Suunto Blog

Suunto’s Climb Guidance prepares you for the terrain ahead

Suunto’s Climb Guidance prepares you for the terrain ahead

Want to know what kind of terrain you will face when heading into hilly or mountainous areas? The Climb Guidance in the Suunto app and Suunto watches is here to help! The route altitude profile in the Suunto app and as part of route navigation in Suunto watches has taken a major step forward. With the release of Suunto Race S, we brought the new Climb Guidance also to Suunto Race, Suunto Vertical, Suunto Ocean and Suunto 9 Peak Pro GPS watches (software version 2.35.34 or later). It will help you both in the route planning phase and out on the trails. Use it to optimize your pacing, make your race-winning moves, or simply enhance your outdoor experience.   Learn the climbs while planning The elevation profile grows in real-time as you plan your route. Color codes on the elevation profile match the colors on the map.   When planning a route in the Suunto app, the route is split into sections – climbs, uphills, downhills, descents, and flats. These sections are visualized with color coding both on the map and in the altitude profile below. A climb is marked in red, uphill in orange, downhill in lime, and descent in green. Flats are marked in blue. The section categories consider the length and steepness of the ascent (or descent). In the categorization, climbs are harder than uphills and descents are bigger than downhills. The elevation profile of your route keeps growing in real-time as you plan your route. Already in the planning phase, you can scrub the altitude profile and see where each point is on the map. This is a useful way to get to know the route you are planning to navigate.   Get alerts and zoom in on the details during activity   Overview of the elevation profile (left) and a zoomed in climb section (right).   The Climb Guidance sections are synced to your watch along with the route you planned. When you start navigating the route, by default you will see the route on one screen and an overview of the elevation profile on the next. You can zoom in on the elevation profile using the digital crown on the Suunto Race and Race S watches. On the Suunto Vertical and Suunto 9 Peak Pro, press the upper button to zoom in and long press it to zoom out. (Tip: Similarly, you can zoom in and out on the map view. The zoom-out level was updated to 20km in this latest software update.) When you zoom in from the elevation profile overview, you will see the current section in more detail. You will, for example, see the ascent covered and ascent remaining on that section along with your position on the elevation profile.   A notification 100 meters before the start of a new section (left) and a full-screen notification with details as the section starts (right).   When you are approaching a climb, a notification is given to you 100 meters in advance. As the section starts, you will get a full-screen notification with section details (vertical, distance, gradient). You will get a similar notification before a descent. Notifications are not triggered for uphill, downhill or flat sections of the route. Climbs are categorized on a scale of 1–4 and HC (hors categorie) based on their difficulty. The section notifications can be turned off in the exercise settings. Before starting an activity, go down to exercise settings and select ‘Climb Guidance’. You can then toggle the notifications off and on. You can also select whether you want to see the gradients in percentages or degrees. By default, the gradient is shown in percentages. The climb notification and grade settings are persistent per activity type; they are automatically remembered the next time you start the same activity.
SuuntoClimbJuly 05 2024
Sync Your Tailored Näak Nutrition Plans to Your Suunto Watch

Sync Your Tailored Näak Nutrition Plans to Your Suunto Watch

We have partnered with the nutrition experts at Näak to provide you with real-time nutrition guidance. Gastric and dietary issues affect 85% of runners and are the leading cause of abandonment, says Näak. The company has made reducing these figures their greatest challenge. First, they created the Nutrition Calculator: a simple, concrete, and user-friendly online tool that designs personalized nutrition plans for you, based on your profile, goals, and race characteristics.  Now, Näak partners with Suunto to sync your custom nutrition & hydration plan to your Suunto watch for real-time guidance. A plan is a plan, but you also need to execute it well. That's when the SuuntoPlus Näak Nutrition Guide comes into play! How to Use 1. Go to the Näak website and plan your nutrition needs for your race. Select the race you are interested in. Fill in the required info, like your personal profile and a target time. 2. Click ‘Add to Suunto’ on the result page to connect your Näak and Suunto accounts. The plan is then pushed to your Suunto account. 3. Before starting an activity, go to ‘Exercise settings’ -> ‘SuuntoPlus’ and scroll down to select ‘Näak Nutrition Guide’ for your race. 4. During the activity, you will see the nutrition guidance on its own screen on your Suunto watch. All images by Simon Morice. Athlete Arthur Joyeux Bouillon.
SuuntoRunJune 25 2024
Trubridge wins Suunto Vertical Blue

