enough to activate the body’s recovery processes. Recovery measurement tests determine how calm a person’s body is during sleep. How does this information benefit an athlete? Monitoring this recovery can make the time used in exercising more efficient, because it is good to know when you can exercise on full speed, and when you should take it more slowly and simply let your body recover. Recovery measurement tests will also tell you when you are training too hard, or when you should work harder, so that an athlete can measure the risk of exercising too hard, or not exercising at all. Recovery monitoring is a learning process for you; it enables an athlete to reflect on how he/she is feeling. What about muscle pain or flue, will the recovery test recognize these? Even though the autonomic regulation has regained normal levels, intense or abnormal exercises done by an athlete might cause muscle damage, as well as risk to the overall body energy levels. These situations cannot be monitored via autonomic regulation tests. Weakened muscle level recovery can be seen during the exercise, although you wouldn’t be able to see it in the recovery tests. Instead, the effect of diseases such as fever which affect the overall body regulation system, can be seen in the autonomic regulation activity, and, consequently, from the recovery test data. Can I analyze my sleep quality with the test? Sleeping badly, and/or waking up during the night can be regarded as a side-effect of the body refusing to slow down, and the heart’s autonomic regulation and/or parasympathetic regulations are weak. This also lowers the recovery levels. The quality of your sleep is influenced by many different factors, and sometimes it may indicate how a person feels about his/her sleep; other times, it may be a direct result of the electrical impulses in the brain which measure sleep phases. Recovery measurements won’t directly measure these sleep phases, but it can reflect on it by measuring autonomic regulation (how relaxed the body is).   Read more about the features: Tutorial Tuesday: Learn how to use Ambit3's recovery features   Tero Myllymäki, M.Sc., Physiology Research, Firstbeat TechnologiesMr. Myllymäki is responsible for physiological analytics development and research collaboration at Firstbeat. He possesses an academic background, and previously worked as a researcher in several multidisciplinary expert teams, combining physiology, psychology, and technology. His goal is to seek innovative solutions for providing meaningful and actionable feedback on well-being, lifestyle, and performance in daily life. Mr. Myllymäki has a Master’s Degree in exercise physiology from the University of Jyväskylä.   Get to know your recovery status with Ambit3 watchSuunto Ambit3 watch offers two ways to follow your recovery. The quick recovery test and the sleep recovery test both measure your heart rate variability to give you an indication of your recovery status in percent. The higher the percentage, the more recovered you are. The tests require a Bluetooth Smart compatible heart rate sensor that measures heart rate variability (R-R interval), such as Suunto Smart Sensor.   The quick recovery test is performed by wearing the Smart Sensor belt for three minutes and then checking the recovery percentage from the Suunto Ambit3 watch. Alternatively, you can run the sleep recovery test which measures your heart rate variability through the night to give you an accurate indication of your recovery status in the morning when you wake up.    

What is the best way to recover after a race, adventure or just a hard effort on your own? We asked our ambassadors how they do it. From eating pancakes to paragliding, from secret smoothie recipes to stretching, their answers will help you get back on form more quickly. KILIAN JORNET Stay fresh by doing other sports I like to do some mountaineering activities to feel different feelings than just running. I ran less than 200 km in the build up to Hardrock because I was climbing instead. I was keeping myself fit through mountaineering so when I came to the race I was mentally fresh and physically prepared. Kilian stretches ©jordo canamerasAvoid over-trainingIf you focus too hard on one thing for too long you can get tired of it. You see people who are doing a lot of long races and who keep this up for one or two years and then, boom, they’re down and injured. It’s important to never do too many long races every year because after one, two or three years it can be really hard to recover. For me, 200 or 300 miles a year is the limit. Kilian Jornet is a multiple record breaking trail runner, endurance athlete and world champion ski mountaineer. EMELIE FORSBERG Rest! Normally I rest the day after or if it is an ultra at least. If I do a 2-4 hour race I normally go for a small run just to get the circulation going. I also like to treat myself after a race, like foot bath, compex [electrostimulation] take time for yoga, things that are easy and good for the