World Record Attempt on the Highest Peaks in Australia
Pat Kinsella / 09.04.2013
Best Job in the World Winner, Ben Southall, accompanied by fellow adventurers Luke Edwards and Patrick Kinsella, will run over 150km and ascend more than 5500 metres during their whirlwind expedition, dubbed 'the Aussie 8'.
The current record for this challenge stands at three months – the Aussie 8 team aim to knock it off in eight to 10 days.
In order of ascent, the team's ambitious itinerary will take them too: Bimberi Peak (ACT, 1913 metres), Mount Kosciuszko (NSW, 2228 metres), Mount Bogong (Victoria, 1986 metres), Mount Ossa (Tasmania, 1617 metres), Mount Zeil (NT, 1531 metres), Mount Woodroffe (SA, 1435 metres), Mount Meharry (WA, 1253 metres) and Bartle Frere (Queensland, 1622 metres).
"I've spent enough time enjoying the sun-kissed islands and coastline of Queensland," says Ben. "I can't wait to explore the rooftops of the eight states and territories of Australia, experiencing the rich diversity of this immense country as we go."
"We'll be taking on the highest three peaks first, followed by the longest run of the expedition: a 42-kilometre round-trip to the top of Tassie's Mount Ossa," says Luke. "As we race towards the finish line, we'll face ultra-remote locations, ankle-breaking terrain, knife-edge tracks, leeches and humidity beyond belief."
The mission is more than just a record attempt, however. "Besides rising to the challenge of setting a new time for the ascent of the eight peaks, our aim is to inspire people to find adventures in their own backyards," says Pat. "We'll be covering a lot of ground during the expedition and seeing a lot of extremely varied terrain, but no matter where you live in Australia, there's a challenge to explore right outside your backdoor."
Over the past six months, Ben, Luke and Patrick have been preparing with grueling training sessions – the ups and downs of which have been covered live on the Aussie 8 Facebook Page.
You can continue to follow the lads once their world record attempt kicks off, by checking out their Facebook Page and website, which will show you on map exactly where they are in Australia (on the trail to the top of a peak, or on the road to the next airport or mountain) through the magic of Track Me Live technology.
The Aussie 8 expedition is being proudly supported by Qantas, Mountain Designs, Sea to Summit, YHA Australia, Happy Camper Gourmet Food, Dorcy Pacific and CEP Intelligent Sportswear – without the generosity of these sponsors the record attempt would not be possible.