Trubridge wins Suunto Vertical Blue

They came from all over the world – 35 divers from 19 countries and for over a week they dived in the incredible location of Deans Blue Hole, to attempt records, to push their limits, to redefine the possible. Below we feature the full story from this year's 2014 Suunto Vertical Blue. At 100m depth the pressure is so strong your lung volume has reduced from the size of a watermelon to a can of cola. Everything is pitch dark. At the end of a line that hangs from the surface you have a simple job: to collect a tag from the bottom plate as proof of your depth and swim back to the top. But even simple tasks are rendered complicated – your body is desperate for oxygen, hallucinations are not uncommon. You have to rely on your training, on visualisation techniques to focus on staying calm and swimming back to the surface, one stroke at at time. Tomoka Fukuda celebrates after a dive. ©Daan Verhoeven For multiple record holder William Trubridge, everything was seemingly going to plan for his epic attempt to break his own record to 102m in the entirely unassisted freediving discipline of CNF (constant weight no fin) at the Suunto Vertical Blue freediving contest. This is where divers descend and ascend under their own power, with no fins and just one lungful of oxygen.“I prepared a lot for this dive and I feel like everything went well,” he said afterwards. “I spent a lot of time meditating and visualising the dive beforehand. I took my last breath and began the dive. In the freefall [descent] I was feeling good but I just wasn't quite capable.“Two thirds of the way up I started to feel tired and that it was going to be too tight. I signaled to my safety divers that I wasn't going to make it. They grabbed me and escorted me the last 10m to the surface.“Though I'm disappointed not to have achieved the goal, there is some content in the fact that I gave it my utmost best shot.” Will Trubridge makes his way to the surface. ©Daan VerhoevenFor the 34-year-old athlete, the failure to make the world record was off-set by the fact he was overall winner of the 7-day contest, in which divers accrue points over six dives. In second place was Russia's Alexey Molchanov and in third was Samo Jeranko from Slovenia. Overall female winner was Marianna Krupnitskaya from Russia. She said: “I knew I could do it. I'm pretty happy with my performances and I feel strong that I can go further next year.”To achieve overall first, Trubridge made a flawless CWT (constant weight) dive to 117m. “It turned out to be one of the fastest ever CWT dives I've ever done to that depth which is suprising to me because I haven't done CWT in a long time, as I've been focusing on the no fins discipline.”“I was really happy to have a nice comfortable dive and to win the competition with it,” he added.Now in its eighth year, Vertical Blue has been the venue for the breaking of dozens of world records. Competitors had six official dives to challenge themselves and their rivals to obtain the coveted Suunto Vertical Blue Championship title, which is awarded to the freediver who has accrued the most points. Prizes included the Suunto D6i and D4i, which both feature a freediving mode for easy recording of dives. Alexey Molchanov. ©Daan Verhoeven Suunto Vertical Blue 2014 also saw the introduction of the “Apnea Games” – a day of fun and alternative underwater events such as underwater somersaults, blowing oxygen rings and diving in tandem in memory of Nick Mevoli, who tragically lost his life in 2013. The contest takes place at Dean's Blue Hole, Bahamas, the deepest known blue hole in the world.“Over the years we've grown to attract more of the world's top freedivers,” adds Trubridge. “They're going deeper, more national records are getting broken. The average depth in this competition was in the mid 70s. It just shows you how deep we're going! I plan to keep on holding it every year. It's really a great event.”“These are all friends, we're a big family,” says Austrian freediver Jakob Galbavy. “Everyone has a great attitude. Everyone is cheering with everyone. It's really great.”For now Trubridge is content to relax but he has vowed to come back with another record attempt. “I'm definitely going to attempt the CNF record again. This was just a plot twist.”
SuuntoDiveJune 07 2024
23 must-read articles that guide you into Suunto’s world of training