body. Then my mind feels recovered and is soon ready for another hard training week or racing. I think the mind is very important for recovering. Emelie likes to practise yoga and eat pancakes. ©Emelie Forsberg Eat pancakesAfter an ultra, where you empty your body quite a lot and also eat chocolate or gels, I like to eat fresh and healthy, at least the first and second day. But pancakes is a standard the morning after, and yes I think pancakes can be pretty healthy..! Specially if I make banana pancakes :) Emelie Forsberg is a European and world Skyrunning champion CONRAD STOLTZ Forget ice baths I don’t go in for compression or ice baths. I used to jump in a cold rivers after training but I'm over it! Compression socks don’t fit well and science hasn’t really proven that ice baths work. Old school fan: Conrad Stoltz doesn't go in for ice baths or compression. ©zooom.at/markus berger Refuel properlyBut there are things that are proven to make a difference, fueling and rehydrating properly. Within the first half an hour of training you need to have so many grams of carbs and so much protein to start the recovery. [Advice varies but many sports nutritionists recommend following the for 3:1 carbs to protein ratio.] Conrad Stoltz is a four-time XTERRA World Champion triathlete ÅSA LUNDSTRÖM Easy rideGo on a very easy bike ride. It helps the circulation going and speeds up the recovery. If the weather is bad or biking is too much trouble (mentally), I sometimes go for an easy walk or stroll. © Åsa LundströmMassage In big blocks of training, a massage every now and then is very good for recovery, muscle relaxation and preventing injury. It can also be considered a treat for your body after some hard work and helping you relax. I get the massage after a big day of training, as the thing of the day. UELI STECK ElectrostimulationI use compex electrostimulstion and try to stretch a lot. Rest days are also good. I just had a rest day so I ran easy the vertical km up to Brevant in Chamonix. I had a drink with a friend then went paragliding. Ueli Steck during his mission to climb all 82, 4000 m mountains. ©PatitucciPhotoWarm down after exercise I move between 7 and 14 h per day. You start easy the first 30 min and you end the same way. So you have your warm-up and cool down. If possible I try to get my feet in a cold stream. MATTHIAS SCHERER Respect your body I really have to say that in the adventure world at the moment recovery and nutrition is not taken seriously. People are strange about hydration. They wear a Suunto Ambit, have the best equipment and then they drink snow water and don’t take things like this seriously! Take electrolyte capsules with minerals to rehydrate properly. Matthias front lifting weights. ©Tanja SchmittAvoid processed foodsTry to go as long as you can on normal food and then you can start to eat energy bars etc. People push the limits of eating concentrated food which can cause stomach problems. Eat a peanut butter sandwich. Bring it down slowlyFor recovery it’s important not to stop right away after an ice climbing season. I used to become ill in April when I stopped. Now I continue with skiing and in June and July I keep going to the mountains. I've found cycling helps me to mentally digest everything I've done over the winter. In a week I try to do at least 20 hours on the bike. I work on my films. That's my way of recovery. Matthias Scherer is a professional ice climber GREG HILL Smooth operatorAs a ritual I always have a smoothie after my sporting activities. As quick as I can I am at my blender mixing in my ingredients. Bananas, blueberries, protein mix, raw cacao, milk. That is the base for the majority of my shakes, each food is strong in its own way, combining for a strength building, body recovery, tasty beverage. Greg making a smoothie at home ©zooom.at/Markus Berger Cross TrainingAnother bit about an ageing body is balance. If over the course of your life you have created imbalances, they become more problematic in later years. To counter act I have been going to the gym to create an overall body fitness not just one designed for peddling a bike or skinning up mountains. Back problems, IT-band issues, all come from unbalance, so cross training is key. Take some time outAlso to truly have days off. Not partial days off. But couch surfing, suntanning, doing nothing days. You can get away with just one but at least every two weeks to take 2-3 days completely off. This truly helps my body as well as my mind. I come back and feel so much better than if I had pushed through on that extra day of exercise. Greg Hill is a pro skier. In March 2014 he skied 100,000m in a month WILLIAM TRUBRIDGE Sleep and eat right “Recovery is as equally important as training. In freediving when you hold your breath it generates a huge amount of carbon dioxide which makes your body very acidic and means all those free radicals cruising around doing damage. Being able to target that with diet that's very rich in antioxidants and making