Picture this: You’re running in the mountains alone with minimal gear and just one liter of water. But this isn’t a day trip in the Rockies — you’re in the Himalaya ascending Manaslu, the eighth-highest mountain in the world. And you’re doing it without supplemental oxygen or climbing partners.
Sound risky? Tyler Andrews, a 34-year-old endurance athlete from Massachusetts, would be the first to agree. The runner has racked up an impressive list of feats on dangerous mountains, including 69 Fastest Known Times (FKTs), placing him in the ranks of the world’s most elite runners.
Last year saw several of Andrews’ most impressive records yet. He set new FKTs on Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro and Argentina’s Mount Aconcagua. On both mountains, Andrews pulled ahead of past records set by running legends like Karl Igloff and Kilian Jornet.
But this week, Andrews told us he wants to be “the best in the world.” That’s why he decided to test his skills on the biggest stage of all: the Himalaya. On Sept. 19, Andrews hiked up the 8,163m Manaslu in 9 hours and 52 minutes, shaving more than two hours off the previous record, set by Nepalese climber Pemba Gelje Sherpa last year.
These mountains have typically been the realm of mountaineers — not trail runners. Many of them require sections of vertical climbing, which is why Fastest Known Time has long excluded speed records on those mountains, allowing The Himalayan Database to track them instead.
But now that’s changing, thanks in part to Andrews, who also works part-time for the FKT organization. Since the primary route on Manaslu lacks technical climbing, he thinks turning the summit push into an FKT is fair play. And he believes the training he’s applying to these mountains — like bringing a stationary bike to Manaslu base camp — represents a novel approach to Himalayan adventure.
We caught up with Andrews to find out how he did it — from nutrition and gear to timing and technique.
Congratulations on setting a new FKT on Manaslu You’ve set many records already. Can you tell us what this one means to you?
Andrews: I mean, first of all, it’s my first 8,000m speed record. So that’s really special. But honestly, I think the thing that made it the most special is that I tried and failed a year ago.
And the way that the big mountains go is you often only get one shot a year. And that kind of sucks, but it definitely makes it more special when things go really well. I think the bigger the mountain, the bigger the stakes, the bigger the stage, the more important the preparation — all that stuff. And to have it go so well after what was objectively a pretty rough year, that just makes it doubly special.
Where and how does run training/aerobic development factor into prep for outings like this, along with all the other variables you’re trying to train for?
This article first appeared on GearJunkie.