Recent news about skiers and riders covering over 100,000 vertical feet in one day has inspired many, especially an incredible 125,000-foot day.
Until now, these feats took place at big mountain western U.S. resorts.
But how much vertical could be skied in one day at a small east coast resort just two hours outside New York City?
That’s exactly what Yann Tanini, a 44-year-old retail executive from Manhattan, set out to find out.
On February 1, Yann left his home at 6 AM and headed for Hunter Mountain, NY. He arrived at 8 AM, in plenty of time for the opening at 9 AM. The forecast was sunny, and the crowds were light this Wednesday, so Yann set a goal of riding twice the height of Mt Everest in one day.
His strategy was simple. The Kaatskill Flyer chair is a lift that covers 1,600 vertical feet from top to bottom. The plan was to lap it as fast as possible. The ride up is seven minutes, and it took Yann about two minutes to ride down. He ate power gels and bars on the lift and only took one bathroom break.
At the end of the day at 4 PM, he had completed 38 runs and a vertical drop of 61,292 feet. The Slopes app he used to record his day also showed he covered 53.1 miles.
Yann made it home by 7 PM that night and slept very well.ย
“I think I am close to the theoretical limit of how much vertical I can get at Hunter Mountain. I am hoping someone will beat me so I can try again. I am happy with my accomplishment, and I hope to inspire people and show them that wherever we are we can create our own challenge and push our limits.” – Yann Tanini