23 must-read articles that guide you into Suunto’s world of training

Train Put in the hard work, understand your training load and the different stimuli you are putting on your body. Figure out your training zones Key components to improve your fitness are frequency, duration and intensity. Frequency and duration are easy to understand, but training intensity is a bit more tricky. How hard is hard? And why should I care? Read on to learn about intensity zones and about defining them. Read more Manage your training with Suunto app’s Training zone A progressive training load with adequate recovery and ways to follow progress will lead to a successful adventure or race. The new training toolset in Suunto app’s Training zone is vast. Read on and learn what’s available. We are sure you will find your new favorite dataset to analyze your training and follow your progress. Read more Understand and manage your training load with Suunto Suunto app’s long-term analysis view tracks your training load and helps you stay in balance – whether that means progress, maintaining your fitness or avoiding over-training. Here are four scenarios to help you understand the graphs. Read more Training with TSS and hrTSS What are TSS and hrTSS and how can these training metrics help? Read more View TSS and other power-based cycling metrics in real-time Normalized Power, Intensity Factor and Training Stress Score are key metrics for all cyclists who use power meters in their training. You can view these metrics in real-time on Suunto Vertical, Suunto Race, Suunto 9 and Suunto 5 watches. Read more Know your power source: the body’s three energy systems Understanding how your energy is produced can aid training and improve your quality of life. Suunto partner PerfectPace explains your main power sources. Read more Unlock your interval training and watch your running improve Follow Golden Trail World Series champion, Trail Running World Champion and running coach Stian Angermund’s advice and do interval training right to get results. Read more 3 interval sessions for trail runners Trail running world champion Stian Angermund explains three interval training drills to help you increase your speed and power. Read more Plan your interval workouts with Suunto app Build a workout in Suunto app and let your watch guide you through your session! Read more 8 Essential running form drills Improve your running technique with these essential running form drills – and follow them as a SuuntoPlus Guide on your watch! Read more Intro to distance running technique In this article we dig deep into the details of running technique with six key areas for you to focus on. Read on to learn more! Read more Improve your running with high-intensity hill repeats Hill repeats build your strength and improve your speed and coordination. This article presented by TrainingPeaks coach Steven Brandes highlights the importance of high-intensity hill repeats and how to do them successfully. Read more Boost your hill training with SuuntoPlus Climb Hill repeats are an essential part of an outdoor athlete’s workout repertoire. To make the hard work pay off, pacing is key. The new Climb SuuntoPlus™ feature does just that: it gives you real-time insights into your effort and motivates you to keep going. Read more Using the Track to Learn How to Properly Pace Your Run Using the track is a great way to improve your ability to pace yourself correctly. In this article presented by TrainingPeaks coach Todd Parker introduces a workout that helps you get in touch with the right pace for you. Read more 5 reasons why endurance athletes should do high-intensity strength training Boost your vertical speed and avoid injury by lifting heavy weights. To improve vertical speed and endurance, high-intensity resistance training should be an essential component of your training plan, says sports scientist, coach and athlete Susi Kraft. Read more 12 high-intensity strength training exercises for endurance athletes Follow our training video and SuuntoPlus Guide to get stronger. In this article, sports scientist, coach and ski mountaineer Susi Kraft explains and demonstrates how to perform 12 strength-building exercises correctly and safely. Read more Is the ultimate cross-training… breathing? Sports coaches worldwide talk about 'good fundamentals’ – you’ve got to own the basics before you can even begin to achieve mastery in a discipline. But former pro freediver Mike Maric takes that deeper than most, by addressing one of the most basic functions of life: breathing. The medically educated forensic scientist from Italy has taken what he’s learned from free diving and applied it to a multitude of other sports – with stunning success. Read more Control your core body temperature and get better performance results Your core body temperature can massively impact your performance. That’s why athletes pour water over themselves during races. They’re trying to cool down because they know once their core body temperature reaches a certain level, they’ll lose power and their performance will deteriorate. Like heart rate and power, core body temperature is a crucial metric for elite and recreational athletes alike. Read more   Recover There’s no one without the other: put in the hard work and rest to rise to the next level. Four ways to follow your recovery with Suunto Am I able to recover from my workouts? Is my mental recovery at the same level as physical? Do I ensure recovery with a good amount of sleep? Read on to learn how Suunto can help you in your recovery! Read more How to use HRV to optimize your recovery Heart rate variability (HRV) is a helpful metric for endurance athletes. Read on to learn why there’s a buzz around it and how to use Suunto to track heart rate variability. Read more Learn how sleep can make you a better runner    Sleeping well should come naturally, right? Yet many of us feel tired most of the week. A sleep doctor gives six tips to help you improve your running and overall quality of life. Read more 4 tips to recover well for your best performance One often ignored component to keep your training steady is ensuring you are getting enough recovery time. It can seem like taking a break from running will disrupt your momentum, but oftentimes it does the exact opposite – it freshens you up and reinvigorates you. Read more   Progress Is your fitness having an upward trend? Understanding your progress is both motivating and helps you understand if your training has a positive impact. How to follow your progress with Suunto The essence of training is to improve physical performance. But how do you know if you are progressing? In this article, you will learn how Suunto can help you. Read more Test your fitness with Suunto Here are five SuuntoPlus sports apps that will help you find the right intensity zones for your training and track your progress. Read more  
SuuntoRide,SuuntoRun,SuuntoSki,SuuntoSwimJune 07 2024
Suunto Vertical keeps evolving

