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Ultra runner Ryan Sandes has traveled the world to run some of its sweetest single trail. Consider him, then, your go-to trail aficionado! Check out below the six trail running routes he picks as the cream of the crop! Coming from Cape Town, South Africa, ultra runner and Suunto ambassador Ryan Sandes is at home running on coastal trails by the ocean. But while his roots are in Cape Town's surf beaches and the trails above in its mountains, over time he has found more and more inspiration in alpine environments. This year, for example, he's been training in mountains in Californina and the French Alps. Below, he shares his six favorite running routes from South Africa and the United States. Read Ryan's tips about how to go the (ultra) distance! San Fran 50 miler, San Francisco, USA Distance: 78.78 km Time: 06h45m Ascent: 3125 m Decent: 3137 m Highest point: 554 m Why: The Marin Headland is really spectacular and the coastal running makes me feel like I am back at home in South Africa. The trails are really fast and runnable. The Headlands are always abuzz with runners, mountain bikers and dog walkers making for a great friendly atmosphere. There are some great coffee shops right next to the trail which is an added bonus. Big Bear Mountain, California, USA Distance: 52.14 km Time: 04h35m Ascent: 1104 m Decent: 1091 m Highest point: 2394 m Why: I spent six weeks in Big Bear earlier this year training for the Western States 100 miler. I really enjoyed my time there and developed a special bond with the mountains. The scenery is epic and there is a great variation of trails from open fire roads to really technical single track. This was one of my final long runs I did in preparation for the Western States. Click here for Ryan's tips on how to recover like a pro! Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, USA Distance: 17.76 kmTime: 02h09m Ascent: 1008 m Decent: 1031 m Highest point: 2195 m Why: The Yosemite National Park is one of the most beautiful places I have been to. Ha! I get itchy feet everytime I get to the National Park and just can't stop running. The run up to Glacier Point is a nice gradual climb and the views from the top are absolutely breath taking. This is the perfect recovery run to take it easy and enjoy the scenery. Skyrun Route, Drakensberg, South Africa Distance: 96.05 km Time: 12h36m Ascent: 4760 m Decent: 4579 m Highest point: 2674 m Why: The Skyrun is a 100 km self-navigational run across the Drakensberg Mountains. There are no proper trails to follow and you basically aim for the peaks and ridgelines ahead of you. It is a really remote area, at altitude and is the perfect place for me to train for big mountain races. Running in the Drakensberg Mountains makes me feel really small and it can be super humbling. © Kolesky/ Nikon/ Red Bull Content Pool Lion's Head, Table Mountain, South Africa Distance: 04.05 km Time: 0h29m Ascent: 370 m Decent: 372 m Highest point: 654 m Why: Lion's Head is an iconic mountain right next to Cape Town's city centre, with panoramic views of Cape Town and Table Mountain from the top. The trail starts off on an open fire road but as you climb up the mountain the trail gets more technical with ladders and chains towards the top. This is one of my shortest training sessions but I enjoy pushing myself on this run. It’s a real lung buster!© Nick Muzik/Red Bull Content Pool Table Mountain Crossing, South Africa Distance: 15.08 km Time: 02h02m Ascent: 1070 m Decent: 949 m Highest point: 1045 m Why: Table Mountain is an extension of my back garden and my favorite mountain to train on. I love being able to see the ocean from the summit and I feel really at home on this mountain. The Table Mountain Crossing trail is very technical with lots of scrambling and you have to keep an eye out for giant snakes in summer. The mountains inspire me to dream but the ocean is were my roots are. © Craig Kolesky/ Red Bull Content Pool

True, you may not get to enjoy the same distant views, but there are good reasons to love running at night, says elite trail runner Gediminas Grinius – who trains on top of his full time job. Here are his top 7 reasons to put on your headtorch and high visibility jacket and get out the door for a night run! Aside from working full time, Gediminas is also a father of two. © Gediminas Grinius Explore your wild side At night your senses are more attuned says Gediminas. “With less of an emphsis on vision, you become more alert to your surroundings and that brings out your wild side, especially when alone. And that’s the best remedy after a long day in the office.” Escape the heat Running in warm temperatures isn’t all great, says this year’s Transgrancanaria winner. “Running at night lets you avoid the day’s heat,” he says, “which is better for training”. Find new beauty “Running at night breaks up the routine and you can find new beauty in the same trails – especially for those like me who don’t have a lot of hills to train on.” Avoid the traffic Turn your commute into training, says Gediminas. “That way you avoid the traffic and you beat the ‘no time for sport’ excuse. Commuting to the office in the winter months means running in the dark is unavoidable,” he adds. Prepare for ultras Use night running to prepare for an ultra. “Almost all 100 mile races have a night element in it,” he says. And for regular trail runners, most 100 km races have a night element as well!” Improve your technical downhills “While running at night you must trust your sixth sense more often,” says Gediminas. “Sometimes your feet are your only sensors on the ground and you have to turn your brain off and trust your feet to know where to step. This is exactly the same as when you have to run on technical terrain so running at night is a good way to make you better on super technical downhills.” Unleash the dog! “Zoro is my best running partner and the enjoys freedom as much as I do, but because of a lot of distractions during the day (people, other dogs) it's the best time to set him free at night.”

