Strava has been working to transition from fitness tracking app to a social network for athletes and is planning to document one of the first ever social media experiences that corresponds with a Mount Everest expedition. Everest climber and Strava mountaineer Adrian Ballinger and photojournalist Cory Richards will attempt their first climb of the world’s largest peak without any supplemental oxygen. The Strava team will document the events through multiple outlets, with Ballinger keeping outdoor enthusiasts updated on their journey via his personal Strava feed.
The entire expedition can be followed in its entirety on social media through the following channels:
- Strava: Adrian Ballinger and Cory Richards
- Snapchat: EverestNoFilter
- Instagram: @adrianballinger and @coryrichards
- Hashtag: #EverestNoFilter
“Strava is a social network for any athlete – not just cyclists and runners – who strives to be better, so getting involved in an expedition that’s inspiring people to be adventurous and try something new is a great way for us to showcase the Strava social community,” says Andrew Vontz, global brand manager at Strava. “One of the great things about any social network is that people experiment and get creative with making the platform even more personalized and enjoyable. Adrian is an athlete who has done just that by documenting hiking, climbing and skiing among his other adventures on Strava.”
Strava athlete @alpenglowexp will be aiming to summit Mt. Everest in May. Send some love by climbing 8,848m. pic.twitter.com/JH4bXmpi1N
— Strava (@Strava) May 1, 2016
For Ballinger it wont be his first climb. He is an experienced climber and guide and has summited Everest six times, but this will be his first attempt without supplemental oxygen. Richards has climbed Lhotse and Pakistan’s Gasherbrum II without oxygen, and this will be his second Everest attempt without supplemental oxygen. This will be Richards’ first official expedition since surviving an avalanche in the mountains of Pakistan in 2011, which resulted in the award-winning film, Cold.
With the influx of video capabilities and social media within the sports world it is no surprise that we are now able to see a summit to Everest in real-time from the point of view of the climber himself. Extreme sports are growing in popularity in no small part due to the influx of technology like GoPro and other products alike that can give fans unique views that put them in the athlete’s situation to see how monumentally difficult these tasks are.
While I will never know what it will be like to climb Mount Everest, I will at least get a small taste when these professionals attempt the feat and display it via Strava.