Are you riding an e-bike with your Suunto? Now you can connect your watch with SHIMANO E-BIKE SYSTEMS bicycles. Learn how to do it! Cycling is one of the key sports within the Suunto community, with enthusiasts leveraging Suunto's advanced GPS watches to monitor and optimize their performance and explore new terrain. Suunto’s compatibility with SHIMANO E-BIKE SYSTEMS equipped e-bikes is a new addition to meet the diverse needs of cyclists. So, whether you are hitting the trails or commuting on a bike path on your e-bike, read on! SHIMANO E-BIKE SYSTEMS SuuntoPlus sports app, a feature developed in collaboration with SHIMANO, shows you the assistant mode (Eco, Boost, Trail), power assistance level, e-bike battery status, speed and heart rate directly on your Suunto watch in real-time during your ride. The sports app also stores that data for after-ride analysis: You can, for example, see the assistant percentage along with the other data you tracked with your Suunto watch in Suunto app.   How to use SHIMANO E-BIKE SYSTEMS SuuntoPlus sport app Sync the SHIMANO E-BIKE SYSTEMS SuuntoPlus sports app to your watch from Suunto app’s SuuntoPlus Store. Select the SHIMANO E-BIKE SYSTEMS SuuntoPlus sports app in the exercise settings before starting your workout. During activity, scroll with the middle button to view the SuuntoPlus screen. SHIMANO E-BIKE SYSTEMS SuuntoPlus sports app stores data for after analysis in Suunto app. Next time you start your ride with the same sport mode, your SHIMANO E-BIKE SYSTEMS SuuntoPlus sports app is selected as default and connects with your SHIMANO E-BIKE SYSTEMS bicycle. SuuntoPlus sports app is compatible with the SHIMANO E-BIKE SYSTEMS equipped with SHIMANO Wireless Units. SHIMANO Wireless Units can be equipped with following SHIMANO E-BIKE SYSTEMS Drive Unit Models: EP801, EP6 EP800 / E6100/E6180/E5000/E5080 E7000 E8000 / E8080 (Only E6000 cannot be equipped for SHIMANO Wireless Units)

Suunto World Vertical Week, the thrilling celebration of the uphill challenge, united outdoor enthusiasts from around the globe in a collective pursuit of elevation gain on March 18–24. All human-powered activities by the participants were counted and every hill was turned into an opportunity to conquer new heights.  We have now analyzed the data to see which country and activity type climbed the most!   The usual suspects were on top of the country rankings In the country rankings, the usual suspects – countries in the mountainous regions of Europe – were once again on top. This time Italy dethroned Austria for the number one spot with over 400 meters of ascent per activity on average. Switzerland also broke its way to the top three. The only non-European nation in the top 10 was South Africa in ninth place. Greece made it to the top 10 for the first time.   Average ascent meters by country   When looking at the total ascent, meaning adding up the ascent in all the activities in a nation for the Vertical Week, France took the top spot from Spain and Italy climbed past Austria on the third spot. Top 10 for total ascent meters France Spain Italy Austria Germany Switzerland USA Poland United Kingdom Czech Republic   Skiers – and the Japanese trail runners – were above the rest In the activity type rankings, there weren’t any major changes: ski touring activities had the biggest average ascent, followed by mountaineering and trail running. The average ascent for all the ski touring activities came close to the magical 1000-meter mark but was still a bit below the summit. Maybe next time!   Average ascent meters by activity type   While the skiers had the biggest days on average, when looking at individual activities with over 1000 meters of ascent, trail runners were in the lead. In 2023 the order was the other way round. In the individual performances, four people really stood out: They all had tracked over 20.000 meters of human-powered ascent during the Vertical Week. Impressive! And while looking at the big picture, many people seemed to push it more than last year: For a top 10% placing, you needed to climb 2275 meters during this year’s Vertical Week. That’s almost 373 meters more than in 2023. The same change is visible in the top of the top: To make it to the top 3% of the Vertical Week participants, you needed to climb 4062 meters, 472 meters more than in 2023. The country rankings winner Italy is very strong also in different activity type rankings. They earned a podium spot in six out of ten different categories! Ski touring Slovakia 1160m Switzerland 1062m Poland 1051m(Average for all countries 953 m) Whoop whoop, we have a new winner in the ski touring category! The