Suunto Blog

Some barriers are visible, others unspoken – but all are meant to be broken. These three women prove that strength is as much about mindset as muscle. Every day, women are breaking barriers, proving their strength, and setting new standards in their sports. Suunto is proud to support and celebrate these trailblazers who push limits and inspire others to do the same. Here, we spotlight three incredible athletes featured in our latest film—each with her own journey of perseverance, passion, and dedication. Emily Reynolds Although many aspects of Emily’s life have changed over the years, her connection to the water has remained constant. From competitive swimming pools in Maryland and Georgia to the vast Pacific Ocean in Hawai'i, Emily’s passion has expanded beyond swimming to include scuba diving, snorkeling, and surfing. For her, the ocean offers both mental escape and physical challenge. Her years of competitive swimming have built the endurance to swim miles of open ocean, where she’s crossed Hawaiian island channels and swum alongside dolphins, turtles, rays, and even whales.  The Suunto Aqua bone conduction headphones have become an essential tool for her, providing crystal-clear sound even underwater, allowing her to stay motivated and focused during her open-water swims.  Emily's journey is deeply intertwined with her love for the ocean and the powerful community of women who share her passion. Robin Vieira For Robin, running is about more than just logging miles—it’s about finding clarity in the mountains and pushing her limits through skyrunning. Tackling technical terrain, high altitudes, and unpredictable conditions requires endurance, strategic decision-making, and resilience.  The Suunto Race S watch plays a crucial role in her training, offering precise GPS tracking, altitude measurements, and performance metrics that empower her to make quick, informed decisions on the mountain.  As a woman in this space, Robin hopes to inspire others to step outside their comfort zones and embrace trails that challenge them to build skill, strategy, and adaptability. For her, true strength isn’t just about fitness; it’s about reading the mountain, trusting her instincts, and moving forward with unwavering confidence.   Kimi Werner Kimi Werner’s connection to the ocean runs deep. As a Hawaiian spear fisherwoman and freediver, she’s spent her life exploring the underwater world, embracing its beauty, and respecting its power. Her journey is about more than just the catch—it’s about immersing herself in the environment, finding harmony with nature, and pushing her own boundaries. Whether she’s diving along vibrant coral reefs or hunting sustainably to provide for her family, Kimi’s approach to her craft embodies a profound respect for the sea.  The Suunto Ocean watch has become an essential part of her gear, offering reliable depth tracking, dive logs, and precise underwater navigation to ensure her safety and enhance her exploration. Her dedication to her sport continues to inspire others to forge their own path in and out of the water, embracing the challenges and beauty of the natural world.    These women continue to show us what’s possible when you push past your limits and follow your passions. We’re excited to share their stories and celebrate the incredible journeys they’re on. Stay tuned for more from Emily, Robin, and Kimi with content in our social channels each Wednesday this month.

The 11th annual Suunto Vertical Week was bigger than ever, bringing the community together for an epic challenge. Now, the results are in – see who climbed to the top! From March 3–9, we challenged you to rack up as many vertical meters as possible. Once again, we set out to determine which nation and which activity type climbed the most. The data from the Suunto app is in – here are the results! This year, you also had the chance to participate on Strava and support Protect Our Winters through the Vertical Week Strava Challenge. Our goal was to reach 1 million vertical meters, but you crushed that target – 121 times over! We pledged to donate €1 for every 100 meters climbed to Protect Our Winters Europe, up to a limit of 1 million meters, to support their vital work in fighting climate change. Your passion exceeded all expectations – amazing! Familiar names dominated the country rankings In the country rankings for the average ascent per session, the usual suspects – nations in Europe’s mountainous regions – once again came out on top. Austria reclaimed the number one spot from Italy, while Switzerland held onto third place. Average ascent per session by country Austria – 399m Italy – 392m Switzerland – 373m Slovenia – 346m Slovakia – 305m Spain – 273m France – 271m Germany – 230m Czech Republic – 221m Croatia – 214m When looking at total ascent from all participants, France secured the top spot, followed by Spain and Italy. Total ascent by country France Spain Italy Germany Austria Switzerland Poland USA Slovenia United Kingdom On an individual level, ten participants climbed over 14,000 meters in a week – averaging more than 2,000 meters per day. Well done! To make the top 10%, you needed to climb 2,200 meters – 75 meters less than last year but still 300 meters more than in 2023. For the top 3%, the benchmark was 3,958 meters – 104 meters less than last year but 368 meters more than two years ago. Ski tourers lead the way As in previous years, ski tourers dominated. Ski touring was the only activity type where the top three countries averaged over 1,000 meters per session. The overall ski touring average was an impressive 947 meters. However, when looking at the total number of big '1000-meter days', trail runners recorded the most this time. The only