In January 2024, Jakob Herrmann skied uphill to the top of a run at Radstadt, his home ski resort in Austria, for the 34th consecutive time in 24 hours. In doing so, Herrmann had climbed a total of 79,534 vertical feet (24,242 meters) — setting a new world record for the most vertical climbing on skis in 24 hours.
The 36-year-old broke Kilian Jornet’s 2019 world record of 77,053 feet (23,486 meters), surpassing it by 2,480 feet (756 meters).
“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,” Herrmann said in a press release on the achievement. “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.”
Jakob Herrmann at the finish of his 24-hour world record breaking effort in January 2024, in Austria. All photos: Philipp Reiter/The Adventure Bakery
2.74 Mount Everests in 24 Hours
Herrmann is an Austrian native. He has a decorated ski-mountaineering career with wins in races from Austria, Germany, France, and Italy. He’s competed twice with the previous record holder, Kilian Jornet, in the iconic Pierra Menta ski touring race.
Also a trail runner, Herrmann placed 10th at the 2022 Transvulcania Ultramarathon, as well as third at the 2021 Grossglockner Ultra-Trail 57k.
When Herrmann embarked on this project, he set his vertical target at 78,740 feet (24,000 meters) — 1,686 feet (514 meters) beyond Jornet’s record.
The ski resort had curated a special ascent track for Herrmann that was 2.5 kilometers long, with 2,329 feet (710 meters) of ascent, that he skied up and down nearly nonstop for 24 hours.
He took only short breaks to snack on rice, potatoes, isotonic drinks, gels, bars, and homemade banana bread. Along the way, his friends and family supported him, bringing water, offering sustenance, and cheering him on.
Jakob Herrmann on his way to setting a new world record for the most vertical gain in 24 hours of skiing. He set the record in Austria, in January 2024.
In the end, Herrmann surpassed even his own expectations, and reset the record at 79,534 feet (24,242 meters). That’s the equivalent of 2.74 Mount Everests, from sea level to the summit, in a single day.
“I have a great support team around me, and I love simply skiing for hours,” Herrmann said. “The most challenging part was skiing overnight with 14 hours of darkness. Now I am overjoyed and proud that I made it.”
[Editor’s Note: This article was first published on our sister site GearJunkie.]