Suunto Vertical keeps evolving

Follow the latest updates and developments of your Suunto Vertical GPS watch and enjoy it to its full potential. On this page you can see in a timeline view how your Suunto Vertical has evolved since it was launched in June 2023. To always have the latest watch software, we recommend you enable automatic, over the air software updates in the watch settings. Also, make sure you are using the latest version of Suunto app for iOS or for Android. You can find dozens of SuuntoPlus sports apps in Suunto mobile app’s SuuntoPlus Store and the ever-growing list of Suunto compatible partner services is here.   March 2024 The new Vertical Week sports app was published to SuuntoPlus Store. The SuuntoPlus Vertical Week sports app can be used to track the total elevation gain of multiple workouts during the week. Learn more about Suunto World Vertical Week 2024. Pace your mountain races with SuuntoPlus Vertical Race sports app. The Vertical Race sports app is designed to be used on vertical races. Set you race distance, vertical meters and goal time and follow the pace data live on your Suunto. Follow and improve your running technique with Stryd SuuntoPlus sports app. The Stryd sensor provides data such as ground contact time, vertical oscillation, leg stiffness and impact loading rate. Read more about improving your running technique with Suunto and Stryd here For ultrarunners, there is now an Ultrarun& walk SuuntoPlus sports app that will track how much one runs, walks, or stays still on the race. The app helps you to pace & analyse long efforts. This sports app has been built by trailrunner Alessio Sclocco who is also part of Suunto fieldtest community. A software update for Suunto Vertical, Suunto Race and Suunto 9 Peak Pro was released. The update delivered three new watch faces, better support for emojis in mobile notifications and a pause reminder. The update also provided navigation enhancements with improved high contrast map style for use with always on display and a new ruler tool to measure distances on map to nearby locations. Suunto app was updated with performance improvements to data sync between watch and Suunto app and a user interface change to how workout summary values are shown in the app. New Suunto connected partner services include Base de Vitesse aimed for surfers and sailors, Be Number one sport for competing in your sports, MoveEffect aimed for corporate health and Mia Health to engage in your fitness journey. You can find the latest list of partners from here   February 2024 New Winter maps map layer with downhill and cross-country skiing tracks came available in Suunto app to help you find the best places to ski. Waypoint import was improved for GPX route import with better waypoint compatibility with route planning services. Training Zone Summary now shows swim pace, average power and normalised power. Performance improvements to data sync between watch and Suunto app Suuntoplus Power Zones and Pace Zones sports apps were published for runners and riders. Now you can follow the cumulative time in each zone and see which zone you currently are working out.  Suunto is now compatible Xioami MiFitness. Xiaomi users can now connect their devices with Suunto via Mifitness app. This gives the possibility to use Suunto app tools as well as get connected with Suunto ecosystem. Read more here.   