Climber Colin O’Brady to Attempt Speed Record of 50 High Points in the U.S.

50HP Map Final 01

Climber Colin O’Brady is about to embark on what promise to be a very busy few weeks. The endurance athlete/mountaineer is preparing to make an attempt on the speed record for climbing all 50 high points in the U.S. states. This will be no easy feat, particularly when you consider the amount of traveling that will need to be done just to get to each of these places.

The journey will start on June 28, when O’Brady hopes to summit Denali, kicking off this ambitious pursuit. If everything goes according to plan, he’ll wrap things up on Mt. Hood on July 19. That would crush the current record of 41 days, 16 hours, and 10 minutes (held by Maddie Miller) by nearly 20 days. That seems like a pretty large goal, but Colin does have some cushion in there should things not go quite as expected.

O’Brady is no stranger to big challenges. As a professional triathlete he has competed in major races all of the world and has climbed the Seven Summits. He’s also completed the Explorers Grand Slam by also skiing to the North and South Pole. He is one of just 50 people to accomplish that feat and he did so in record time, finishing up the Seven Summits and the last-degree ski expeditions to the Poles in just 139 days.

Now, he’s embarking on his next challenge and is already in Alaska preparing for his ascent of Denali. You can follow his updates and progress by clicking here. Meanwhile, the video below will give you some idea of what he’s about to attempt.

Kraig Becker