Japanese freediver and former model Tomoka Fukuda has one dream: to explore the world’s oceans as a wandering freediver. One word describes what Tomoka Fukuda loves about freediving. “Harmony,” she says, “between my body, my mind and the ocean. “When I dive in the ocean, I am diving into myself. I can see inside myself clearly. When I have a good dive, I feel that I am a small part of this world where everything is connected.” Tomoka wasn’t always so Zen. Prior to first freediving eight years ago, she worked as a model and ran her own beauty salon. She’s the first to admit it: as a model, she was a little bit crazy – lots of parties, busyness and stress. But then she found freediving. “The ocean has taught me many things,” the 37-year-old says on the phone from Greece, where she is currently training. “You can’t lie to the ocean. It’s like a mirror. I learned that our limitations are only in our mind and you can extend them.” Click play to watch this video of Tomoka diving with Fernando Stalla Originally from Japan’s northernmost island Hokkaido, Tomoka’s enduring connection to the ocean began on family holidays to a cousin’s home by the sea. She went from a child splashing around at the beach, to becoming a competitive backstroke swimmer. But her life really changed when she visited Okinawa, Japan’s southernmost island, and tried scuba diving and freediving for the first time. “The ocean was so beautiful that it stunned me,” she says. “I decided to relocate my whole life there so I could be close to it.” There, Tomoka met an experienced spear fisherman who became her mentor. They went freediving every week and he taught her everything he knew about freediving and the underwater world. Before long freediving became more than just a leisure sport. The AIDA Depth World Championship was held in Okinawa in 2010 and Tomoka helped as a safety diver for the competitors. “I saw so many amazing freedivers and I knew I wanted to do that too so I decided then to train seriously.” Just one year later, Tomoka competed in the AIDA Depth World Championship in Kalamata. The following year, during the 2012 Suunto Vertical Blue freediving competition in Dean’s Blue Hole, Tomoka dived to 80 m, realizing a long held goal. That same year, she also won Suunto’s People’s Choice Award for Best Female Newcomer at the AIDA Depth World Championship. And she won second place in the women’s division at the 2015 Suunto Vertical Blue competition. The wandering freediver is also well on the way to fulfilling her dream of freediving all around the world. This year alone she’s plunged into the waters of seven countries. Her favourite locations to date are Greece, the Maldives, the Bahamas, Italy’s Puglia and Egypt’s Dahab. “Before, I wanted everything, now I don’t need anything,” Tomoka says. “I am fulfilled solely by ocean happiness and do not have material desires. “I just want to dive in the ocean. The ocean is my world.”

Last week we kicked off the first instalment of our four-part series following Suunto athlete Åsa Lundström as she prepares for the coming Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. After looking at step one last week, planning, this week Åsa tells us what progress, step two, looks like as her training intensifies. There’s one crucial sign Åsa looks for to know she’s making progress in her training for the Kona Ironman: feeling unbeatable.“They don’t come very often, but every now and then, you should get that moment, if only for a moment, that you are unbeatable,” she says. “If I don’t ever get those ‘I’m on fire today!’ moments in my training periods, then something needs changing.“I don’t do tests or anything like that to check I’m in good shape, I just look for signs, a feeling, during the quality sessions I do – it’s the feeling of being immortal, unbeatable, strong.” Click here to read more about Åsa Lundström, the unlikely Swedish triathlete © Orca/Gines Diaz Having planned her training with her coach Cliff English, it’s then time to make rapid progress, to push herself towards her personal best while also ensuring she has enough recovery time.Åsa’s training progresses through three stages: the first is getting into the rhythm of hard training; the second stage involves blocks of quality and quantity sessions; and the last is a tapering period of two weeks before race day. As Åsa moves through the three stages, her coach Cliff English tracks her performance and makes adjustments to her training as required. Understanding and trust between athlete and coach is essential here. The longer Cliff works with an athlete, the more data he accumulates, which better helps him track the athlete’s performance and recognize when changes must be made. This means both he and Åsa must be sensitive to signs they’re pushing too hard or not hard enough. Click here to read Åsa’s 8 open water swimming tips!  “If I start having trouble sleeping, or lose my appetite that could be a sign to back off a bit,” Åsa says. “On the other hand, if I never feel exhausted after a quality session, but have an unsatisfying feeling, that could be a sign of not pushing hard enough. “I am supposed to feel tired between the sessions more or less all the time.”As her training intensifies, Åsa also works on the mental side of her training by spending time visualizing the race, the potential scenarios that could happen and how she would respond to them. “As race day gets closer, I also stop meeting people who might be sick, or even just have a minor cold,” she says. “I skip junk food and unnecessary treats and I make sure I get enough sleep every night.” Stay tuned for third installment of our four part series about Åsa as she makes progress on the road to the Ironman World Championship in Kona.

