The dude is a legend. After nabbing two million vert in a single year, he’s modestly heading into March with a goal to nab 100k vertical meters (he’s Canadian… for us that’s 328k vertical feet). Mercy, is that all you can do, Greg? With 31 calendar days, that means he’s got to ski an average of 10,600 vertical feet every… single… day. That’s one stout goal and one that I’m counting on him achieving.
As a Salomon athlete, Hill will be using some of the latest gear and prototypes — including the awesome new QBC Lab ski that I highlighted in my Outdoor Retailer coverage last month.
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Official news release below:
Salomon athlete set to hike and ski 100-thousand vertical meters in one month
Greg Hill’s 100k March Madness Challenge marks his attempt at a personal record of more than 300-thousand feet in just 31 days
Ogden, UT—February 20, 2014—Salomon, the leader in technical design and innovation in mountain sports announces premier backcountry skier and mountaineer Greg Hill’s 100k March Madness Challenge. Hill will attempt a personal record of climbing and skiing more than 300-thousand feet in one month.
Hill joined Salomon in 2012 after gaining world-wide recognition for his Greg Hill 2 Mil campaign, in which he logged two million vertical feet ski-mountaineering in one year. Hill’s 24-hour record is 50 thousand vertical feet. This March, he is upping the ante.
For Hill to accomplish his goal, he must climb approximately10-thousand feet (3,000 meters) every day over the course of the month. If he meets his March Madness Challenge he will be the first ski-mountaineer in history to travel this distance in one calendar month. “It will be a month of exploring and pounding vertical in difficult areas – nothing will be repeated,” Hill said. “And I won’t be wearing Lycra! This is about fat ski shredding North American style.”
While Hill is still finalizing all aspects of his challenge, he plans to climb and ski 30 peaks and complete a multi-day traverse. He will travel through the backcountry of British Columbia, Canada, near his home in Revelstoke. Hill’s gear consists of the Quest BC Lab ski and lightweight touring boots that are currently in the internal testing stage as part of Hill’s product development relationship with Salomon. Part of Hill’s March Madness Challenge includes on-slope beta reviewing and feedback on new products that will be released in the winter of 2015/16.
“Ski-mountaineering is a place where you can explore your own limit,” Hill says. “There’s a mental aspect and a physical side. It’s peaceful up there too.”
Once his challenge begins on March 1, 2014, followers can stay up-to-date with Hill on a daily basis through his social media channels and nightly blog entries.
Image courtesy of zooom.at/Markus Berger