Slovakian skiers ascended more than any other nation in any of the categories. It’s also clear that the 1000-meter mark is a clear goal for skiers, and the entire top 3 broke that limit. Trail running Japan 1076m Italy 674m Greece 600m(Average for all countries 457 m) This is amazing: The Japanese trail runners were the only ones breaking the 1000-meter mark in any other category than ski touring. They kept their well-deserved top spot in trail running for another year. Congratulations! Mountaineering Italy 865m Finland 838m France 799m(Average for all countries 633 m) Italy continued their dominancy, but the second place was a surprise: How did such a flat country as Finland make its way to second place? Mountain biking South Africa 645m Italy 547m Slovenia 540m(Average for all countries 393 m) The South Africans were active on the bike, climbed more than any other nation and ensured that also the African continent was presented in the rankings. Gravel cycling United Kingdom 656m United States 440m Italy 421m(Average for all countries 298 m) Gravel cycling was a new addition on the list this time. And, not surprisingly, the ascent meters for gravel cycling fell somewhere between mountain biking and cycling. The UK took the top spot in the activity ranking clearly. Cycling Spain 435m Italy 335m Slovenia 286m(Average for all countries 210 m) Everyone knows that cycling in Spain in the spring is great. And they seem to know it themselves, too! Trekking Japan 850m Switzerland 575m Austria 541m(Average for all countries 351 m) The Japanese took the top spot in two categories, trekking and trail running. Two category wins was only matched by Italy (number one in mountaineering and hiking). Hiking Italy 438m Slovakia 386m Slovenia 351m(Average for all countries 240 m) Yet another category with a strong Italian performance. Forza! Nordic skiing Switzerland 363m Austria 324m Norway 305m(Average for all countries 216 m) While the top three countries in the cross country skiing category were expected, what was surprising was the change in the podium lineup from the previous year: None of these three were on the podium last year. Running Czech Republic 152m Switzerland 138m South Africa 130m(Average for all countries 95 m) Running, the most popular Suunto activity in general, is not focused on the vert. Despite the smaller numbers, there still is a winner: Czech Republic took the number one spot!

Some people choose the path with the least resistance. We choose to celebrate the uphills. Join us for the 10th annual Suunto World Vertical Week on March 18–24! Welcome to Suunto World Vertical Week – a thrilling celebration of the uphill challenge! From March 18 to March 24, outdoor enthusiasts from around the globe will unite in a collective pursuit of elevation gain, turning every hill into an opportunity to conquer new heights. The beauty of Suunto Vertical Week lies in its accessibility, taking place everywhere, and embracing all human-powered activities. Whether you're a trail runner, skier, hiker, mountaineer, cyclist, or any other adventurer, the Vertical Week invites you to climb as much as you can. The ultimate goal? To determine which nation and activity type emerges victorious, boasting the most elevation gain. Joining the Vertical Week is simple – just open the Suunto app and click 'join' in the Vertical Week message. All your human-powered activities during the week count. Join now and elevate your adventure! Follow your progress in real-time The Vertical Week sport app shows the current activity ascent (top), total ascent (bottom) and your total compared to Vertical Week participants in 2023.   You can follow your total ascent for the Vertical Week with the new SuuntoPlus Vertical Week sport app: The Vertical Week sport app will count every meter you climb and show your cumulative ascent for both the current activity and the entire week. You can also see how high you would be ranked in the previous Vertical Week challenge. Are you already in the top 30% or perhaps even the top 5% of participants? Go to the SuuntoPlus Store in Suunto app and sync the Vertical Week sport app to your watch. Before starting your first activity of the Vertical Week, select the sport app in the activity settings. Learn more about SuuntoPlus sport apps.    Join our community events in Innsbruck and Girona If you are spending your Vertical Week in or around Innsbruck, Austria, or Girona, Spain, you should check out our community events: In Innsbruck we will be running with BASEFIVE on March 18 and skiing on March 20 and 23. In Girona we will go on a community run together with the Overland crew on Saturday, March 23.  Learn more about Suunto x OVERLAND Vertical Week events in Girona and join!   Data from previous years Check out which sports and nations have captured the podium places during the past years. Will this year bring changes to the top places? Now is your chance to affect on this year's results by collecting as many vertical meters as possible.  2023 - 2022 - Summer 2021 - Winter 2021 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 - 2016   Read more How to use the terrain maps in your Suunto Vertical 10 Suunto features for vertical gain Suunto World Vertical Week 2023 Big Data