海を見下ろす北欧の森、モンブラン山群を望む尾根、雲の上へ続くアルプスの岩稜。ひと口に「山を走る」といっても、その地形と必要な技術は大きく異なります。 この記事では、スウェーデン出身のスカイランナー、Emelie Forsberg（エメリー・フォースベリ）が愛してきた6つの場所を手がかりに、世界のトレイルと山岳ルートの魅力を紹介します。距離を競うためのランキングではなく、「次はどんな景色の中を進みたいか」を考えるためのガイドです。 安全に関する注意：この記事には、一般的なトレイルランニングの範囲を超え、スクランブリング、ロープを使う登攀、露出感の強い岩稜を含むルートがあります。掲載データは2015年に紹介されたEmelieのアクティビティ記録であり、現在の公式登山ルートや推奨コースを示すものではありません。実際に訪れる場合は、現地の最新情報、天候、通行規制、自分の技術と装備を確認し、必要に応じて山岳ガイドを利用してください。 目次 6つのトレイル＆山岳ルートを比較 Kebnekaise｜北極圏に近いスウェーデンの高峰 Aiguillette des Posettes｜モンブランを望む尾根 High Coast｜森と海岸を結ぶ北欧トレイル Dent Blanche｜ランニングの枠を超えるアルパインルート Glen Coe｜荒々しい岩稜を越えるスコットランドの山岳地形 Jämtland Mountains｜山小屋をつなぐ北欧のロングトレイル 海外のトレイルを走る前のルート計画 世界のトレイル＆山岳ルート6選を比較 Emelieが選んだ場所には、走り続けやすい海岸沿いのトレイルから、ロープ確保を必要とする高峰までが含まれます。まずは同じ「山岳ルート」でも性格が異なることを確認しましょう。 場所原文の記録地形の特徴位置づけ Kebnekaise／スウェーデン16.09km・上昇2,288m岩場、スクランブリング、易しい登攀上級者向け山岳ルート Aiguillette des Posettes／フランス9.17km・上昇979m急勾配の登山道と眺望のよい尾根経験者向け山岳トレイル High Coast／スウェーデン27.76km・上昇850m海岸、森、小さな丘区間を選びやすいロングトレイル Dent Blanche／スイス4.42km・最高地点4,365m露出した岩稜、ロープ確保を伴う登攀アルパインクライミング Glen Coe／スコットランド50.62km・上昇3,954m岩稜、ガレ場、露出したスクランブリング高度な山岳技術を要するルート Jämtland Mountains／スウェーデン35.70km・上昇604m開けた山岳トレイルと山小屋長く動き続ける北欧トレイル ※距離・上昇量・最高地点は、2015年のSuunto原文で紹介されたEmelieの記録です。現行の標準ルート、往復距離、難易度を示すものではありません。 Kebnekaise｜北極圏に近いスウェーデンの高峰 Kebnekaise（ケブネカイセ）は、スウェーデン北部ラップランドにそびえる同国最高峰です。氷河地形、岩の多い稜線、北極圏に近い広大な景観が、この山を特別な存在にしています。 Emelieが友人とたどった記録は、TouplagorniとKebnekaiseを越え、スクランブリングと易しいクライミングを含むものでした。これは、一般登山者向けの標準的な登頂ルートと同一とは限りません。Kebnekaiseには複数のルートがあり、氷河や高度な箇所を通る場合は知識、装備、ガイドが必要です。 この地域の魅力は、速く走ることだけではありません。足場の変化に合わせて走る、歩く、手を使うという動作を切り替えながら、仲間と長い山岳時間を共有することにあります。 Aiguillette des Posettes｜モンブランを望む尾根 フランス・シャモニー谷の北側にあるAiguillette des Posettes（エギュイエット・デ・ポゼット）は、モンブラン山群、ル・トゥール氷河、周囲の谷を見渡せる尾根です。Emelieにとっては、朝の速いトレーニングにも、午後のリカバリーにも使える身近な山でした。 ただし、「短い距離＝簡単」ではありません。現地観光局が案内するハイキングルートも急勾配の難しいコースに分類され、積雪や天候によって状況が変わります。原文の9.17km・上昇979mという記録も、平地の10kmとはまったく異なる負荷です。 尾根から広がる眺望と、限られた距離でしっかり標高を上げられることが、この場所の魅力。訪問前にはシャモニーの観光局や山岳情報機関で、積雪、リフト運行、登山道の状態を確認してください。 High Coast｜森と海岸を結ぶ北欧トレイル High Coast（ホーガ・クステン）は、Emelieが育ったスウェーデン東部の海岸地域です。小さな丘、深い森、岩の海岸、入り江が連続し、高山とは異なるリズムで長く走れます。 High Coast Trailの全体は約135kmで、9つのステージに分かれています。Emelieが紹介した27.76kmはその一部。全線を一度に進む必要はなく、11〜27kmほどの区間から、体力や滞在時間に合わせて選べる点が魅力です。 標高は高くなくても、岩場、木の根、起伏が積み重なると脚への負担は増えます。また、盛夏には水の確保が難しい区間もあります。区間ごとの水場、補給、交通手段を事前に確認し、森と海岸の変化を味わうペースで進みましょう。 Dent Blanche｜ランニングの枠を超えるアルパインルート スイス・ペナインアルプスのDent Blanche（ダン・ブランシュ）は、標高4,000mを超える鋭い岩峰です。Emelieは、走れる場所を走り、技術的な場所を登る一日を「マウンテン・デイ」の例として紹介しました。 ここはトレイルランニングコースではありません。原文でも登攀グレードAD、露出した地形、ロープによる確保が必要な場所として説明されています。