country with more than one win in the activity type rankings was South Africa: They dominated both the mountain biking and cycling rankings. Congrats! Ski touring   Austria – 1,044m Switzerland – 1,036m France – 1,005m (All ski touring activities average per session: 947m) Austria claimed the top spot, dethroning Slovakia, while France moved up to third. The 1000-meter mark remains a clear goal for skiers, with the entire top three surpassing it once again. Germany and Italy followed closely at 987 and 971 meters, respectively. Mountaineering   France – 968m Austria – 761m Italy – 750m (All mountaineering activities average per session: 633m) France took a strong category win in mountaineering, with the average ascent for all mountaineering activities remaining exactly the same as last year! (Edit: The top 3 was corrected on March 14 due to an error on our dashboard.) Trail running   Japan – 805m Italy – 652m Portugal – 592m (All trail running activities average per session: 444m) Japan continued to lead, though their average was lower than last year – perhaps due to deep powpow this winter? Mountain biking   South Africa – 490m Spain – 346m Slovenia – 297m (All moutain biking activities average per session: 368m) South Africa maintained its top position despite a drop in its average from 645m to 490m. Is the country getting ready for the upcoming Cape Epic or what do these strong performances in the MTB rankings tell? Gravel cycling Czech Republic – 524m Switzerland – 505m Spain – 422m (All gravel cycling activities average per session: 289m) A full reshuffling – last year’s top three didn’t return to the podium this year! Is this a sign of gravel cycling still evolving and growing as a sport? Cycling South Africa – 490m Spain – 346m Slovenia – 297m (All cycling activities average per session: 172m) Spain and Slovenia held their ranks, but South Africa stole the show with another category win. Lekker, bru! Trekking Spain – 628m Slovenia – 379m Italy – 340m (All trekking activities average per session: 334m) Trekking had a fresh top 3 with Spain clearly taking the win. Hiking Slovenia – 555m Portugal – 529m Spain – 496m (All hiking activities average per session: 235m) Slovenia delivered strong performances across multiple categories this year: number one in hiking but also top three in mountain biking, cycling, and trekking. Kapo dol! Cross-country skiing   Italy – 340m Czech Republic – 325m France – 322m (All XC skiing activities average per session: 227m) Unlike other activities, cross-country skiing was the only one where the average ascent increased from last year. Running   Norway – 123m Switzerland – 122m Belgium – 119m (All running activities average per session: 82m) This was the closest battle of all, with Norway edging out Switzerland by just half a meter! The average ascents in Suunto’s most popular activity type, running, are not huge but that makes the battles even more exciting! See you next year! Vertical Week 2025 proved once again that the Suunto community is unstoppable. Whether you were ski touring in the Alps, trail running in Japan, or cycling in South Africa, your dedication made this event one for the record books. See you next year – until then, keep climbing!

The trail running season is finally starting again! The first unmissable event is the Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB, taking place from March 20 to 23. The 2024 edition was a record-breaker, with over 3,600 participants from 72 nations and more than 10,000 visitors over the three thrilling days of races. © Jose Miguel Munoze What makes this event truly special is its unique setting: the Chianti hills — candidates to become a UNESCO heritage site — renowned for their stunning natural beauty, medieval villages, vineyards, and forests. The races unfold amidst this breathtaking landscape, once again attracting athletes from around the world. Our Suunto athletes are ready to give it their all, including Italians Andreas Reiterer — last year’s winner of the most challenging race, the Ultra Trail Chianti Castles (120 km and +5200 m of pure passion and talent) — alongside Davide Cheraz and Mattia Bertoncini. Also competing are Ugo Ferrari and Alban Berson (FR), Dominika Stelmach (POL), Tomas Farnik (Czech Republic), and Abby Hall and Ryan Montgomery (USA). Suunto will be at the event village with a booth, where our team will be happy to share the latest brand news and showcase our products. But that's not all — join the COMMUNITY RUN in collaboration with Näak! Experience the thrill of running 5 km through the Chianti hills and enjoy a snack at the end of your workout. Community Run Program — Saturday, March 22 14:30: Departure from the Suunto booth 5 km route through the Chianti hills 15:30 (approx.): Arrival at the Näak booth Post-run snack with Näak products and soft drinks Register now and don’t miss this unique opportunity to test one of our sports watches during the run! Sign up

