I was hiking the opposite way on the 4th and stopped at Spence Field to eat lunch. Two guys got there about ten minutes after me and had passed Kristian. I literally came on here today to see what his name was because I couldn't remember and now he's done with his attempt.. Ha
I think he’s still going, attempting a thru hike now, if I am not mistaken
Well I read his post again and he just said “the record attempt is over but the adventure continues” whatever that means. Guess maybe he is off Trail now and not pressing on?
do most here agree that Stringbean's "unsupported" mark is unlikely to be broken anytime soon? The "supported" record seems to get broken every other year lately.
I suspect that both marks will stand for a while. Karel Sabbe's supported time is mind bending.
it's amazing to me that the unsupported from Stringbean is so close (about a week or less right?) to the supported, having all the help you can get and Stringbean is right behind with nothing for help. Not to down talk the amazing supported record, that just shows how hard it will be to beat that unsupported time.
So with the unsupported, are you allowed to eat at pizza/burger joints that you can walk to and what exactly qualifies? …. I'm picturing no use of anything motorized and no help from people other then trail magic? …. but what about resupply? are you allowed to have packages sent to places close to the trail that you can walk to? … I imagine no slack packing and carrying all your gear the whole way.
are there even any set rules like that anywhere?
NoDoz
nobo 2018 March 10th - October 19th
-
I'm just one too many mornings and 1,000 miles behind
I agree that "unsupported" is the top rung of the challenge ladder when looking at FKT feats, Stringbean's accomplishment will likely stand for a while. In my view the challenge and level of athleticism of unsupported is at a higher level given the differences in pack weight, added miles one has to walk for resupply, get water, set up/break down camp, prepare meals, etc, as opposed to supported challengers who are not slowed down by these things and have a crew to provide food, water, and set up bivouacs and camps along the way. Thinking about this issue there is a bit more purity to me in the unsupported attempts given the nature of that challenge and many if not most of these challengers are hikers/backpackers which I tend relate to a little better.
This doesn't mean supported attempts aren't athletic, I am dumbfounded by the tenacity, speed, and miles per day that are logged. However, for me unsupported adds more to the challenge and gets my attention faster and keeps it longer than other rungs of the challenge ladder.
Last edited by Traveler; 07-12-2019 at 07:10.
Cleaner way to go, like climbing without bolts
Jesus christ you guys are killing me.
Self-supported, not unsupported!
My interest with Kristian's attempt from the beginning was pretty low just because Karel's time is so absurd.
Stringbean's time is, too.
Someone has to be very convincing to make me think they actually stand a chance. That's probably a big reason why there's so few attempts now: Everyone's just like "uhhh...you can have it."
Re: Pacers
I'd actually argue there aren't a ton of people who can casually throw out a 50 mile day on a Tuesday. Someone has to have a life that allows them to do that, who is willing to throw off their training with an impromptu 50 miler, and who can logistically get to and (more importantly) from the trailheads. Lots of people can run 50 miles. Not a lot can do what's required to pace an AT attempt.
The logistics of a supported attempt play such a big part in all of this. I'm quite surprised it was crew and nutrition that seemed to bubble up so quickly. Kristian should have actually been one of the most prepared guys for this considering his experience.