標高4,000mを超える環境では、岩稜の技術に加え、高度順応、落石、雪氷、急変する天候への判断も求められます。 この記事を見て同じ軌跡を追うのではなく、Emelieの「山ではスピードより地形に合った動き方を選ぶ」という姿勢に注目してください。Dent Blancheへの登攀は、十分な経験を持つ登山者が、最新の山岳情報を確認し、必要に応じて認定山岳ガイドと計画する領域です。 Glen Coe｜荒々しい岩稜を越えるスコットランドの山岳地形 スコットランド・ハイランド地方のGlen Coe（グレンコー）は、急峻な谷、草地、岩稜、変わりやすい天候で知られます。Emelieが紹介したのは、かつてのGlen Coe Skylineレースに由来する長大な記録です。 現在公開されている旧レースルートの説明でも、荒れた足元、岩屑の斜面、大きな上り下りに加え、Curved RidgeのGrade III、Aonach Eagach RidgeのGrade IIスクランブリングが含まれるとされています。場所によっては転落の危険があり、途中から容易に離脱できない区間もあります。 速く走れるトレイルと、慎重な三点支持が必要な岩稜が同じ一日の中に現れることが、Glen Coeの難しさです。距離やGPXだけで判断せず、スコットランドの山岳経験、ナビゲーション能力、悪天候への装備、緊急時の撤退計画まで含めて検討してください。 Jämtland Mountains｜山小屋をつなぐ北欧のロングトレイル Jämtland Mountains（イェムトランド山地）は、スウェーデン中部からノルウェー国境へ広がる山岳地域です。開けた高原状の地形と山小屋ネットワークがあり、軽い荷物で山小屋から山小屋へ長く移動するスタイルに向いています。 Emelieは山岳地帯で働いていた頃、比較的なだらかなトレイルを小さなバックパックで走っていました。紹介された記録は35.70km・上昇604m。急峻な高峰とは違い、一定のリズムで長く動き続けられることが魅力です。 一方、北欧の山は標高が低くても森林限界が低く、風雨や低温の影響を受けやすい環境です。山小屋の営業期間、予約の要否、渡渉、水や食料の補給、携帯電話の圏外区間を確認し、天候が崩れたときに自立できる装備を持ちましょう。 海外のトレイルを走る前のルート計画 知らない山域では、魅力的な写真や公開GPXだけで出発を決めないことが大切です。ルートの現在の通行状況、登山道の種類、獲得標高、最高地点、技術的な難所、エスケープルート、日照時間、現地の救助体制まで確認しましょう。 公式情報を優先する：観光局、国立公園、登山協会、山小屋、レース主催者の最新情報を確認する 原文の軌跡を標準ルートと思わない：アスリートの記録は私有地、廃道、登攀区間、季節限定区間を含む可能性がある 距離と標高をセットで見る：短いルートでも急登や岩場があれば行動時間は長くなる 地図を複数用意する：ウォッチやスマートフォンに加え、現地で推奨される地形図やコンパスも携行する 撤退基準を決める：時刻、天候、視界、疲労、仲間の状態に応じて引き返す条件を事前に共有する これからトレイルランニング用のウォッチを選ぶ場合は、GPS精度、オフラインマップ、ルートナビゲーション、バッテリー持続時間、操作性などを、自分が走る距離や山域に合わせて比較することが大切です。詳しくは、トレランにおすすめのGPSスマートウォッチとは？必要な機能と選び方で解説しています。 GPXルートをSuuntoウォッチに入れる方法では、ルートの作成・確認・同期の流れを解説しています。地図上の線、ターン案内、ウェイポイントの読み方は、SUUNTOの地図・ナビゲーション画面ガイドも参考にしてください。 Suunto Vertical 2は、オフラインマップ、デュアルバンドGPS、クライムガイダンス、長時間バッテリーに対応し、長い山岳行動の計画と記録を支えます。ただし、ウォッチは安全を保証するものではありません。現地情報、判断力、適切な装備と組み合わせて活用してください。 Emelieが愛した6つの場所に共通するのは、速さではなく、その土地の地形に合わせて身体の使い方を変える楽しさです。海岸の森からアルプスの岩稜まで、自分の経験に合うフィールドを選び、準備そのものから次の冒険を始めましょう。 次のトレイルを計画しよう オフラインマップとルートナビゲーションに対応するSUUNTOスポーツウォッチをチェックしてください。 SUUNTOスポーツウォッチを見る

Suunto ambassador Ueli Steck is soon heading to the Himalaya to climb Nuptse, a 7861 m monster in Nepal only 2 km from Everest. Follow our four-part series about Ueli and climbing partner Colin Haley’s journey as they acclimatize and make their one time push to the top. After climbing 117, 000 vertical meters in the Alps this summer for his #82Summits project, Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck is “super motivated” to take on a grande mountain. In one week the Swiss Machine – famous for his lightning fast solo ascents – is travelling to Nepal to begin acclimatizing for an alpine-style attempt on Nuptse, via its formidable