A climbing ranger from Rocky Mountain National Park broke Kilian Jornet‘s Grand Teton speed record on Wednesday, just 11 days after the Spanish ultrarunner smashed the 30-year-old record. Andy Anderson ran the Owen-Spalding route in just 2:53:02, beating Jornet’s mark by 59 seconds. Unlike Jornet, who reportedly took shortcuts, Anderson stayed on the trail the entire way up. Jenny Lake climbing rangers had posted a pointed message after Jornet’s speed ascent, reminding park visitors that shortcuts are not kosher: “Remember that shortcutting not only causes erosion and significant resource damage, but may be cause for citation by a backcountry ranger. Please remain on the well traveled and marked trails in the backcountry of Grand Teton National Park.”
Anderson’s feat was just one of two records set on the Grand this week, as 51-year-old climber Nancy Stevens made the second blind ascent of the peak on Wednesday, and the first by a woman. Stevens, of Bend, Oregon, took a total of 26.5 hours to ascend and descend the peak, along with three friends and three Exum guides.
Via