Elite Trail Runner and Mountaineer Crushes Speed Record on Himalyan Peak

Accomplished endurance athlete, Tyler Andrews, records 'Fastest Know Time' on his push to the summit on 8,000-meter peak Manaslu.

Tyler Andrews on Manaslu / Chris fish

Tyler Andrews, a 34-year-old endurance athlete from the US, took his running abilities high into the Himalaya and broke the Fastest Known Time (“FKT”) on the 8th highest mountain in the world – Manaslu. This compliments the other 69 FKT’s currently credited to Andrews, placing him among legends including Kilian Jornet and Karl Igloff. Manaslu is located in the Mansiri Himal range of the Nepalese Himalayas, stands 26,781 ft., and is the 8th highest mountain in the world. Known as the "Mountain of the Spirit," Manaslu is a prominent and revered peak targeted by elite climbers. Beyond Manaslu, Andrews owns the summit speed records on Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua, among the others.

Jerry Kobalenko reported in an article for ExplorersWeb that Anderews wants to be “the best in the world,” hence his decision to take on the Himalaya – the world of mountaineering’s grandest stage. Tyler embarked on his journey on Sept. 19, and scaled the 26,781 ft. peak in 9 hours and 52 minutes, destroying the previous record held by Nepalese climber Pembe Gelje Sherpa by over two hours. The FKT constitutes the time taken from high camp to the summit, known as the summit push. The accomplishment represents a unique feat in the rarefied air of the Himalayas, especially for an endurance athlete primarily known for trail running.

Tyler Andrews running near Manaslu / Chris Fish

A year ago, Andrews attempted the same challenge but failed.

He noted, “I mean, first of all, it’s my first 8,000m speed record. So that’s really special. But honestly, I think the thing that made it the most special is that I tried and failed a year ago. And the way that the big mountains go is you often only get one shot a year. And that kind of sucks, but it definitely makes it more special when things go really well. I think the bigger the mountain, the bigger the stakes, the bigger the stage, the more important the preparation. And to have it go so well after what was objectively a pretty rough year, that just makes it doubly special.”

Andrews went without supplemental oxygen on his historic climb, reminiscent of Reinhold Messner. Tyler applauded the legendary elite alpinist when discussing the use of oxygen.

“When Reinhold Messner was trying to climb Everest without oxygen, people were like, ‘Yeah, he’s gonna die. He just can’t do that.’ I think he’s someone else who bucked conventional wisdom and was like, ‘Hey, I’m gonna figure this out.’ When people tell me athletically that something I want to do is not possible, that just gets me really fired up. I would guess that Messner probably had a little bit of that, too.” On his accomplishment Tyler said, “It’s been a journey, a combination of my love of self-discovery and pushing myself, coupled with this unbelievably competitive inner drive.”

Tyler Andrews in Chile’s Atacama Desert / Chris Fish

The Route on Manaslu

On Manaslu, most expeditions follow the northeast face route to the summit. The climb begins from the village of Samagaun, where climbers trek to the base camp situated at approximately 15,750 ft. From base camp, climbers navigate a series of higher camps: Camp 1 at approximately 18,700 ft.; Camp 2 at around 21,000 ft.; Camp 3 near 22,300 ft.; and Camp 4 at 24,400 ft. The move to Camp 1 involves a steep, crevasse-laden, glacier climb. Moving from Camp 1 to Camp 2, climbers face extreme avalanche danger while traversing a dangerous section known as the "Japanese Cwm." The route to Camp 3 involves negotiating a series of ice walls. Above Camp 3, the high altitude becomes a significant factor, introducing extreme cold, strong winds, and reduced air.
Manaslu was first summited on May 9, 1956 by Japanese Climbers Toshio Imanishi and Gyalzen. (Related article - attempted winter ascent on Manaslu)