south face. Click here to read more about Ueli Steck© Jon Griffith Ueli is drawn to Nuptse because the south face reminds him of the Grand Jorasses north face, one of the most famous walls in the Alps – a highly technical climb Ueli has done several times. But, while the Grand Jorasses north face towers 1200 m above the valley below, the south-face of Nuptse is 2500 m and 5 km wide. In 2003, Russian climbers Valeri Babanov and climbing partner Yuri Koshelenko made the first successful ascent of Nuptse via its south-face, using fixed ropes. For this they won the prestigious Piolets d'Or award. However, it came hard won – for Valeri the successful ascent followed three consecutive failed attempts in two years. Since Valeri’s ascent in 2003, no one has again summited Nuptse via the south-face. “It’s never been repeated because it’s a really hard route,” Ueli says. “It’s a really technical route. That’s why I want to go there –it’s another step for me in developing technical, high altitude climbing.” © Jon GriffithUeli believes Nuptse will be more difficult than his famous 2013 solo ascent of Annapurna, one of the most dangerous mountains in the world. That climb won Ueli the Piolets d'Or award in 2014.“I think it’s definitely harder than Annapurna south face, technical wise,” he says. “The route I did on Annapurna looks insane, but technically it wasn’t hard.”Ueli is also motivated by the fact that no one has done a successful high altitude, technical climb in the Himalaya in the alpine-style.“The true alpine style means you don’t leave fixed ropes, you carry everything on one single ascent,” Ueli explains. “It’s a single push climb – you cannot go up part of the way, come down again and then go back up.” Whereas Russian climber Valeri Babanov and partner used fixed ropes, Ueli and climbing partner Colin Haley won’t be. “It’s going to be interesting to repeat that route in more of an alpine style,” Ueli says. “Sometimes it’s really cool to realise what other people have climbed. “The fact that someone did it before, means I have much more knowledge, which means I can climb harder because of that knowledge. “I know Valeri very well and for me it’s an honour to repeat one of his routes.”Ueli and Colin will spend about two weeks acclimatizing to the higher altitude on the north face of 6440 m Cholatse. Ueli expects the ascent and descent of Nuptse to take between four and five days. Stay tuned for the second instalment in our four part series. Part 2: acclimatizing. Main image credit: © Jon Griffith