• Precision Fuel & Hydration’s Web Developer, Ali, took on 29029 Whistler as his ‘BHAG’ (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) for 2022. Despite completing the New Forest Marathon just two weeks prior, Ali repeatedly climbed Blackcomb Peak in Canada eight times to achieve the goal of hiking the equivalent height of Mount Everest - 29,029ft
• Ali kept a record of everything he ate during the course of his 17 hours moving time on the mountain so he could keep track of his carbohydrate, sodium, fluid and caffeine intake, whilst leaving him to focus on the vertical ascent (and avoiding bears!)

Hydration

• Prior to his first ascent at 6am, Ali made sure to start drinking PH 1500 ~90 minutes before he started hiking in order to ensure that he was starting well hydrated before a long day of sweating
• Throughout the total 28 hours time on the mountain (which included short breaks for meals and a sleep so that Ali could complete his final ascent in the daylight), he kept well hydrated by mainly using the hypotonic Precision Hydration drinks - PH 500, PH 1000 and PH 1500 tablets - that were available at the aid stations on course. While we normally see large variation in drinking volume during events of this length as the temperature drops overnight, Ali maintained a strong fluid intake with at least one cup at each of the four aid stations on the mountain
• Drinking a total of ~19.9L (~700oz) of fluid, Ali’s average fluid intake for the challenge worked out at ~689ml (~23oz) of fluid per hour. It’s worth noting that Ali’s fluid intake tends to be on the higher side as he has a very high sweat rate and so tends to drink quite a lot, even during an event where conditions on the mountain were a relatively temperate 0-11°C (32°F-51.8F), with an average of 5°C (41°F)
• Having undergone a Sweat Test at PF&H HQ ahead of this event, Ali knew that he’s a ‘moderately salty’ sweater, losing 921mg/L (mg/32oz), and he relied on electrolytes and salty foods as his main sources of sodium. The relative sodiumconcentration of his intake worked out at ~716mg of sodium per litre (32oz) on average, which would have replaced a decent proportion of his sweat sodium losses
• He also utilised the benefits of caffeine well by drinking a total of ~1.1L (~33oz) of coffee. This meant that his caffeine intake worked out at ~6.9mg per kg of bodyweight, which is just above the general recommendation of ~3-6mg/kg for endurance performance
• This was a suitable intake for Ali on this occasion as it helped to keep his perceived energy levels relatively high throughout such a long event. Ali has a decent tolerance of caffeine and so going over the recommended range of ~3-6mg/kg was an appropriate decision as he was hiking into the night and will have been fighting his natural sleep-wake cycle
• Ali hiked until 3am on the first day, before enjoying a sleep and then returning to make his final summit when the sun had risen. Had he wanted to finish straight away and continue through the night, we’d certainly recommend having some more caffeine to increase his alertness, as sleep deprivation would’ve started to become more of a factor

Fueling

Conclusions

• Overall, Ali performed very well to successfully ‘Everest’ Blackcomb Peak Mountain. He completed the 6.94km route (which featured 3,628ft/1,106m of elevation) eight times to earn the coveted red cap for completing the 29029 challenge
• Using a mixture of real foods and sports nutrition, Ali fueled effectively and maintained a good level of hydration throughout this event, resulting in solid energy levels and no cramping