09/07/2020
At 3am September 5th 2020, professional off-road triathlete Karsten Madsen started his attempt at Everesting up “Into the Mystic” and down “Lord of the Squirrels”. The planned route will see him ride 208.1km to gain the elevation of Everest (8,848m). The purpose of this event is to raise money for WORCA (Whistler Off Road Cycling Association) as they have experienced a massive budget cut this year (down to $40, 000 from a previous $120, 000). WORCA uses their budget to build trails sustainably, respecting and protecting the surrounding environment.
When Karsten made a permanent move to Whistler in 2018, he was blown away to see the hard work that was being put into the trails he was riding. He would notice new trails being dug and old ones being upgraded. It became clear to him that Whistler is the standard for trail building and that WORCA is the association responsible for, among many other things, supporting local building. If we want to continue to have the best riding, we need to support our local trail associations - now more than ever!
I have been following Karsten on his journey documenting the preparation and training going into the effort. We will be premiering a documentary of this journey later this fall.
