Suunto Blog

Badewanne explore the German destroyer Z36 On a dark, stormy December night in 1944 a fleet of five German warships was cruising the labyrinthine waters of the Gulf of Finland. Due to navigation error two of the ships ran into their own German minefield between Porkkala and Naissaari and were lost. Badewanne, a Finnish, non-profit organization representing a group of voluntary divers that have been documenting shipwrecks in the Gulf of Finland for more than 15 years, recently dove down to one of the destroyers, the Z36. Juha Flinkman, one of the Badewanne divers, gives us a guided tour: “Diving to the wreck of Zerstörer (Destroyer) Z36 is a unique and eerie experience. As you glide down the shotline into the darkness, the beam of your light first picks up a scary mess of mast, radar aerials and – trawl, lots of it! Carefully avoiding the trawl you descend towards the superstructure past a quadruple 20 mm flak gun wrapped in netting, barrels sticking through the mesh. Passing over the port side of the bridge wing, you suddenly stare at the muzzles of a twin 20 mm Flak gun mounted on the fo’csle deck. The barrels vainly aim at the unreachable sky far above. This flak gun is situated a little aft of “Bertha Geschütz”, that is B-gun of the main armament of 127 mm guns. These Mob 36b type destroyers weren’t supposed to have any such armament here, but what the heck, maybe the Skipper just wanted some extra anti-aircraft hardware installed! Later, swimming from the gracefully arching bows towards midships, your lights pick up mighty Rheinmetall-Borsig barrels of Anton and Bertha Geschütze still defiantly pointing forwards, but never to be fired again. Even the riflings inside the barrels are clearly visible. Even when diving in the clear parts of the wreck, the ever-present trawl netting looms, if not in your vision, then in your mind. You must always be aware of this danger – there is no room for carelessness. This wreck is very big. It was distinctly once a very powerful warship, but now lays with her back broken on the seafloor, wrapped in trawl, and her payload of death strewn all around. A dark and a lonely place.” All images: © Badewanne

Greg Hill plans to ascend 100,000m in a month. It's a challenge that will test his mind and body to the absolute limit and demand all his powers of endurance to succeed. As yet, he doesn't know if it's possible. In March Suunto ambassador Greg Hill will attempt to ski 100,000 vertical meters. That's up, as well as down. If he pulls it off, it will be an awe-inspiring achievement. What makes it all the more challenging is that these will not be repeated ascents on well-groomed pistes at his local ski resort. Instead, in true Suunto style, the ascents will be made in the heart of Canada's backcountry wilderness. Greg will be exploring new lines and making first descents. Nothing will be repeated. “I've always been curious about my human potential and to see what I can do,” Greg says in his new video about the project. “I'm a little scared. There are avalanches, there are injuries, there are lots of things that could happen. But I'm going to try.” But if there's anyone who has a chance of pulling it off it's Greg Hill. In 2010, he skied 610,000m (2 million ft) in a year. He has also skied 15,000m (50,000ft) in a month. He'll use his Suunto Ambit2 to record his ascents. The challenge – in which he’ll struggle to eat enough food to maintain body weight while burning thousands of calories per day – will almost certainly be a first in ski mountaineering. It will require him to spend every waking hour of every day climbing, skiing, eating and traveling and will also involve considerable logistical planning. “It's intimidating,” he acknowledges. The challenge will take place in the 38-year-old's backyard — a remote part of British Columbia, Canada. It's the ideal playground. “There are so many un-skied mountains and lines in the Canadian wilderness around my home. It's just waiting to be explored,” he says. Check out the video and Greg's website for more details on the project. We'll also be sharing updates on our Facebook page.

Skibergsteiger "In ski mountaineering, you can explore your own limits. Nothing is predetermined. There are endless mountains and places to discover. You can take different routes to the summit and choose the best way back to the valley. Depending on your comfort zone, anything is possible. It is both a mental and a physical experience. Up there, it is peaceful. A very versatile sport – you never just go straight ahead!"Greg Hill – Ski Mountaineer Greg Hill is a ski mountaineer who has set numerous records. In 2010, he achieved an incredible 600,000 vertical meters on skis. HistoryIn 2010, he achieved an incredible 600,000 vertical meters on skis. This feat required a daily ascent of 2,286 meters over 275 ski days. For 77 days, Hill was above the 3,000-meter mark. To keep track of the elevation changes and validate his record claim, Greg Hill naturally used a Suunto device. This is just one of the many records set by the Canadian. According to him, he still experiences the same joy he felt as a child when he skipped school to ski in the powder. "It's that feeling of absolute excitement," he says, "a completely carefree sense of happiness." During a summer job as a tree planter, Hill discovered his endurance capabilities. "We were paid by the number of trees planted," he recalls. "That's why it was always about giving everything from the first moment." Hill planted up to 1,500 saplings a day, but his personal best was 3,600. "I learned real perseverance there." By his own estimate, Hill has planted over 1 million trees in total. This endurance paid off when he found his true calling in the mountains – and his path to new altitude records and pioneering descents. To date, he has climbed more than 190 mountains on skis. "In ski mountaineering, you can explore your own limits. There are endless mountains and places to discover," he says. Currently, his only goal is to explore the breathtaking mountain ranges of his home, British Columbia. The region has 75 peaks over 3,000 meters, and some of these summits have never been skied. "Some peaks are very difficult to reach – a lifelong goal that requires a lot of time and preparation," says Hill. But if anyone is the perfect candidate for these conquests, it's the man who skied 600,000 vertical meters in one year. FACTS Greg HillName: Greg Hill Hobbies: "I want to be a great dad." Hometown: Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada Website: http://www.greghill.ca/about/