January 2024 Race with the new SuuntoPlus Race Pacer sports app. Set your target distance and time with even or negative splits. Now you can follow your Runna training plans in your Suunto watch FIT-UP app is now suunto compatible, designed for fitness, nutrition and mindfulness Suunto app calendar view now includes date numbers, offering a clearer overview of your training schedule. New interactivity in Suunto app route planning: touch the altitude profile chart to see corresponding locations on the map. Sleep analysis in Suunto app has been upgraded to support multiple naps within a single day, giving you a more comprehensive understanding of your rest patterns. Switching between the data table and graph in Suunto app’s Training Zone Summary is now more intuitive and user-friendly. Suunto app now remembers your last used settings for feed filtering (All/Me/Following) and your preferred Training Zone tab and graph types, making your experience more personalized and efficient. In the Training Zone Summary, selecting categories like All running sports, All cycling sports, and All swimming sports is now simpler. You can choose these categories without having to select each sport individually. We've fixed formatting issues in SuuntoPlus data, ensuring more accurate and readable information. We have also made several other bug fixes and performance improvements to ensure a smoother and more reliable experience.   December 2023 Better Training analysis Suunto app’s Lap Table now features color-coded columns. Variations from the median lap values are highlighted in shades of red and blue. This color-coding makes it easier to spot laps where your performance was significantly higher or lower than median. We’ve introduced zone graphs for Pace and Power in the workout analysis. These graphs are complemented by a distribution view of pace and power zones, providing a more intuitive understanding of your workout intensities. With Training Zone Summary you can now visualize your selected data through a graph. Summary also includes filters for both automatically and manually tagged workouts. For added convenience in filtering, options such as “All running” or “All cycling” are available, enabling you to select all activities under these categories effortlessly. Plan your adventures with Suunto App Suunto App Route planning has received new features: the ability to reverse planned routes and the addition of “Back to Start” and “Backtrack” options, enhancing your planning capabilities. User experience enhanced. New defaults Sport apps preinstalled to sport modes. When you, as an example, start your tennis workout, it already has tennis sport app, and weight training has Gym Timer. Suunto App has now streamlined the recovery features by combining the Recovery and Sleep tabs into a single, unified Recovery tab, simplifying access to your recovery and sleep data Celebrate the end of the year with your achievements with Annual report in Suunto app and share the updated yearly summary also in story format (9:16). Get more out of your sports with new partners RaceID miles partner app gets Suunto compatible Runology running technique video analysis gets Suunto compatible Runredeem is now Suunto compatible with their loyalty program customers Surlo app for sailing and other water sports gets Suunto connected Get more out of your Indoor cycling training with Suunto compatible ICTtrainer Ride with BMC companion app which is now Suunto compatible   November 2023 Training, recovery and progress come to your watch, including Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Follow training load and volume with training widgets in your watch. Follow recovery status from training with TSB and feeling in your watch. Measure Heart rate variability (HRV) to optimize your recovery. Follow your progress with chronic training load (CTL) widget. Get Suunto Coach comments in training widgets. Exercise with new rope skipping activity type. Read more: How to use HRV to optimize your recoveryHow to follow your progress with Suunto Training with TSS Follow Training load Must-read articles that guide you into Suunto’s world of training   The watch now fits better to your daily life New UI structure with mini widgets Customization of the widgets using Suunto app: Select the widgets you want to have on your watch and change the order they are shown. Improved the watch user interface speed A higher zoom level on the maps ‘Find my phone’ feature on your watch Do not disturb mode New media controls Multiple alarms   New connections KML file import in Suunto app Suunto Vitality compatibility now includes AIA Malaysia   October 2023 Better Training analysis Follow the training impacts of workouts in Suunto app SuuntoPlus Vertical race segment guide available in SuuntoPlus Store for Malaysian Suunto fans.   