sure you're sleeping right is important.” Drink this: Will Trubridge's recovery smoothie My go-to recovery drink after deep training is a green smoothie, with the following ingredients: 1 frozen banana (makes the smoothie cold and creamy) 1 cup almond milk + water added to get the right consistency 2 tbsp Manitoba hemp protein (the best vegetal protein source) 1 tbsp cacao powder (great antioxidant qualities) 1 tbsp Hawaiian spirulina (nature's multivitamin, with many other superfood ingredients like chlorophyll, omega 3,6,9 fatty acids and more) 1 tsp beetroot extract powder (great for blood-building)Everything is blended together, and topped with a dusting of granulated bee pollen. Will Trubridge is a multiple record breaking freediver Still need tips on how to recover? Well go explore the recovery options available with the Ambit3

How’s the adventure been so far? It’s just so much fun. The weather has been great so far and I’m doing something almost every day. Sometimes of course there are days you are a little tired but that’s normal. I don’t feel wasted. I am super motivated and I am super happy. I have to say even if I don’t climb all 82 summits, by the end I would still be totally happy. I had just a great time so far. It’s just very cool being in the mountains, meeting people, going climbing, running cycling etc. The supporter is my best friend Daniel Mader. Peak 41 of Ueli Steck's 82 Summit project. The Zinalrothorn above Zermatt marks the halfway point of his goal to climb all 82 4000 meter peaks in the Alps, using human-powered transport alone. ©PatitucciPhotoThe hardest part? I don’t know. When we did the Monterosa traverse, which was 18 peaks in a day, Andreas Steindel and I did get a little tired at the end! He is a mountain guide and part of the Swiss ski-mountaineering team. He knows the area very well so we just linked all these peaks. It was a great day out. I also climbed later the Weisshorn Bishorn in very bad weather. It was icy and snowy. I was completely in the fog. That was not a great moment.Has this project taught you anything new? Yes you don’t have to go far away to have a great time. Also in the Alps you can find still great challenges!What inspired you to create and do this project?It was the challenge of the whole journey. Being able to move so much and also the challenge with the weather and the conditions on the mountains!How has your climbing philosophy evolved? Before I was just focused on performance and pushing the limits in alpinism, recently in the Himalaya on the high peaks. But I am also not 20 anymore! I try to find the right balance in my life. I know I pushed myself to the edge, taking risk and pushing the limits on the 8000 m peaks. This is a one-way street. You will not survive this long-term. So of course I would like to go back to the Himalaya and climb 8,000 m peaks. But in the same style that I Annapurna? No, this I will not repeat. This game you survive only once in life.... But there are still great adventures to live!!!*Note: This interview was made with Ueli before last Wednesday’s accident in which Dutch climber Martijn Seuren died on the Rochefort Arete in the Mt Blanc massif. Contrary to some online reports, he was not part of Ueli’s project, but Ueli was at the scene afterwards. You can read his statement here. 

Using a map and  compass  may seem antiquated but it could save your life. So when traveling in the backcountry it is always a good idea to carry a map and a compass with you even if you have a GPS device. But they are only good if you know how to use them! 1. ORIENTATE YOURSELF With map-reading the most important thing is to orientate yourself on the map and then to always keep track of where you are on the map. Use the features on the map to find your location. Look at the big features first, like peaks, lakes, roads and then look at the smaller details such as buildings, footpaths or small rivers etc. Use the altimeter function to help pinpoint your location. Once you know your height you can use the contour lines to fix where you are more precisely. Spend some time making sure the features on the ground match those on the map. It’s very easy to convince yourself otherwise! Top tip: it can take a long time to orientate yourself. So once you’ve done it, fold the map in such a way that your location is visible. To be even more efficient, do what orienteering racers do: carry the map with your thumb on your position. 2. ORIENTATING THE MAP To be able to read a map, you must first orient it. Turn your map into a position in which the details on the map correspond with the landscape in front of you. The orientation of a map is the key to reconciling the map with the terrain. To orientate the map, place the compass on the map and rotate the map to align the magnetic compass needle with the northerly grid lines on the map, making sure the red end of the needle points to north on the map.    Also read: Tutorial Tuesday: Where am I? Determining your location with an Ambit.