Suunto Vertical Week is happening 3rd to 9th March! It’s time again to get your lungs burning, your quads trembling and your watch adding up vertical meters, because every meter counts. During our annual Suunto Vertical Week, we challenge you to get out there and collect those vertical meters. Not only are you doing something good for yourself, but you also have the chance to win some great Suunto prizes simply by participating. And if you’re up for a real challenge, help our community on Strava collect one million vertical meters to support the work of Protect Our Winters Europe. So, choose your favourite activity, get out there and do something good for yourself and start collecting vertical meters. If you are ready for the challenge, simply go to Suunto app, click “join” in the Vertical Week message that appears in Suunto app and get ready to start climbing. Every vertical meter climbed through muscle-powered activities during the week count towards your total elevation gained. Know what’s ahead When preparing for your Vertical Week adventures here’s a few tips to get the most out of your watch. Download offline maps to make sure you know where you’re going and can see what lies ahead of you. If you are new to an area, check out our activity specific heatmaps in Suunto app to find popular routes or if you’re looking for unchartered territory you can also find a way of going off the beaten path. Since during Vertical Week everything is focused on going up, make use of Suunto’s Climb Guidance. During the planning phase in Suunto app you can already see which sections will make your legs burn more and where the terrain might allow you a little break. Once your selected route is synced to your watch, you can follow the elevation profile and adjust your efforts accordingly. In addition, SuuntoPlus Store offers some additional features. You can download the new Vertical Week watch face (available March 3) to your watch or check out the free sports apps available that are perfect for Vertical Week or other ascent-focused adventures. You can for example track your total ascent during Vertical Week with the SuuntoPlus Vertical Week sports app. It will show you your cumulative ascent so far that week as well as the current ascent from the on-going activity. It even gives you a comparison to how high you would be ranked in last year's Vertical Week challenge. Our big community goal for Protect Our Winters Europe This year we wanted to further increase the stakes and not just see who can climb the most meters as a country but also can our community work together for a good cause. So we’ve set up a Strava Challenge with the goal of reaching one million vertical meters. For every 100 vertical meters climbed we will be donating 1€ to Protect Our Winters Europe. So get out there, do something good for your body and for the planet, because every meter counts! Join our “1 million vertical meters with Suunto & POW” challenge on Strava. If you have not yet linked your Suunto app to Strava, here’s how that is done: How to connect to Strava via suunto app Connect Strava in Suunto app settingsGo to your Profile > Partner services and connect to StravaLog into Strava. If you do not have a Strava account, register first. Accept that Suunto app can connect to your Strava account. Ready Now you are connected! After the next workout is synced with Suunto app it will automatically be transferred to Strava. You can remove the connection from Strava or from Suunto app at any stage. See terms and conditions. Suunto app Vertical Week giveaway Even if you are not a Strava member, you can support the community by collecting vertical meters in Suunto app. Besides learning which country collects the most vertical meters, in our app we will also be giving away one Suunto Vertical Titanium and five pairs of Suunto Wing headphones amongst all participants. Make sure to click the “Join Suunto Vertical Week” button in your Suunto app inbox and don't miss your chance to be one of the lucky winners! See terms and conditions.

Have you tried Suunto ZoneSense yet? This article will help you get started with the breakthrough innovation in tracking real-time exercise intensity. In endurance training, finding the right workout intensity is key to getting the best results. Many athletes wonder if they’re training too hard or not hard enough. Heart rate zones have been used to estimate intensity, but they don’t account for changes from one day to another, across different activity types or during long workouts.  Now, Suunto ZoneSense offers a breakthrough in tracking real-time intensity. It uses heart rate variability (HRV) to give accurate insights, helping athletes optimize their performance like never before.  All Suunto users training with a heart rate belt can unlock ZoneSense intensity analysis through the Suunto app. For real-time data, ZoneSense is available on the latest Suunto watches – Suunto Vertical, Suunto Race, Suunto Race S, Suunto Ocean, and Suunto 9 Peak Pro.   Step 1: Learn how to get started with Suunto ZoneSense. All you need is a Suunto sports watch, a Suunto heart rate belt and the Suunto app on your phone.   Step 2: Learn how to use Suunto ZoneSense in real-time, during an activity. A great way to get started is by following ZoneSense during a long, easy endurance workout. Begin with a 10-minute warm-up that allows ZoneSense to establish your baseline for the day, then keep your effort in the green zone. Step 3: Learn how to view Suunto ZoneSense data in the Suunto app.  Suunto ZoneSense lets athletes take control of their training like never before. It uses heart rate variability (HRV) to show whether your workout effort is aerobic (low stress) or anaerobic (high stress) in real time. With ZoneSense, you can fine-tune your intensity during any activity—running, cycling, swimming, and even team sports—helping you make every session count. Say goodbye to guessing your effort level and hello to smarter, more effective training. Whether you’re building your aerobic base or pushing your limits with high-intensity intervals, ZoneSense is the key to unlocking your potential. It keeps your long runs in the optimal green zone, shows when you’ve hit your anaerobic threshold during intervals, and adapts seamlessly across different sports and conditions. By tracking real-world effort and avoiding overtraining, Suunto ZoneSense sets a new standard for athletes aiming to train with precision and perform at their best. Learn more about Suunto ZoneSense use cases here.

