In this seventh installment of the #SuuntoAdventure Video Series you will meet inspiring underwater explorer Jill Heinerth. “You can’t always say how to solve a really, really big problem, but you usually know what the next best step is,” the optimistic Canadian says. Read more about Jill here. Face to Face with Jill Heinerth, #SuuntoAdventure Video Series Episode 7 Watch also the other episodes in the series: Face to Face with Emelie Forsberg – #SuuntoAdventure Video Series, Episode 1 Face to Face with Greg Hill – #SuuntoAdventure Video Series, Episode 2 Face to Face with Kilian Jornet – #SuuntoAdventure Video Series, Episode 3 Face to Face with William Trubridge – #SuuntoAdventure Video Series, Episode 4 Face to Face with Conrad Stoltz – #SuuntoAdventure Video Series, Episode 5 Face to Face with Ueli Steck – #SuuntoAdventure Video Series, Episode 6

“Some people are repelled by the darkness of an underwater cave, but for me it’s an invitation into the unknown,” says Suunto Ambassador Jill Heinerth. Heinerth is a pioneering underwater explorer and filmmaker, leading technical diver, and world expert in rebreather technology. Her love of the water began as a child and has persisted ever since. As a teen, Jill Heinerth was a volunteer swim instructor and lifeguard at her local swimming pool. Jacques Cousteau was her hero and by the age of 16 she was scuba diving.  Now, after more than a 20-year career, the Canadian underwater explorer and award-winning filmmaker has crossed the globe, diving in what she calls ‘the veins of mother earth’. Jill has dived deeper into the planet than any woman in history and seen some extraordinary places. She’s dived caves underneath the remote Ural mountains of Siberia, tickled the bellies of manatees near the Gulf of Mexico and explored sacred desert springs in Africa. In 2000, she was involved in one of her most ambitious projects to date — to dive inside a giant iceberg. In 2014 she was awarded the inaugural Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.  Jill is also a journalist and champion for women divers. She wrote a book called Women Underwater and in 2016 is part of a team of 10 women on an epic three-month journey, snorkeling more than 3000 km through frigid Arctic seas. “Some would suggest that exploration on this planet is done, but I disagree,” says Heinerth. “We know more about space than we do about our oceans and our underwater caves.” Her abiding love of the ocean and watery places has also transformed her into a strong advocate for water conservation and protection, via her We Are Water Project. This important cause aims to raise awareness about global water issues, and encourage people to do more to protect our fresh water resources. Jill cycled across Canada, raising awareness along the way. With the same goal in mind, she wrote a fun children’s book about an itchy manatee that has an important message about water pollution. Naturally, Suunto is the first choice of dive computer for Heinerth: “I’ve been using Suunto for a long time, and I think they represent the pinnacle of fine quality. The precise instruments and the ruggedness of the equipment have served me very well in some extreme diving expeditions over the years.” She adds: “The Suunto DX is the key support device that serves as a backup for my rebreather. It’s easy to integrate it into a CCR dive plan, or any plan for that matter – open circuit or closed circuit. It also contains a very accurate digital compass, which I use to survey and make maps of new exploration.”

In the sixth episode of #SuuntoAdventure Video Series you will meet one of climbing’s most spectacular talents, Swiss mountaineer Ueli Steck. “If you are not afraid in life, it’s dangerous,” the Swiss Machine says and explains how – and why – he has changed his approach in the recent years.   Face to Face with Ueli Steck, #SuuntoAdventure Video Series Episode 6 Watch also the other episodes in the series: Face to Face with Emelie Forsberg – #SuuntoAdventure Video Series, Episode 1 Face to Face with Greg Hill – #SuuntoAdventure Video Series, Episode 2 Face to Face with Kilian Jornet – #SuuntoAdventure Video Series, Episode 3 Face to Face with William Trubridge – #SuuntoAdventure Video Series, Episode 4 Face to Face with Conrad Stoltz – #SuuntoAdventure Video Series, Episode 5 

