Grand Traverse Record Race

Mike, I hear you and yes I also enjoy some of the footage that gets posted of these records and speed ascents. As long as they go through the flying permit process which is already in place (as referred to by Intrepid earlier), I don't see any problems. This should prevent any kind of precedent being set where every person who has access to a helicopter feels that they can fly around the Berg - as seems to be the case with the choppers you refer to "scouting passes".

What is the feeling about a following chopper amounting to a supported traverse? In my eyes it does. For a start, with no chopper the place feels a lot more remote and the way one approaches the traverse (e.g. avoiding injury) would surely be different compared with a chopper being in sight.

Agree with mnt_tiska. The chopper being there makes it like the set of a Bear Gryll's Ultimate Survival.
In my opinion this record attempt won't smash the existing record. (And as a community we should not accept these supported attempts as new records) The time constraint is surely only one facet of the GT Record Race. The wilderness aspect sets it apart form other adventure races. It has stay an unsupported unofficial race, otherwise it could turn into a Hobbit or Otter.

Surely it would be like opening a climbing route on top rope. The difficulty of the feat is amplified by the concern for self preservation. There has to be a huge psychological side to a speed record - there definitely is on a normal GT.

I don't see why a GoPro on both of their backpacks or on their heads isn't good enough.

I fully agree with the last three posts.

Look, may these guys have their fun and do something spectacular in the process, but I will not see this as a GT record.

Agreed, but let's first see whether a helicopter actually gets used and to what degree before we start "judging" records which have not been set just yet.

Ryno's reply to my comment on FB is encouraging:

Me: "Ryan Sandes & Ryno Griesel, all the best for your DGT record attempt and have a fantastic time up there! Could I please respectfully ask that you remain true to the wilderness roots of the DGT though? i.e. Let's keep the media choppers at bay. It's a wild place - let's keep it that way."

Ryno: "Hi Stijn, the project stems from our love and passion for the berg and we will, as always, respect and preserve it! Thanks for all your support! We are only scouting at this stage and will give feedback upon return!"

And from another perspective, even in my fittest ever days, the thought of running this thing in a single hit would have done my head in. I'm still trying to get over someone reaching Upper Injisuthi from Sentinel in one go. If these guys don't have a chopper behind them, then surely they'll be wanting an ambulance at the end?

From twitter a few minutes ago:

Ryan Sandes ‏@ryansandes 6h

Another stormy day in the Berg but conditions are improving... We start a 60hrs+ recce of the DGT at 2am tomorrow... www.facebook.com/Ryan.Sandes.Ultra.Marathon.Runner/posts/659986907375118:0 …
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Chris Kent ‏@ckent81 12m

@ryansandes is your GT record attempt going to be unsupported? ie: no helicopter. Many stories and opinions going around?


Ryan Sandes ‏@ryansandes 3m

@ckent81 scouting the route this year, planning an unsupported attempt next year with @Ryno_Griesel , heli not to be used to support us.
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Clark wrote:
....heli not to be used to support us.
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Good speed to these guys. But there is ambiguity in the quotation.

No helicopter support surely only means that the helicopters won't be carrying their packs, it doesn't mean they won't be followed by one.

@Stijn: good point - and out of all of us you are by far best qualified to talk about ethics/rules of a speed GT.

@Tiska: I agree - it is quite something. I've been checking videos of the speed record on the Nose, imagine climbing 5.10+ mixed with aid for 30 pitches/900m in under 2h30! It amazes me what some people can do