WITH ATOMIC BACKLAND ON THE WORLD’S LONGEST SKITOUR

Nobody has dared to accept this cruelling challenge for nearly 50 years: crossing the main chain and the mightiest peaks of the European Alps, from Edlach an der Rax, Austria, to Nice, France, on ski and on foot within only 40 days, without a single day off.

Reason enough for ATOMIC to launch a cooperation with the project and in persona with Heli Putz, a long-time Atomic Backland key ambassador. Is there a more demanding project to prove the performance of the Atomic Backland product range? Hardly any. Backland UL skis, Backland boots, skins and poles as well as the athletes will have to face burdens which cannot be tested in any laboratory on this planet.
Nuria Picas (SPA), ultra-endurance athlete and alpinist and Mark Smiley (USA), expedition climber, photographer, mountain guide and member of the winners team of the Atomic Waymaker event, will be part of this exceptional challenge on their ATOMIC Backland products.

On March 17, 2018, a team of international athletes will set off to accomplish one of the toughest missions in the history of skiing. They will leave Edlach an der Rax to repeat an amazing adventure a group of Austrian ski mountaineers first experienced in 1971. Their incredible goal: to set a new time record for this thrilling alpine expedition with 1917 kilometres in distance and more than 85,000 metres of cumulative elevation gain. An extraordinary task lies ahead of them: Red Bull Der Lange Weg, the world’s longest ski tour!

The 2018 team will follow their footsteps and tackle the same intimidating peaks as the original crew. As the route is exceptionally demanding, only internationally respected expedition and alpine mountaineers, mountain guides and endurance athletes were chosen to participate. The group is successful at Red Bull Der Lange Weg if minimum four out of the team of seven reach Nice in less than 41 days. With the thoroughly selection of their skiing equipment this component is on track. But what about the numerous other crucial topics in planning? Which situations will the team have to manage out there in the mountains? Red Bull Der Lange Weg will answer these questions soon.

Please find more information on www.redbull.com/derlangeweg

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