Ever since his 2008 record-breaking solo speed ascent of the north face of the Eiger in 2h 47m 33s Ueli Steck has been regarded as one of climbing’s most spectacular talents. Afterwards Steck declared he would dial back on the fast solo climbs that led to him being nicknamed the “Swiss Machine” but his climbing feats have continued to amaze and inspire. In 2013 he was back 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, ” he said at the time. Climbers regard it as one of the most significant climbs in the Himalayas in a generation. The older, smarter Steck is not the same climber he was as a daring youth, pushing the limits of human capability. “I feel a difference between now and 10 years ago,” he says. “My body needs more time to recover, and I have to be more careful with training. But I’m more confident, and this gives me a lot of freedom. But the fire still burns!” As a purist, Steck climbs without using bottled oxygen and has so far summited five 8,000m peaks without doing so. Everest is one of those peaks, which, he says, was one of the most physically demanding undertakings in his life.  “It’s out of the question for me to use bottled oxygen,” he says. “I either make the summit without it or I turn back, go home and train more.” Steck is also noted for his rigorous and professional approach to training. He spends up to 30 hours a week working-out, running, climbing, cross-country skiing and doing endurance and strength work. He never travels anywhere without a pair of running shoes and is always scouting for something to get to the top of, whether a mountain in the distance or the top of a building if he’s city-bound, such as the One World Trade Center in New York City. He says the Suunto Ambit is the perfect solution for both mountaineering and training. “It’s got everything I need in one package, whether I'm on an expedition in the Himalayas or on a hard one-day ascent in the Alps.”  But no matter what the route, Steck’s inspiration remains the same. “It’s the challenge of moving on in life,” he says. “I always want to try something I have not done before.”  Follow Ueli Steck's #82summit project here Pictures by Jon Griffith Photography

In the fifth episode of #SuuntoAdventure Video Series four time XTERRA world champion Conrad Stoltz talks about going fast, suffering and over 25 years of competing in triathlon.   Face to Face with Conrad Stoltz, #SuuntoAdventure Video Series Episode 5 Watch also the other episodes in the series: Face to Face with Emelie Forsberg – #SuuntoAdventure Video Series, Episode 1 Face to Face with Greg Hill – #SuuntoAdventure Video Series, Episode 2 Face to Face with Kilian Jornet – #SuuntoAdventure Video Series, Episode 3 Face to Face with William Trubridge – #SuuntoAdventure Video Series, Episode 4

When it comes to experience, there are few athletes who can equal the triathlete Conrad Stoltz. The four-time XTERRA world champion has been competing since 1988, was at the Sydney Olympic games of 2000 and today, he's still feeling as strong as ever. Stoltz says he’s just as fit as he was 20 years ago, and the proof is there as he regularly beats guys half his age. He puts it down to smart training and experience. Says Stoltz, “My power on the bike is as good, if not better than ever.” He says this is partly due to the rigorous training program and partnership he has with his coach, Ian Rodger. Stoltz also uses training data to optimize his training, sharing his stats with his trainer Rodger alongside a thorough report on how felt during and after the session. Rodger then analyses the data, and fine-tunes training for the following day. It’s effective, he adds, but completely different to when he started out. “Back then I wanted to train super hard every day, I wanted to race every weekend, and I wanted to win every race! It's simply impossible – I made every mistake in the book, and learned all the lessons first hand.” And those early years as a pro athlete may have seen him race hard, but they were far from glamorous. According to Stoltz, “I slept on benches and in a Police station (willingly) before a race and I’ve won races on cheap, borrowed bikes.” It’s this hand-to-mouth lifestyle combined with a reputation for being hard on equipment that earned him the nickname “the Caveman”. He competed in two Olympic games as a triathlete but switched to XTERRA early on. “Triathlon boils down to how much pain you can take — you just go as fast as possible. But with XTERRA there's a whole lot more to it. For a start the courses vary hugely, from volcanic beaches in Hawaii to the mountains of the Alps to the forests of Brazil. That adds a new strategy to it, from your suspension set-up to what tires you select. And along with the lactic acid you get a lot of adrenaline and that's what makes it fun.” Nonetheless, Stoltz is also well-known as a humble and popular competitor. After winning his 50th XTERRA competition, he remained at the finish to high-five the last competitor to cross the line and share in his accomplishment of simply finishing the race.  While he maintains a pure love for the outdoors, Stoltz readily admits that breaking the tape at the finish line feels great. When asked how he stays competitive he says it’s his experience that gives him the edge but, in the end, it’s his love of sport and a positive attitude that keep him motivated.