Iceland had been on the high of Hunter Leininger’s bucket record for a few years. However the 23-year-old journey and endurance racer wasn’t going to be glad with a simple journey across the Ring Highway, visiting waterfalls and scorching springs. To benefit an expedition to the Land of Ice and Hearth, “I wished to do one thing epic,” he informed GearJunkie.
So, Leininger began in search of an goal. When he found that Christof Teuscher had set an FKT in 2023, traversing the whole nation on foot, a distance of over 320 miles, in simply 8 days, 11 hours, and 4 minutes, his sights have been set.
The route is named the “North-South Traverse.” It begins on the northernmost lighthouse in Iceland and ends on the island’s southernmost lighthouse. Teuscher meticulously deliberate the time of yr when the Icelandic highlands have been open to journey and scouted the route quite a few occasions. He’d already performed the logistical onerous work for Leininger. All he’d should do is beat Teuscher’s time.
He was assured he might try this. Leininger has been journey racing since he was 7 years previous. He competed within the 24-Hour Journey Racing Nationals on the age of 11. By 18, he’d accomplished The World’s Hardest Race Eco-Problem Fiji. As of late, he’s setting data like his FKT working the 1,110-mile size of Florida.
“This latest Iceland Traverse was type of a mix of all the things I’ve discovered with the journey racing and the extremely working,” Leininger stated. All of his survival and navigation abilities, and all of his endurance and bodily skills have been examined to their limits.
Nonetheless, by no means as soon as did Leininger’s confidence falter — even when he realized a 3rd of the way in which via that he’d solely introduced sufficient meals for six days. And even when the tip was actually in sight, and he suffered a critical, doubtlessly FKT-attempt-ruining harm. He simply stored transferring. And when he reached the southern lighthouse, he’d made it in simply 6 days and 13 hours, smashing the earlier document by roughly 46 hours.
We linked with Lenininger shortly after he introduced his FKT to speak in regards to the journey, the challenges he confronted, the motivation of hunger, and the gear that stored him alive as he crossed the remotest a part of Iceland alone and unsupported.
Q&A With Hunter Leininger: Iceland N-S Traverse FKT
GearJunkie: How a lot do you know about Iceland going into this FKT try?
Hunter Leininger: I really feel like with social media and all the things, should you do an excessive amount of analysis and also you lookup too many movies, it may possibly take away from the expertise on the market. So I type of wished to enter it blind.
I type of knew what to anticipate, however I didn’t know what I used to be going to see on the market. I didn’t understand how lovely Iceland is and the way huge it’s. All people sees the outside of Iceland. All the gorgeous touristy waterfalls and seashores and all the things. However in the midst of the Highlands, no person goes up there. I didn’t see anyone for 3 days. It’s simply vastness, simply sand dunes and deserts and glaciers, and it was simply so distant.
Do you know what time you have been going for once you set out?
[Christof Teuscher] is likely one of the finest [endurance athletes] on the earth. So it was going to be onerous sufficient simply to beat his document. So, I simply went into it with an open thoughts. Like, I’m gonna hope I can do it in 8 days, 7 days, no matter, and simply waft.
After day 3, I used to be now not chasing the document, although. I went via my meals rations and realized I had severely underpacked my meals and I solely had 6 days of meals. So I’m like, crap. I can’t simply go at document tempo or I’m gonna starve for two days. So I needed to beat this document by 2 days or I used to be going to be on the market with no meals.
What was totally different about this FKT try in contrast with others you’ve run?
Different FKTs, like 99% of them, observe a set route. You’re climbing the Appalachian Path, otherwise you’re doing the Florida Path, and it’s important to keep on the precise route of the path and observe the blazes. With this document, it’s fully open. The one rule is that it’s important to begin on the northernmost lighthouse, and also you end on the southernmost lighthouse. And you would select no matter route you need.
Christophe, the man who had the document, took about 35 to 40 miles of deviations in comparison with the earlier document … Taking a bit of bit extra danger and doing extra creek crossings. I simply trusted that he discovered the most effective route and adopted it. And anytime I believed there was a bit of deviation I might make, I’d try this. Nevertheless it ended up solely being perhaps 4 miles, the place I took a bit of detour in comparison with him.
What have been a few of the greatest challenges you needed to overcome on the market?
Water was the largest subject for 2 causes. There was both an excessive amount of of it or too little of it. There was a 50-mile part with no water. So I needed to haul, like, 12 kilos of water in my pack simply to make it from one water supply to the following. And it’s in the midst of the desert.
Then, all of the rivers I used to be refilling from have been glacier-fed … at evening, [the glacier] freezes and all of the rivers dry up. So there’s no water. You’re preparing for this 50-mile water carry and get to the place you’re speculated to refill water and there’s nothing there. And it’s important to wait 8 hours till daylight comes and it begins melting the glacier and bam, you’ll be able to refill once more.
But additionally, there was an excessive amount of water in sections the place there could be fixed creek crossings. It will be 30 crossings in a mile and nonstop altering your footwear.
Had been there any notable excessive factors or moments of celebration?
There have been so many highs. I’m very grateful that my thoughts doesn’t go super-negative in this stuff even when I’m actually struggling and I’m misplaced or the situations are actually unhealthy, the climate is admittedly unhealthy, I don’t go unfavorable. So, my mindset is constructive 99% of the time. I used to be having fun with each single second on the market.
