Andrea Sansone lately set a brand new ladies’s supported quickest identified time on the Nolan’s 14 route in a time of 45 hours and 52 minutes, taking the ladies’s document properly below the two-day barrier for the primary time. The earlier document was set by Sabrina Stanley in 2020 at 48:49.
The route includes 14 peaks of better than 14,000 ft (4,267 meters) within the Sawatch Vary in Colorado. There may be free route alternative between the peaks, and the problem quantities to round 95 miles with roughly 44,000 ft (13,411 meters) of elevation acquire. You’ll be able to learn our information article for extra particulars and background on her run.
On this interview, Sansone talks concerning the highs and lows of her build-up and offers an in depth breakdown of what was actually happening behind the tracker dot we had been all glued to for these 45-plus hours.
[Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for brevity and clarity.]
Andrea Sansone coaching for her 2022 Nolan’s 14 quickest identified time effort. All images courtesy of Andrea Sansone.
On How She’s Feeling a Few Days After Ending
I suppose I’m feeling just a little bit worse than I used to be. I completed at 1:52 a.m. on Monday morning, and I couldn’t sleep that evening as a result of I used to be coughing a lot. My first full evening of sleep was in all probability the evening after I completed, after which final evening I truly slept good. I’m just a little bit swollen now. My voice is simply getting worse. That’s in all probability the place I’m at proper now, ready for every thing to get higher.
On Background and Buildup
Again in 2020, Andrew [Hamilton] and I did Nolan’s, as a crew. I used to be form of dwelling my summer season on prednisone as a result of I had all this knee ache. I used to be attempting to determine what was happening with my knee. After our profitable try of Nolan’s, I wished to attempt to get my knee found out. I ended up having knee surgical procedure in January 2021. After which it took me till April or Could to get well from that; it was a extremely huge surgical procedure. After that, we had Andrew’s [Colorado] Centennials document that summer season, so I crewed for him and I climbed 21 mountains with him. I wouldn’t have been ready to try this if I didn’t have my knee surgical procedure. I actually felt that was form of the start, a brand new web page for me.
So, 2021 was Andrew’s 12 months, after which quick ahead to this 12 months. We had been coaching all by way of the winter and we didn’t actually know what we had been coaching for. When spring got here, I believe in April, I used to be on a path run and I broke my foot. I used to be so upset. I needed to take a couple of month off. After three weeks, I began mountaineering Mount Morrison, simply to see how I used to be doing, to see how my cardio was.
I used to be doing okay, in order that’s once I had the thought to exit to [do a record attempt on] the Manitou Incline. A buddy had finished it and she or he was telling me about it, and I used to be like, That feels like enjoyable. I used to be speaking with Andrew and I used to be like, I ponder what number of laps I may do on the Incline? It form of tailors to my power, you’re simply going up hills for a extremely very long time.
The plan was 16 laps. I put my splits collectively and I ended up going on the market for twenty-four hours; Andrew supported me. I did it for 19 laps, and I did that in 23 hours and 36 minutes. That was actually cool. I used to be like, Wow, I blew myself away, I didn’t know I may do 19 laps.
After that, I suppose there was discuss. We had thought concerning the Colorado 14er 24-hour document for a extremely very long time however by no means acted on it. After I did the Incline, we had been simply speaking about how this is able to be the 12 months to do it. We put quite a lot of work into that. We went out and we scouted to get some real-time splits and we actually simply form of blew ourselves away with a few of our cut up occasions.
Going into the 24-hour document try, I didn’t suppose that 12 peaks had been truly doable. However I really feel like at any time when I do these makes an attempt, I all the time carry out higher on the day. You already know, it’s a psychological factor. When the 24-hour document got here, I ended up doing the Mount Columbia by way of Missouri Mountain leg in six hours and 55 minutes. I ended up doing 12 peaks in 22 hours and 16 minutes.
