Record Breaking Karl Egloff. Conquering Aconcagua in less than 8 hours.
Located in the Andes Mountain Range, Aconcagua is the highest mountain outside of Asia, towering at 6,960.8 metres (22,837 ft). Wrapping up the end of 2014, famed mountain runner Kilian Jornet set the record for the fastest ascent. Merely less than two months later, Karl Egloff set a blistering 7 hours, 55 minutes record to nudge his competitor off the pedestal by nearly an hour, fueled mainly by a handful of energy gels and bars. So what does it take to be a record-holder?
Photo: Karl Egloff
Egloff’s athletic life began when he was young, starting his career in sports. By age 11, he began his career in cycling, propelling him into the world of competitive sports. By age 15, his climbing career took to new heights, compelled mostly by his father, Swiss Charly Egloff. Three years ago, at age 30, Egloff shifted his focus towards guiding and altitude training. Now, in February 2015, he’s again set himself apart from the pack by his climbing career and his summit to Aconcagua.
Egloff, 33, is a professional mountain guide from Quito, the capital city of Ecuador. His record-setting Aconcagua run was actually his third trip to the summit in eight days—an impressive feat in itself. Many look to Egloff’s journey as following in the footsteps of his predecessor in records, Jornet. In fact, Egloff sees it completely differently.
“This has nothing to do with Kilian,” remarks Egloff. “This has nothing to do with him.” Rather, Egloff's objective is the culmination of a lifetime of hard training, a passion for the mountains, and newly realized ability to race up them faster than anyone ever has. So what’s in store for Egloff next?
This year, Egloff will spend his time guiding, raising funds, and training with a combination of mountain biking and vertical kilometer foot races. In between, he may fit in an attempt to break a record at Mont Blanc, but that has yet to be determined. His next goal is a June 2016 record attempt on North America’s highest peak, the 20,322-foot-high Mount McKinley—yet another mountain where Jornet holds the fastest known time.