Race to the Summit Two years ago, Dani Arnold completed the biggest project of his life: climbing the six large Alpine north faces – alone and in record time. The project occupied, accompanied and shaped him over a period of 10 years. Now the Netflix is devoting a 90-minute report to three of these climbs. Race to the Summit features the dizzying feats of Dani Arnold and the late Ueli Steck, two great Swiss alpinists and long-time Suunto ambassadors. Experienced mountaineers need a day or more to climb the infamous north faces of the Eiger or Matterhorn. But Dani and Ueli climbed them alone in less than three hours. The duel thrilled the climbing world and electrified the media. Watch the trailer above and the full film on Netflix.   Lost Then Found TDS winning athlete Christian Meier shares his inspiring story in Lost Then Found. Christian started his athletic career as a cyclist and has since made a transition from the pro peloton to the top of ultra-running. ”Life is a constant evolution of who you are as a person and Lost Then Found marks an important turning point in my life not only as an athlete but as an individual. From losing cycling to finding trail running this is a story of self-discovery and I am happy to be able to share that journey,” says Christian.   Arctic Lines – Sunny Car Center In the Arctic Lines video series, backcountry snowboarder Antti Autti explores the vast wilderness of northern Finland, Sweden, and Norway. The series is now in its third season, and in the latest episode, 'Sunny Car Center,' Antti seeks—and finds—a new special zone in Northern Norway. ”Exploring expands your horizons and finding new locations is one of the most important aspects of freeriding,” says Antti.   Balkan Express Ski mountaineers Jochen Mesle and Max Kroneck rode 2500 km from Greece to Germany – and stopped to ski along the way. Balkan Express, their film about the adventure, has won acclaim at international film festivals. “We really wanted to experience some mountains, cultures, people we didn't know. We looked at a map of Europe and saw that the Balkans are pretty interesting. The sport side wasn’t the main focus of the project. It was about getting to know the culture and people,” says Max.   Nomadland – Bikepacking in Mongolia Alba Xandri and Erreka Calmet found beautiful landscapes, friendly people and an epic adventure while bikepacking in in the Mongolian grasslands – and made a film about it. ”Mongolia far exceeded our expectations. It is a backcountry bikepacker’s paradise,” says Alba.   Ride to Ski – Bikepacking adventure through the Dolomites Lack of snow forced Henna Palosaari to think outside the box and led her to invite two of her friends, Sami Sauri and Malva Björkman, on a bike & ski adventure. The 9-day journey that combined two of her favorite sports, turned out to be a beautiful mix of sweat, laughs, ice, snow, and friendship.  ”It wasn’t a pure sufferfest,” Henna laughs.   Max Ammer, Raja Ampat and the richest reefs in the world This is an oldie but goldie: Max Ammer, founder of Papua Diving and two Eco Resorts, Sorido Bay and Kri Eco Resort, shows us why these incredible projects are more than just places to stay, dive and enjoy the unique ecosystems. Over the past 30 years, a remarkable conservation project has unfolded. The local team, with unwavering dedication, has prioritized the protection of the flourishing ecosystem. This strategic focus has proven to be wise, as the tangible outcomes of their hard work, long-term planning, and precise execution are evident in the thriving fish and coral counts. This stands as a rare case where the reefs are experiencing unprecedented richness – and gives hope for other areas as well.   Lead image by Richard Bucher / Ride to Ski

