Adventure On SI

Blind Runner Completes Famous Everesting Challenge in Under Two Days

A young blind runner just stunned the world after completing the notorious Everesting Challenge in Bulgaria.

Maria Aldrich

Vitosha Mountain
Vitosha Mountain / Mihail Ilchov - Unsplash

The Everesting Challenge is simple: Pick any hill, anywhere in the world, and repeatedly ride, run, or ski up and down it in one activity with no sleep until you reach your elevation – a simple concept, yet brutally hard. Mount Everest, 29,029 feet, stands as the tallest mountain in the world. Completing an Everesting means taking on one of the challenges below.

Quarter Everesting
2,212m (7,258ft)
Half Everesting
4,424m (14,516ft)
Everesting
8,848m+ (29,032ft+)
Everesting Roam
10,000m (32,812ft) with a minimum of 400km, within 36 hours

Everesting Types

Everesting participants can choose to ride a bike, go on foot, go on skis, or go indoors. Just choose your distance and mode of transprotation, and tackle the equivilant of climbing the height of Mt. Everest.

Ride (Cycling): This is the most common way to participate in Everesting. Cyclists find a hill or mountain and repeatedly ride up and down until they accumulate the elevation gain of their chosen plan. The difficult challenge on a bike typically takes 12-24 hours to complete.

Run/Hike: This involves repeatedly running or hiking up a pre-selected hill route on a mountain until the chosen elevation is achieved. Run/Hike Everesting participants can take a shuttle on the descents.

Ski: In the skiing version of Everesting, participants ascend a slope repeatedly using touring skis (ski mountaineering), splitboards, or snowshoes. They descend on skis and repeat until they have completed the elevation gain of their chosen plan.

Stairs: Stairs Everesting offers an indoor option. Climbers find a set of stairs and repeat the ascent until they reach the total elevation gain of their chosen plan.

A Blind Runner Completes Everesting Challenge in Bulgaria

The Everesting Challenge presents the perfect endeavor for individuals who aren't looking for a full-blown mountaineering experience. However, don't be fooled—a dedicated athlete must prepare properly when accepting this challenge.

After climbing 29,029 feet—the height of Mt. Everest—by ascending and descending Vitosha Mountain in Bulgaria 19 times, 29-year-old blind ultrarunner Victor Asenov completed the challenge in 46 hours. With the help of his beloved guide dog Taddy and a support team, Asenov could push through the grueling task. He is now the first blind athlete to achieve this feat.

"For me, running in the mountains is my favorite activity," said Asenov, per Brian Metzler of Runner's World. "I was inspired by the desire to support the guide dog school. Also, the fact that I love big challenges—mostly in the mountains. And especially if it's something that hasn't been done before."

The guide dog school Asenov mentioned, the Eyes on Four Paws Foundation in Bulgaria trains dogs to perform guide tasks. Asenov's dog was the perfect guide and companion on his Everesting journey. During the challenge, Asenov went the entirety of the 46 hours without an ounce of sleep. Instead, he completed each of the 19 laps consecutively.

With support from his team, he was able to consume sandwiches, gels and small snacks to fuel his body and provide energy.

Asenov has expressed immense gratitude for his remarkable pacers and team. As reported by Reuters, he stated, "Sometimes I even have these moments of weakness, I want to give up and just at that moment I need the person who is with me and who is running, who is my pacer—to give me some support, to tell me: 'Vicky, come on, you can do it.'"

With sheer tenacity and endless encouragement, Asenov was ale to complete his unthinkable goal, all while supporting the guide dog organization.

Published
Maria Aldrich
MARIA ALDRICH

Maria Aldrich graduated from SUNY Potsdam with a degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Wilderness Education. While earning her degrees, she learned the fundamentals of climbing, wilderness travel, and leadership in the backcountry. These skills built upon Maria's lifelong passion for the outdoors. Following graduation, she began working in the outdoor recreation field, serving individuals with disabilities to help them access outdoor pursuits including hiking, paddling, horseback riding, and snowshoeing. The following year, Maria moved to the Adirondack Mountains in New York State to continue working towards a life of adventure and writing. She has continued rock and ice climbing, hiking in the High Peaks of the Adirondacks, and paddling through various rivers while documenting her experiences through writing. When Maria isn’t adventuring in the mountains, she can be found reading a book, fishing on a shoreline, or spending time with family.

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