Nevertheless it was fascinating — the moments I might see different individuals have been most likely the largest highlights. Although I used to be doing this fully unsupported and I wished to be alone, after I wouldn’t go for two days with out seeing anyone and unexpectedly, I come throughout a man driving a Jeep, I’m like, “Hey! Hey! You wanna discuss to me? Simply come cease for a second. Let’s discuss.”
And I might discuss their ear off, they usually’d be like, “What’s unsuitable with this man?” After which as quickly as I’d inform them I’m American, they’re like, “Oh, that completely is smart why you’re loopy and also you’re out right here.”
Had been you ever afraid you weren’t going to make it?
Not likely. I had confidence in all of the gear and my mindset and the coaching I had. So I wasn’t ever scared in regards to the situations or the place I used to be going or what I used to be doing. I used to be like, “All proper. I’m comfy. I do know I can survive.” … I had all the things I wanted to outlive. If something went unsuitable, I might simply cease, open my backpack, and seize one thing out. Put extra layers on, go change my footwear, change my socks, pop blisters, no matter.
It’s one thing that I’m actually happy with. I’ve constructed up the expertise over these 16 years doing these loopy endurance races. Now I’ve the arrogance to go do one thing like this … I by no means felt scared or like my life was on the road. I might simply totally take pleasure in it. Every little thing was fulfilling on the market even with all of the struggling as a result of I had the expertise.
What was the climate like?
The climate was far and wide. The final day, it felt like 70, 80 levels, tremendous sunny. I bought actually sunburned, scorching, huge climbs. I used to be simply huffing and puffing on all of the climbs.
However then within the Highlands, it was within the 30s, however the wind chill made it really feel like 0 levels and it was raining. It was actually robust wind virtually the entire time and, after all, it was a headwind. By no means behind me. It was a relentless headwind, raining and foggy. So I needed to put on ski goggles more often than not as a result of the wind and rain was so robust.
However then it will clear up, and it will be tremendous scorching and sunny and fully nonetheless. And the difficulty about no wind and no rain is as soon as it’s nonetheless, the midges come out, that are mainly like these little noseeum bugs. And 1000’s of them swarm your head. So it’s like, all proper, would you slightly have loopy bugs swarm you? Or simply fixed wind?
How did you set your tempo?
One factor I’m a very huge proponent of isn’t your watch … I like to simply go primarily based on really feel and by no means have a look at the watch. So I had my watch on, but it surely was fully shut off and lined up the entire time.
However on the finish of the day, I used to be mainly all the time averaging 3 miles per hour with all my brakes included … It was primarily primarily based on the climate the place the primary day I took it fairly simple. I bought 50 miles in, and I ended and slept as quickly because the rain and wind began coming in fairly unhealthy at evening. Then, that second day, I pushed actually onerous as a result of I noticed a very good climate window. So, I ended up pushing for 26 hours with no sleep.
It sounds fairly reckless, however with my expertise with sleep deprivation, I knew I might try this, get 2 hours of sleep, after which be proper again on the schedule and mainly skip an entire evening’s relaxation. And I felt completely tremendous. So a variety of my my pacing and what number of miles I bought for the day have been primarily based on the climate greater than how my physique felt.
What was it like attending to the southern lighthouse?
I used to be by no means actually centered on that lighthouse till I noticed it. However the factor about Iceland, it’s so huge and the space and all the things, you’ll be able to see for about 40 miles. So I’m coming down the final mountain, and I felt so good. It was an enormous climb in between these two glaciers and a volcano — probably the most lovely place ever, and it’s like probably the most well-known climbing path in Iceland. I’m feeling so good. I’m crushing it.
I get to the highest, and I might see the lighthouse. I might see the end line. I’m 2 days and 5 hours forward of the document … As quickly as I begin going downhill, my knee blows out. And I’m in excruciating ache. I can barely take a step or put any weight on it. I’m crying as a result of it’s so painful. And I’m, like, oh my gosh. I might see the end line. And it’s gonna take me 2 days to get down there as a result of I’m so crippled.
There have been all these different hikers there, however I couldn’t settle for any assist from anyone. I couldn’t seize something from the shelter. There was a man climbing by, and he was like, “Oh, I’ve a knee brace. You wanna use my knee brace?” I used to be like, “No. I can’t settle for that, sadly.” However I used to be like, “Oh, a knee brace!”
So I took my GOREWEAR neck hotter buff factor, put it round my knee, took paracord from my tent, made a tourniquet thingy, and tied it actually tight, took my ankle gaiters, and pulled them up over my knee. So I had this, like, makeshift knee brace, and someway I felt wonderful … I mainly limped down the mountain, after which it was a 20-mile highway stroll to the end line.
Gear to Velocity Traverse Iceland
Leininger talked about his gear quite a few occasions all through our interview. He clearly felt an enormous quantity of confidence in his survival package. It needed to be completely dialed for an unsupported FKT try of this nature. And it was. When he shared the record of his gear, it was each in depth and complete.
Not solely does he have each single piece of substances listed, together with its weight, however he additionally has a pie chart totaling all the things up and dividing weight by classes. He additionally had a separate “meals energy” Google spreadsheet itemizing each meals merchandise he introduced, together with data on taste, weight, variety of energy, fats, carbs, fiber, sugar, and so forth.
Even for a gearhead, these lists have been virtually overwhelming. It’s no marvel Leininger had such nice confidence in his gear. He clearly deliberate it out to a tee. Listed below are some highlights we pulled from the record.