It was late February in Innsbruck. Henna sat at her desk, browsing the map to see what destinations were close by, destinations with great skiing opportunities that could be easily reached by bike. The winter in the Austrian Alps had been the worst in living memory. The usual endless fresh snow had been replaced by grass and mud. Normally, at this time of the year, we were too busy to enjoy the powder days in the snowy resorts to even think about wasting this precious time riding bikes that could do plenty over the summer months. This year was different; it was time to slow things down and finally see if combining two sports, bikepacking and snowboarding, could actually be truly enjoyable. Malva, Sami and Henna. "We're actually doing it!" Malva exclaimed as we hopped on our bikes in Innsbruck. "My bike shakes like crazy, is this normal?" Henna asked, seemingly nervous after the first 500 meters. Sami reassured her that she'll get used to it by the time we reached the Dolomites. Dolomites, a destination with iconic sharp-toothed, sheer-sided mountains that stand enormously tall as the background whether it’s summer or winter. And most importantly, only a couple of hundred kilometers away, making it reachable by bike. The only question was whether our plan of a 5-day cycling and 4-day skiing journey from Innsbruck to Lago di Garda actually was realistic without being only a sufferfest? Snowflakes and sharks “It’s definitely a first, biking up to go ski touring,” Henna gasped as we made our way up to our first skiing spot. This winter, the snow line had been even higher than normal, at around 1000 to 1500 meters. Normally, we would drive up to the snow line and start touring, but not this time. Now, it meant first climbing 600 meters from the village with bikes before changing into skis and tackling the rest of the 750 meters with skis and splitboards. Our bikes were loaded with skis/splitboards, ski/snowboard boots, backpacks, poles, skins, ski clothes, crampons, and sleeping bags, all secured with many, many straps. “At least the body is already warmed up by the time we start touring,” Malva smirked. As we arrived at our accommodation the previous night, the snow had started to fall, giving hope for some fresh lines the next day. The trees and roofs were covered by a thin layer of snow, making the whole town glisten in the morning sun as we hopped on our bikes the next morning, excited for the first ski day. “Watch out for sharks,” Henna shouted as all three of us cruised down a fresh line from Vennspitze. That was the reality; there was still not enough snow to cover all the rocks, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying the first turns of the trip. “Shitty snow but so much fun to be riding!” Malva summed it up as we were riding the last meters down. With smiles or without smiles, the reality was that we still needed to bike another 31 kilometers to our next accommodation. Exhausted, we crossed the border to Italy in the dark, dressed up in all the layers we had, and descended down towards Vipiteno. “I don’t think we can keep on doing this for 7 more days in a row,” Sami said, and we all nodded in silence. Lesson learned - while enjoying a hearty dinner, we decided to split the rest of the days between the two disciplines to make it a smoother and, most importantly, more enjoyable experience. Ice and Dolomiti peaks "No way, is that a ski slope?" Sami shouted after we had just managed to get through a closed trail with hundreds of fallen trees. Route planning on a winter bikepacking trip was a lot different from a normal bikepacking trip. The nice small gravel roads that were usually preferred might be covered by snow or turned into a nordic ski track that had melted into a shiny ice field. Both of these we had to learn the hard way on our trip. “No braking,” Henna screamed as she balanced on the ice field that previously served as a nordic ski track. We survived but decided to reroute the rest of our route to the bigger roads to avoid more such surprises. We pushed our bikes across the ski slope while gazing at the first Dolomiti peak on the horizon. The 90-kilometer journey to Camping Sass Dlacia was a full day mission, but the sheer-sided mountain peaks colored in shades of pink and purple created a warm and unforgettable welcome into the Dolomites. The drumming of the raindrops the next morning not so much. The campsite was located at 1500 meters, but still, it was not enough to turn the rain into snow. “That is usually rideable,” Henna said, pointing out to a peak on our left side as we toured towards Lavarella hut. The lack of snow made it necessary for us to adjust the next day’s plan. There was simply not enough snow to ski the run we had planned to. “The rest of the face is pure ice from here to the top,” Malva said. The snow that had started falling after our arrival at the hut had come with too much wind to stick on the icy slopes. Creativity had