This spring, Tyler Andrews hopes to summit Everest in 16 hours from Base Camp without supplementary oxygen or Sherpa support. The 34-year-old American is no newbie to Himalayan records. He is one of a growing number of climber-athletes who are bringing their mountain running skills to the Himalayan peaks, aiming for FKTs (Fastest Known Times).
Manaslu before Everest
It likely wasn’t a coincidence that when Andrews announced his Everest FKT project earlier this week, his sponsor La Sportiva released 9 Hours on Manaslu, the film about his FKT on Manaslu last year. Andrews ran from Base Camp to the top of the eighth-highest mountain on Earth in 9 hours and 52 minutes, beating Pemba Gelje Sherpa’s previous record. Andrews was also racing up the peak in 2023 when Pemba Gelje summited. But that year, Andrews didn’t feel well on the upper sections and turned around without summiting.
Tyler Andrews in South America. Photo: Tyler Andrews collection
Back home, Andrews had to deal with a badly damaged Achilles tendon, which required surgery. It took a lot of rehab and training before he finally returned to Nepal and broke the Manaslu speed record 12 months later.
For that reason, Andrews sees his Manaslu climb as “a story about failure and redemption,” he told ExplorersWeb.
Fall and rise
The film also shows Andrews’ personal transformation from a kid interested in math and music to an elite long-distance runner. He dealt with depression but bounced back when he discovered the wild world of mountains and open spaces on Ojos del Salado in Chile in 2020. He began to travel the world in search of thin air, high summit views, and fast times.
Chris Fisher and Tyler Andrews, training partners in the Khumbu; Fisher did most of the Nepal footage for the documentary. Photo: Screenshot
Andrews’ regular climbing and running partner, Chris Fisher, did most of the Nepal footage on this film. Yet the most intense sequences are those from Andrews’ headcam during the ascent: his feet on the frozen ground, his gloved hands on the fixed ropes, and his shadow reflected on the ice seracs. When the runner lifts his eyes, we also see views of Manaslu, a strikingly beautiful peak.
The film will provide a great background for those interested in following Andrews’ upcoming Everest expedition and want to understand what’s behind the feat and the character.
To learn more about the film, you can listen to this episode of Andrews’ podcast, Talking with My Dad. In it, he discusses the challenge behind the scenes and shares details about his physical and mental training with his real-life dad, Tim Andrews.
