New World Record Set In Ski Mountaineering

A new world record for the most vertical metres climbed while ski touring in a 24 hour period has been set.

Jakob Herrmann, took to the slopes of his home mountain of Radstadt in Austria on January 27th at 3:00pm and kept going to complete 34 x 710 metre vertical ascents, a total of over 24,000 metres climbed. With the ascent length 2.5km per run, he also climbed 85 kilometre (53 miles) in the same period.  

Herrmann’s total of 24,242 vertical metres covered beat the previous record set by Kilian Jornet at  Molde, Norway in 2019, which stood at 23,486 vertical metres within 24 hours, by 756 metres.

“It has always been a dream of mine to be on touring skis for 24 hours straight and see how many vertical meters I can achieve,” says Jakob Herrmann, who is sponsored by Dynafit. “I just wanted to know what limits one can reach and how far beyond you can go. I have a great support team around me, and I love simply skiing for hours. The most challenging part was skiing overnight with 14 hours of darkness. Now I am overjoyed and proud that I made it.”

Herrmann took only short breaks to eat rice and potatoes. In addition to isotonic drinks, gels, and bars, he relied on homemade banana bread. He was supported on the slope during his record attempt by partners, friends, and family.

“A 24-hour record is something very special. The monotony of the movement is within you and synchronizes with your breathing and heartbeat,” comments Kilian Jornet on Herrmann’s recent athletic achievement. He further assesses the record, stating, “I think for athletes accustomed to running fast, it is important to start a bit slower because after 10-12 hours, especially at night, conditions become tougher. The excitement of the first hours is gone, the energy from food is barely there, and the muscles start to ache a bit. These are the moments when it is crucial to maintain the pace. Jakob has done that, and I am happy for him and congratulate him on the new record.”

Hermann, a professional ski mountaineer from Werfenweng, has been part of the DYNAFIT athlete team since 2019. Last winter, Herrmann achieved success with victories at the ski touring competitions Mountain Attack and Erztrophy, as well as two Austrian championship titles.

Photos: © Philipp Reiter / The Adventure Bakery