been the key this winter, finding a way to make the most out of the current conditions no matter how bad they were. After looking around, we found an interesting-looking small couloir and a snowy-looking bowl that we decided to ski. “Go girls,” Sami wrote on the snow as Malva and Henna hiked up to the couloir. The wind was chilly, but the sun was shining as we rode down. "Not perfect but way better than I expected," Henna said, content for the day. The setting sun colored the sharp-toothed mountains in warm tones, giving the final confirmation for a great day in the mountains. Cheating to maximize the down time “I’m not feeling that good,” Malva said as the highest massif of Dolomites, standing over 3000 meters above sea level, looked down at us. The climb was famous among road cyclists, now tackled by three girls with 40-kilogram bikes loaded with ski gear. “2 kilometers in an hour,” Sami laughed out loud as she looked down at her watch and saw the pace we were moving. “But look at that,” Henna pointed out in awe towards Marmolada as she saw the majestic peaks glowing in the evening light, covered in fresh snow. At that moment, everything made sense, even doing a 9-day ski trip by bike. After seeing the fresh snow on the Dolomiti queen and knowing it was all accessible from the resort’s cable car, we decided to reward ourselves and maximize the time spent skiing down instead of spending it touring up. It was our last day of skiing on this trip after all. “This is why we do it,” Henna screamed out of joy. We found fresh lines between the cliffs, fun turns beside the already tracked ones, good snow and bad snow as we enjoyed the beaming sun and took in the magnificent views overlooking the Dolomites. Smiles bigger than any of the day, we packed the skis on the bike and started a short descent to the next accommodation, only to notice we had booked the wrong one from a village on the other side of Marmolada. Even that, could not ruin our mood that day, we kept riding to the next village and booked a new one from there. The last majestic peaks of Dolomites on our sides and the warmth of the sun growing more intense as we headed towards our last destination, Lago di Garda. Soon the only evidence of the snow and winter was the melting nordic ski tracks. As we passed by the Italian Vineyards, we felt light and relaxed, shed some layers, and chatted with the local cyclists as they passed by us. We knew that we were getting closer to our end destination. Whether it was the tailwind or knowing we could soon pop the champagne bottle gifted to us by our last accommodation, the last kilometers to Riva del Garda flowed in ease. “We actually did it,” Sami shouted as she popped the champagne bottles and sprayed it on Henna and Malva. “And it wasn’t a pure sufferfest,” Henna said, the taste of champagne in her mouth. A 9-day journey combining two of our favorite sports turned out to be a beautiful mix of sweat, laughs, ice, snow, and friendship. Ski to Ride: Watch the entire film here Skiing and bikepacking isn’t something that usually goes hand-in-hand. Henna Palosaari, Malva Björkman and Sami Sauri thought differently. Ride to Ski film takes you through the iconic Dolomites on a 426 kilometer journey full of sweat, laughter, skiing, snowboarding, ice and snow, done solely by bike. Riders - Henna Palosaari, Malva Björkman & Sami Sauri Cinematography & Editing - Mikko-Pekka Karlin Production - Henna Palosaari Photography - Richard Bucher Graphic Design - Henna Palosaari More to watch: Bikepacking the Arctic Post Road

Recovery is a crucial component of training that allows the body to repair and adapt to the stress of exercise. During recovery, the body replenishes energy stores, repairs damaged muscle tissue and strengthens muscles and connective tissue to better handle future physical demands. Without adequate recovery, the body may become overtrained, leading to fatigue, decreased performance, and increased risk of injury.    Suunto GPS watches and Suunto app’s Training Zone collect and help you analyze your recovery based on indicators like heart rate variability, sleep, training stress balance and subjective feeling after workouts.      