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Expeditions

Jun 29, 2018

Live Updates: Colin O’Brady’s 50HP World Record Attempt.

This page will be regularly updated as and when we hear from Colin during his challenge.

WRITTEN BY

The Outdoor Journal

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Remember if you see Colin out on the trails, make sure you grab some photos or video, and upload them to social media with the hashtag #50HPandMe.

0/50 high points left to summit!

19th July – THE 50HP WORLD RECORD HAS BEEN BROKEN.
19th July
18th July

16th July
14th July 

13th July 

11th July – When one door closes another door opens…
The Good News: Arizona’s Humphrey’s Peak is now open for climbing! 
The Not So Good News: Mt. Whitney in California is closed due to an uncontained forest fire that has shut down access to the mountain.

Within minutes of landing at the Bishop airport in California, I received word that the Arizona high point, which has been closed for two months, would be reopening Wednesday, July 11th at 8:00am. The monsoon rains have arrived and the fire danger and restrictions on Humphrey’s Peak have been lifted. Celebration ensued!

We had arrived to the Eastern Sierras —  the jumping off point for Nevada’s Boundary Peak and Mt. Whitney, California’s high point and the highest mountain in the lower 48. With a sigh of relief, I knew AZ would now be accomplished.

Moments later another phone call came in alerting us to a lightning strike that had just occurred in the Alabama Hills, igniting a forest forest adjacent to Mt. Whitney. With only 10 percent containment, the Forest Service has closed the Whitney Portal and the access to California’s high point.  Now it’s a waiting game for news of reopening. Luckily my July 11th permit will be honored and valid for 7 days once the trail is accessible again.

10th July

9th July – East Coast Completed

8th July – 31 States Summited

7th July

5th July

4th July – A look back at the Denali Summit, and the start of the 50HP clock.

3rd July – 14 High Points Summited.

It’s been a whirlwind through the Southeast the past two days, hitting ten high points (14 total) already! A special thank you to @skallamarc for arranging everything for us ahead of time to hit the ground running! The best part has been all of the incredible people who have come out to participate. We met a 70 year old man who recently hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, Dr. Drizzle @daciapjones an incredibly passionate leader in education who inspires teachers and kids alike, and the @theboundless8 a crew of friends training for the Leadville 100 mile run. For me that’s what this whole journey is about; meeting amazing people and inspiring people to get outside in our beautiful country! The Forrest Gump Effect is building momentum. Who is coming to join the fun during our next stops? Fun giveaways from our sponsor @standardprocess for anyone who comes out!

A post shared by Colin O’Brady (@colinobrady) on

2nd July – 10 / 50 high points summited. 

1st July – Looking back on Denali

29th June – In Hawaii

Summit of Denali!! The #50HP world clock officially started ticking when @drjonkedski and I reached the summit at 20,320ft just after 4pm AST on June 27th. It was an incredible day that didn’t end on the summit. With the clock ticking we had to race all the way down the mountain pack our gear up at 14,00ft and ski another 14 miles to reach the Basecamp airstrip at 7000ft at 4am and cross our fingers that a bush piolet could get us out in time to make our flight connection to Hawaii. What an adventure!! 1 down 49 to go. And of course as I did last time on this summit I had to rep with pride my hometown team @timbersfc, and thanks to @alaskaair for helping us thread the needle with these crazy logistics…we made it to Hawaii!

A post shared by Colin O’Brady (@colinobrady) on

28th June – On Top Of North America

After a week of acclimatising, preparing, and monitoring climbing conditions Colin set off for the summit of Denali, Alaska’s high point and the tallest mountain in North America.

They were underway first thing this morning underneath partly sunny skies. Ascending from 14,000ft, and after 12 hours of hard climbing, we reached the summit of Denali.

The world record clock is officially ticking!

Now for a safe descent and a quick transition off the glacier via bush plane so I can continue pushing forward. We have up to 41 days to complete the other 49 U.S. high points. Next stop, Mauna Kea on the big island of Hawaii.

27th June

26th June

 25th June

 24th June

23rd June

21st June

We woke up to good news today. I have been cleared to fly to basecamp on Denali, after a week long delay in Talkeetna due to a bad weather system. While waiting on weather is always a little frustrating, impatience was dissolved somewhere between the pancakes and the camaraderie with the other climbers at the bunkhouse. We had a beautiful flight up here and we’re already off climbing. I’m thrilled to finally be out on the mountain, taking my first steps on Denali, and making progress on the 50HP world record!

18th June

A tough start in Alaska.

15th June

Colin was meant to fly out onto the glacier to begin his climb of Denali on June 15th. However, due to a low pressure system that is causing typhoon like winter conditions on the mountain, Colin’s departure out onto the glacier has been delayed. Once the weather clears and the bush planes are green-lighted to fly again, Colin will be dropped at basecamp to begin his ascent of the first high point! Stay tuned.

REMINDER: The world record clock doesn’t start ticking until Colin reaches the summit of Denali. As such the current delay has no effect on the success of the record attempt.

14th June

Colin is leaving home in Portland