Enhanced user experience The Suunto App home screen can now be filtered with all, me or following. New, colourful Suunto accessory straps   September 2023 New tools to understand you training impact and intensity Training summary: A tool to analyse & find your key workouts in Suunto app. Go to Training Zone tab and check the Summary. Movement: Track your movements with wrist acceleration to follow the overall workout intensity. Gets you the insights of rapid efforts. Heart rate zones: Follow the cumulative time spent on different heart rate zones on one screen. Great to keep the intensity on target. Fused zones: Shows which intensity zone you are currently in, looking at different intensity metrics and based on that evaluating the best matching as a result. Peak Pace: Track the peak pace efforts on your run. Peak power: Track the hard sprints and efforts on your wrist. Plan better Interval planner: Use the Interval planner in Suunto app now with all activity types. Prepare for optimal race Race nutrition: Plan your race nutrition and get reminders right on your Suunto. Race companion: A simple, customizable tool that shows you the key information during a race. Backyard ultra: Race companion for Backyard Ultra racers. Follow each 6.7km loop and keep track of the laps – and when to go next! Get most out of your sport Gym Timer: Follow the recovery time between the sets. Adjust as needed and then go again. Score – Golf: Count each strike and measure the distance of the drives with the Golf Score sport app. Score – Tennis: Keep count of the game score on your wrist. Score – Soccer: Keep up with the game score and get alerted with the half time. Score – Badminton: Keep up with the badminton game score. Score counter: Counter for any game. Play with 1–4 players and keep the results on your wrist. Learn more: Discover dozens of SuuntoPlus sport apps for your Suunto   July 2023 New sensor compatibility Train.red: Connect your Suunto with a Train.red sensor to follow your muscle oxygen levels. The data will also be available in after analysis.   June 2023 Strava updates In addition to syncing your activities to Strava and using Strava routes with your Suunto watch, you can now also race Strava Live Segments with your Suunto. Learn how to chase Strava segments with your Suunto Get more out of your sports Surfer: Count each wave surfed automatically. Each wave is also stored as laps in your surf session. Running economy: Follow the running economy with heartrate vs. pace. Running economy is illustrated with a beats/km value. Shoe Tester: Follow test protocol to test different shoes to see which are the fastest for you. Disc Golf: Keep track of each disc golf throw and see the distance thrown. Get ready for the outdoors Weather forecast sports app: Keep the forecasted weather on our wrist while doing the long ride or hike. ICE: Store your emergency information on your wrist. If you don’t move the watch, it will start an alert to draw attention to the info. Relief Maps: Gets Suunto connected with 3d maps and live data sharing for outdoor enthusiast. Join challenges with Uprace App Race in Virtual Races Tackitup app Suunto Weekend Adventure collections published in Komoot
SuuntoClimb,SuuntoRide,SuuntoRun,SuuntoSki,SuuntoSwimJune 07 2024
From Bikes to Peaks: The Historic Quest of Bike2Eiger