Monitor recovery with heart rate variability Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measures the variation in time between consecutive heartbeats, providing valuable insights into the balance of the autonomic nervous system and overall health. HRV is not just about heart rate but the fluctuations in the intervals between beats. A higher HRV generally indicates a more adaptable autonomic nervous system, reflecting the body's ability to handle stress effectively. Various factors, including intense training, mental stress, or illness, can influence HRV readings. Suunto Race, Suunto Vertical, and Suunto 9 Peak Pro offer HRV tracking during sleep, providing a reliable and easy way to gather comparable data. Interpreting HRV data is highly individual, and higher values usually signify better autonomic balance within an individual's normal range. Suunto defines an individual's normal range over 60 days, comparing the rolling seven-day average with that baseline. Consistently low HRV values may indicate a compromised recovery state due to factors like chronic stress, inadequate sleep, overtraining, or underlying health issues. After intense efforts or races, it's normal for HRV to temporarily drop below the normal range. Abnormally high HRV, indicated by a yellow or red warning in the app, may suggest excessive recovery (parasympathetic nervous system activity), often in response to accumulated stress. Learn more about HRV tracking with Suunto     Understand how much sleep you are getting Sleep plays a crucial role in recovery by allowing the body to repair and regenerate tissues that have been damaged during exercise. During sleep, the body releases growth hormone, which helps build and repair muscles, and the immune system releases cytokines, which fight off inflammation and infection. Additionally, sleep helps regulate hormones that affect appetite and metabolism, which can impact weight management and overall health. Lack of sleep can lead to decreased performance, increased risk of injury, and other negative health consequences. To optimize recovery, athletes should aim for at least 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night and establish a regular sleep routine that includes a consistent bedtime and wake-up time. To track sleep, you need to enable sleep tracking in the watch settings and wear the watch during sleep. In the settings, you also define your bedtime. Your watch uses that period to determine when you are sleeping (during your bedtime) and reports all sleep as one session. If you get up for a drink of water during the night, for example, your watch still counts any sleep after that as the same session. When you wake up, you are greeted with a summary of your sleep. The summary includes, for example, your average and minimum heart rate, and the total duration of your sleep, as well as the estimated time you were awake and the time you were in deep sleep. In addition to the sleep summary, you can follow your overall sleep trend with the sleep widget on your Suunto Vertical, Suunto Race and Suunto 9 Peak Pro. When you sync your watch with the Suunto app, you will see more sleep data and trends.    Read about six ways to improve your sleep   Know the balance between your long and short-term training load Training stress score (TSS) is a metric that quantifies the stress training puts on your body. Over time, this load adds up. This is illustrated by Acute Training Load (ACL), the weighted seven-day average of your TSS, and Chronic Training Load (CTL), the weighted 42-day average of your TSS. CTL is also called ‘fitness’ as it indicates how much – or how hard – you’ve been training. When you compare these two cumulative training stress metrics, you get Training stress balance (TSB). If your acute load is smaller than the chronic load, your Training stress balance is positive: your training recently has been lighter than over the past several weeks. A positive TSB indicates that you are adequately recovered and may be ready to increase your training load, while a negative TSB suggests that you may need more rest or recovery time before increasing your workload. By using TSB as a guide, you can optimize your training and reduce the risk of injury or burnout. Learn more about Training stress score   Trust your subjective feelings as well Monitoring feelings after an activity can provide valuable insight into your overall recovery status. If your feelings after exercise start to trend downward, something is not right. You may be pushing too hard, not recovering well enough or might be getting sick. Consider taking a break or doing something different for a change    You can add your feeling on your watch when saving an activity. You can then view the feeling trend in the Suunto app’s Training zone. The app shows your subjective, after-workout feeling for both the current week and the previous six weeks. Learn who is having the most fun exercising (based on data)   Read more Follow your progress with Suunto Understand and manage your training load with Suunto Manage your training with Suunto app's Training Zone