Tom Rankin
Well-known member
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 27, 2008 – On May 16 at 9:30 AM, author Erik Schlimmer took his final step and arrived at the Windham High Peak trailhead. Set in a lonely dirt parking lot in the northern recesses of the Catskill Mountains, it was his step into the record books.
At 9:30 AM on May 10, exactly six days earlier, Schlimmer took his first step towards hiking the Catskill Mountains' 35 summits above 3,500 feet as fast as possible without any assistance. In only six days' time, the adventurer reached all 35 peaks via what he calls a "hellacious route": 140 miles and 42,000 vertical feet of climbing among forests, streams, boulder fields and briar patches. His route incorporated 23 different trails, 20 miles of off-trail navigating and a 13-mile road walk. He camped out each night, carrying only 8.6 pounds worth of gear for the entire journey.
The Catskills' 35 high peaks have a rich climbing history, first reached separately in 1952 by the Spangenbergers, a husband and wife team. It was not until 2002 that anyone reached the 35 summits via one continuous hike.
Completing a two-day, fifteen-hour marathon that year, Ted Keizer, a long-distance runner from Oregon, reached the 35 summits in just 2 days, 15 hours.
But according to Schlimmer, "Though Keizer's achievement was amazing, he enjoyed the advantage of a full support crew who provided extensive assistance. Plus, he did not hike alone the entire time." Schlimmer explains, "We both thrive on endurance, but my style adds another challenge: self-sufficiency from end-to-end." The only supporting role in his trek was a resupply of food he left at the halfway point.
While the author is no stranger to long-distance hiking – he's covered eleven other routes each exceeding 100 miles in length – the Oneonta, NY resident calls his Catskill quest, "mile for mile, the toughest trek" he has ever completed. The most challenging moments of his trip included thrashing through a 13-mile off-trail section of briars and ice storm-damaged forests and tackling a notorious section of the aptly-named Devil's Path. He recalls, "In just one day on the Devil's Path I covered seven 3,500-foot peaks and climbed 8,000 vertical feet. Needless to say, I slept very well that night."
Schlimmer, who teaches in Oneonta State University's Outdoor Education program, has always made sharing a component of his unique achievements. During the 2008-2009 school year, the speaker will be visiting select college campuses, presenting a slide and film program about his record-setting hike. More information on the speaker's adventures can be found at ErikSchlimmer.com.
At 9:30 AM on May 10, exactly six days earlier, Schlimmer took his first step towards hiking the Catskill Mountains' 35 summits above 3,500 feet as fast as possible without any assistance. In only six days' time, the adventurer reached all 35 peaks via what he calls a "hellacious route": 140 miles and 42,000 vertical feet of climbing among forests, streams, boulder fields and briar patches. His route incorporated 23 different trails, 20 miles of off-trail navigating and a 13-mile road walk. He camped out each night, carrying only 8.6 pounds worth of gear for the entire journey.
The Catskills' 35 high peaks have a rich climbing history, first reached separately in 1952 by the Spangenbergers, a husband and wife team. It was not until 2002 that anyone reached the 35 summits via one continuous hike.
Completing a two-day, fifteen-hour marathon that year, Ted Keizer, a long-distance runner from Oregon, reached the 35 summits in just 2 days, 15 hours.
But according to Schlimmer, "Though Keizer's achievement was amazing, he enjoyed the advantage of a full support crew who provided extensive assistance. Plus, he did not hike alone the entire time." Schlimmer explains, "We both thrive on endurance, but my style adds another challenge: self-sufficiency from end-to-end." The only supporting role in his trek was a resupply of food he left at the halfway point.
While the author is no stranger to long-distance hiking – he's covered eleven other routes each exceeding 100 miles in length – the Oneonta, NY resident calls his Catskill quest, "mile for mile, the toughest trek" he has ever completed. The most challenging moments of his trip included thrashing through a 13-mile off-trail section of briars and ice storm-damaged forests and tackling a notorious section of the aptly-named Devil's Path. He recalls, "In just one day on the Devil's Path I covered seven 3,500-foot peaks and climbed 8,000 vertical feet. Needless to say, I slept very well that night."
Schlimmer, who teaches in Oneonta State University's Outdoor Education program, has always made sharing a component of his unique achievements. During the 2008-2009 school year, the speaker will be visiting select college campuses, presenting a slide and film program about his record-setting hike. More information on the speaker's adventures can be found at ErikSchlimmer.com.
