Mt. Everest 2005:  Speed Everest with the Italians: Time to see if the legs still work

Update 5/26/2005: Adriano, Christian, Rudi and Stefano are going up to ABC. This morning Lucio took a jeep for Kathmandu to go back home. Ciao Lucio. Yesterday Claudio R and Sergio went up to North Col to spend the night. Today Claudio went ahead till 7400 m just to see if the legs work well.

Who is BRUNO BRUNOD

Place and date of birth: Aosta (Italy); 10/11/1962

Sport: mountain running and skyrunning

Bruno Brunod is 42 years old, married and the father of two children. Twice world champion of Skyrunning and holder of various speed records for climbing and descending some of the most important mountains in the world (Cervino, Monte Rosa, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro). He discovered cycling during his military service and gave immediate proof of his skill as a climber. He became a member of an amateur team in Brianza. The well-known cyclist Chiappucci was also a member and when he approached a hill, his fellows told him: "Position yourself behind Brunod and try to hang on". His humble nature and his homesickness for his mountains caused him to give up cycling. Even though he obtains the results of a professional athlete, Brunod retained the spirit of an amateur. He returned to his career as a mason, specialized in stone facings and roofs. He trained twice a day, once before dawn and again after sunset.

Almost as a diversion, Brunod entered the world of mountain running with immediate success, setting new records. Not content with this success, he rapidly made his way into skyrunning and in a short time became one of strongest in this sport.

Highlights of Brunod's mountain running and skyrunning career (1995-2004):

1995

- Record, still unbeaten, for the climb and decent of the Cervino starting from Breuil-Cervinia: 3:14.44, lowering the previous record set by Valerio Bertoglio by almost an hour.

1996

- 1st place in the "SKYRUNNING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP" after winning three of the five races of the "FILA Skyrunning" world circuit.

- In the same year Brunod set the world record in the "Vertical Kilometer" in the Val d'Isere (France).

1997

- Record, still unbeaten, for the climb and descent of Monte Rosa (4.459

meters) starting from Gressoney.

1998

- 1st place in the "SKYRUNNING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP".

2000

- Record for climb and descent of the Aconcagua, 6.962 meters (Argentina).

- Participated in the " Aconcagua 2000" project sponsored by FILA, the Autonomous region of Valle d'Aosta, the Federation for Sports at Altitude, and the Institute of Sport Science-CONI, setting the new record for climb and descent in 4 hours and 52 minutes, breaking the previous record of 5 hours and 57 minutes set by the French GMHM team in 1992. The record was reported on the national newspapers (Corriere della Sera, Tuttosport, Il Giorno), on all of the major South American newspapers, specialised magazines, the national television of Argentina and RAI3.

2001

- Record for climb and descent of Kilimanjaro, 5,895 meters (Tanzania). Climb and descent of the Marangu Route, using the classic ascent mode, in 8:34:52 covering a positive vertical descent of about 4,000 meters and a corse development of 80 kilometres from start to finish.

2002

- Other prestigious results and important positions such as the victory in the "Alpine Sky Raid" and second place in the world circuit of Skyrunning.

2003

- Course record on the Alta Via number 1 of Valle d'Aosta, 120 kilometres

long and over 9,000 meters of positive vertical descent.

2004

- Winner of the "Aosta-Becca di Nona" race.

- Winner of the Canazei (Trento, Italy) race of the Vincitore della gara di Canazei (Trento) "Skyrunning World Series" circuit.

- Winner of the finals of the "Buff Skyrunner World Series" in Malaysia.

Italian skyrunner Bruno Brunod will attempt the record for the fastest ascent and descent of Mt. Everest from North Side Base Camp without oxygen. Apart from Brunod, the expedition "Everest Vitesse 2005" is composed by 8 mountain guides and 1 medical researcher who will assist the skyrunner during his run. They will reach Tibet at mid April 2005 and they are mainly sponsored by the Aosta Valley Autonomous Region.

Updates

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