Exploring the outdoors is rewarding, but even experienced adventurers can get disoriented. Here’s expert advice from Lowland Rescue Search Dogs Sussex to help you stay safe. Venturing into the outdoors comes with a responsibility to yourself and your loved ones. By preparing thoroughly, equipping yourself with the right tools, and following expert advice, you can minimize risks and fully enjoy your time in nature. As the saying goes, it’s far better to be in a cozy pub wishing you were on the mountain than to be on the mountain wishing you were in the pub. With the following tips in mind, you can explore with confidence and care, knowing that you’ve done everything possible to stay safe. Adventure responsibly and cherish every moment in the wild – the world is waiting to be discovered! Timeless advice from experts Lowland Rescue Search Dogs Sussex, a volunteer charity specializing in search and rescue missions, emphasizes that preparation is key to staying safe. Their teams, which include highly trained search dogs, are frequently called upon to locate individuals who have wandered off course. While these canine heroes are incredibly skilled, their handlers often remind us that the best rescue is the one that isn’t needed. Their advice below aligns with a broader mission to educate outdoor enthusiasts on safety. From mastering navigation skills to understanding weather patterns, taking proactive measures can help prevent accidents and ensure your adventures remain enjoyable. See the Sussex Search Dogs in action. Suunto has long been a trusted companion for adventurers. Since the very beginning back in 1936 we have designed tools to help you stay on course, no matter where your journey takes you. In collaboration with organizations like Lowland Rescue Search Dogs Sussex, we want to emphasizes the importance of preparation and awareness in the outdoors. While the tools are indispensable, the knowledge you carry with you is just as crucial. Combining technology with foundational outdoor skills ensures you’re ready to tackle any challenge that comes your way. The importance of preparation Getting lost isn’t just inconvenient – it can be dangerous. Whether you’re hiking through woodland trails, navigating rolling hills, or exploring in the mountains, preparation is your best defense. By taking a few simple steps before heading out, you can significantly reduce the risk of losing your way. Check the weather: Always review the forecast before your trip. Weather can change quickly, even in lowland areas, so be ready for sudden shifts. Learn navigation basics: Even if you rely on modern GPS devices, having a solid understanding of map reading and compass use is invaluable. These skills can be life-saving when technology fails. Pack smart: Bring essential items such as appropriate clothing, a first aid kit, food, water, a whistle, and a flashlight. These basics can make a huge difference in an emergency. Share your plans: Always inform someone you trust about your intended route and expected return time. This simple step ensures someone will know to raise the alarm if needed. Also share the planed route with the group. This way you all have the same route available in your Suunto GPS watches.    What to do if you get lost Even with the best preparation, unforeseen situations can happen. As a backup, you can use your Suunto to navigate back to your starting point or to follow the path you have taken so far. Also, if you have mobile connection, you can use Suunto app on your phone to plan a route starting in your current location and sync it to your watch.  If none of that helps and you simply have no idea where you are and where to go, here’s what you should do: Stay calm and stay put: Panic only makes matters worse. Remaining in one place increases your chances of being found. Use your phone: If you have a mobile signal, call for help immediately. Provide rescuers with as much information as possible, including landmarks, sounds, or your last known location. Make yourself visible: Use bright clothing or gear to create signals that rescuers can spot from a distance. If you have a whistle, blow it regularly to attract attention. Seek shelter: Protect yourself from the elements by finding or creating shelter. This is especially critical in cold, wet, or windy conditions. Conserve energy: Avoid unnecessary movement, stay hydrated, and keep warm while you wait for help.