From Bikes to Peaks: The Historic Quest of Bike2Eiger

Join Suunto ambassador Philipp Reiter and his friend Martin Schidlowski as they retrace a historic journey to the Eiger North Face in their film, Bike2Eiger. Suunto ambassador Philipp Reiter invited his childhood friend and climber Martin Schidlowski on an adventure that combined history with the modern-day challenges of mountaineering. Riding 600 km from their home in Berchtesgadener Land, Germany, to Grindelwald, the base of the Eiger in Switzerland, and attempting to climb its notorious north face was merely the backdrop for something more meaningful and thought-provoking. We caught up with Philipp to discuss his film, Bike2Eiger. The film has been touring mountain film festivals for the past winter and is now released online. Read on – and watch the film below! Philipp Reiter and Martin Schidlowski are friends since childhood.   You were following in the footsteps of some true Alpinist legends. Who were they and what was their story? Anderl Hinterstoisser and Toni Kurz were two alpinists from the Berchtesgadener Land, where Martin and I also grew up. In the 1930s, they wanted to solve the last unclimbed problem of the Alps - the Eiger North Face. As they had no money to travel by train, they went from Bad Reichenhall to Grindelwald by bike. (Read more about them here.) What is your connection with your adventure buddy Martin? Martin Schidlowski is my kindergarten buddy. We have done many alpine adventures together, running, climbing, and mountaineering. Since the beginning, we have had the same mindset and passion for the mountains. He is a super good climber and alpinist, and I am more of the endurance athlete in our team. Not the conditions the duo was hoping for.    The adventure started with three long days in the saddle. How did that go? Haha, not very well! 1.5 hours after we started, we were stuck and had to push the bikes through 30–40 cm of fresh snow. Generally, it was super cold, and we underestimated the weight of the bags. We carried in all our gear – alpinism by fair means. The first night, the police also kicked us out of our little wood cabin as in Austria sleeping somewhere out counts as illegal camping.  Did you start to question why you didn’t simply drive to the mountain? We wanted to experience the same as the two pioneers in the 1930s, which is why we also took the bikes. Studying the route and the weather are part of any adventure.   Do you think Martin will ever again go on a bikepacking trip? No, never! He had never ridden more than 100 km before, and on day one we had to do around 220 km! He did not like it. And what about you…? Well, generally, I like cycling a lot as to me it’s the perfect way to explore new areas at a decent speed. But on this ride, my leg warmers were too tight, and I got an inflammation around the knee, which was super painful. First attempt on the Eiger: too much snow.   The weather conditions and the amount of snow made the first Eiger attempt hard. Is there anything you could have done differently? At one point, there were just too many people with busy schedules involved in the project, and we couldn’t keep shifting the dates all the time. So, we had only a few time slots planned, and basically, only this one was left. That’s why we started in okay conditions, knowing that it might become too tricky to climb the face. And then there was too much snow. Mountaineering has a lot to do with conditions. Usually, you need to be patient and wait for the right conditions. It’s never a good idea to rush it in the mountains.  Before the second attempt, the atmosphere was different. Can you explain a bit about what was happening? When we came back one year later for the second try, we knew that the conditions were very good and that it was just a matter of us making it happen. Also, we didn’t do the bike approach again, which made it easier. When we went up to Eigergletscher to sleep, there was so much positive energy. I remember this situation well. Second try, better conditions – but different route.   Could part of the mood be that you were so sure that with the right timing and team, you could just show up and finish the project? Yes, exactly. It was almost like: We just need to climb it now, and that’s it! Is it possible that the slower approach and early difficulties set you up differently? Martin and I had done some more training together, like the Matterhorn North Face. We felt more ready than the first time and were more relaxed as we did not have heavy legs from three long days of riding. Summit of the Eiger!   Did the adventure teach you something? Most of the time, things come out very differently than we have planned, and we always need to keep the capacity to adapt.   Watch now: Bike to Eiger Watch now: Philipp Reiter and Martin Schidlowski follow the footsteps of their local mountaineering heroes from the 1930s on a multisport adventure to the "Eigernordwand“.
SuuntoSkiMay 23 2024