To help you balance your training Suunto Ambit3 has two recovery indicators: recovery time and recovery status. Read on and learn how to take advantage of these features. RECOVERY TIME Recovery time is an estimate of how long your body needs to recuperate after training. The time is based on the duration and intensity of the session, as well as the overall fatigue, accumulating even at lower intensities. Recovery time accumulates from one session to the next, if you train again before the time has expired. A graph of your recovery time is displayed as one of the screens in the time mode. When entering the logbook, the recovery time in hours is displayed on the screen. There is one important point to remember: the time is an estimate that is based on activities you have done with your Ambit3. It doesn’t have information about other aspects of life. Did you sleep enough? Do you have flu? Was your meal nutritious and helpful for your recovery? To get an accurate indication of your actual recovery state, we recommend using one of the two recovery tests. REVOVERY STATUS Recovery status indicates the amount of stress on your autonomic nervous system. The less stress you have, the more recovered you are. Knowing your state of recovery helps you optimize your training and avoid over training or injury. You can check your recovery status with a quick recovery test or sleep recovery test, powered by Firstbeat. The tests require a Bluetooth-compatible heart rate sensor that measures heart rate variability (R-R interval), such as Suunto Smart Sensor. Your recovery status is indicated with 0-100% result scale. Result & Explanation 81-100 Fully recovered. OK to train up to very hard intensity.51-80 Recovered. OK to train up to hard intensity.21–50 Recovering. Train easy.0-20 Not recovered. Rest to recover. The more serious you are with training and the more tests you do, the more important details are, also in the test results. For a top-level athlete a difference of five points in recovery status may be meaningful where as an active runner will be happy with the four point scale presented above. When entering the logbook, recovery is displayed as your estimated recovery time; if a recovery test is done within the past 24 h and after your previous move, the display will show the result of the last test. This assuming the recovery has been calibrated (see next chapter). CALIBRATING THE TESTS When you first start using Ambit3’s recovery tests the watch needs to be calibrated in order to provide accurate, personal results. The calibration tests define what 'fully recovered' means for your body. With each calibration test, your watch adjusts the results scale of the test to match your unique heart rate variability. You need to perform three calibration tests for both sleep recovery and quick recovery tests. The calibration tests do not need to be done in sequence, but they need to be at least 12 hours apart. These need to be done when you have no accumulated recovery time. Ideally, you also feel fully recovered and are not ill or stressed during these calibration tests. During the calibration period, you may get results that are higher or lower than expected. These results are indicated in the watch as your estimated recovery status until the calibration is completed. Once you have completed the calibration, the latest result is displayed when you enter the logbook instead of recovery time. SLEEP RECOVERY TEST The sleep recovery test, powered by Firstbeat, provides a reliable indicator of your recovery status after a night's sleep. To perform a sleep recovery test: Put on your heart rate belt and ensure the electrodes are moist. Press [Start Stop], scroll to RECOVERY with [Start Stop], and select with [Next]. Scroll to SLEEP TEST and select with [Next]. If you want to cancel the test, press [Back Lap]. When you are ready to get up in the morning, end the test by pressing [Start Stop] or [Next]. The sleep recovery test requires at least two hours of good heart rate data to produce results. The test does not take into account the length of the night meaning you can get similar results after a six-hour sleep and an eight-hour sleep. If you use your Ambit3’s alarm function, set the alarm first and then start the test. And in the morning stop both your alarm and your sleep recovery test. During the test you will see the time and SLEEP TEST on the bottom row of the screen. And last but not least: don’t worry if you have to get up in the middle of the night. This doesn’t make your test unreliable. The test selects the best two-hour period of your sleep and analyzes that. QUICK RECOVERY TEST The quick recovery test, powered by Firstbeat, is alternative way to measure your recovery status. The sleep recovery test is a more accurate method to measure your recovery status. But for some individuals, wearing a heart rate sensor throughout the night may not be feasible. The quick recovery test only takes a few minutes. For best results, you should lie down, stay relaxed, and not move around during the test. We recommend performing the test in the morning after waking up. This helps ensure you get comparable results day to day. To perform a quick recovery test: Put on your heart rate belt and ensure the electrodes are moist. Lie down and relax in a quiet environment free from disturbances. Press [Start Stop], scroll to RECOVERY with [Start Stop], and select with [Next]. Scroll to Quick test and select with [Next]. Wait for the test to complete. When the test is complete, scroll through the results with [Next] and [Back Lap]. TROUBLE SHOOTING THE RECOVERY TESTS There are basically two reason for the tests to fail: Bad skin contact or low HR belt battery will generate bad data and the test will fail. If you are too stressed for the test, like right after a training session, the test is likely to fail. The results of the tests do not impact your estimated recovery time.   Read more about the feature in Firstbeat’s scientific white papers: Recovery Analysis for Athletic Training Based on Heart Rate Variability Stress and Recovery Analysis Method Based on 24-hour Heart Rate Variability   Read more Tutorial Tuesday articles at tutorialtuesday  Get support for your Suunto product and find user manuals at support