Andrea Sansone climbing Mount Princeton on her solution to setting the ladies’s supported Nolan’s 14 quickest identified time in September 2022.
On Planning the Try
Actually, after I completed and we’re within the automobile, returning the ATV, Andrew brings up Nolan’s. I used to be like, No. In my head, I used to be not ever going again to Nolan’s. It was an accomplishment that I did it in 2020 and I closed that chapter, and I used to be finished. I used to be like, I’m not ever going to return to Nolan’s.
However he was tremendous excited, with all of our splits and every thing, simply taking out the breaks that we had once we did it in 2020, a document seemed doable. We took 5 hours off of our Mount Columbia-Missouri Mountain leg from our 2020 Nolan’s.
He was like, “Even in case you take two hours, three hours off of that, and bam, there’s the document proper there.” This 12 months I’m a stronger descender, I’m a quicker climber, and so I knew that on paper it seemed doable. However I’m an emotional individual greater than I’m logical. You’ll be able to put numbers in entrance of me all you need, however I’ve to imagine that I can do it. I don’t know if I’ve ever actually had confidence that I can do something, I’m not a really assured individual. However Andrew satisfied me to only go for it.
Then per week earlier than, I used to be like, “Hey, can we do it collectively, go north to south? That sounds extra enjoyable to me. Me going on the market and simply doing a south to north one, I’ve already finished that.”
Andrew had an enormous psychological change and it was our plan to exit and go north to south collectively. That weekend he ended up with a kidney stone and his prospect of doing a full Nolan’s was out.
It was this enormous emotional curler coaster for me as a result of it was like, Oh I’m doing Nolan’s south to north on my own … Oh no, Andrew’s doing north to south with me … Oh no, I’m again to doing it on my own. I by no means felt emotionally ready to be on the market, however I simply knew that I needed to strive as a result of I knew that it could be now or by no means.
A couple of days earlier than the try I despatched out a [social media] submit, which I believe took the strain off of me. I used to be like, “Look, I’m going to strive Nolan’s but when I get three, 4, 5 peaks in and I’m not feeling it, I’ll name it. I’m not out right here to show that I can do Nolan’s.” I believe that took the strain off of me, to really feel like I’ve to succeed or I’m going to let all these individuals down.
A Good Begin
We used our 2020 splits for this document try. Principally for the primary eight mountains, Mount Shavano by way of Mount Yale, my solely purpose was to satisfy my splits. My up occasions had been just a little bit quicker, however not a lot. However the place I actually gained my time was on the descents. I’m a significantly better descender now.
In 2020, I bear in mind if you interviewed me and I used to be like, “Yeah, I don’t run something.” However I’m higher now and I understand how to perform a little sluggish hike-jog, and take a half hour off of those hour-long descents by simply selecting it up just a little bit. I don’t must run laborious. I don’t need to damage my physique in any respect. However jogging just a little bit goes a good distance. That first day I used to be an hour and a half forward of my splits going into the evening.
Andrea Sansone with associate Andrew Hamilton between Mount Yale and Mount Columbia, earlier than Andrew began pacing Andrea.
A Troublesome Evening
After we put our splits collectively it wasn’t that first day the place I anticipated making up time, it was Mount Columbia by way of Missouri Mountain. In 2020, that leg took Andrew and me 11 hours and quarter-hour. After we did it within the 24-hour document try, it was a 6:55. Andrew was with me by way of the nighttime [this time] and we gave ourselves 9 hours to try this Mount Columbia by way of Missouri Mountain hyperlink. That’s the place we would have liked to shine, that’s the place we thought I used to be going to make up all my time. However that wasn’t the case. I had the longest evening of my life.
That evening, it was lovely, the total moon and the inversion of the clouds. Going up Mount Columbia was actually nice. My low didn’t begin there, it began on the summit of Mount Columbia and it actually lasted till the tip of Huron Peak. I needed to push myself in a single day, over Huron Peak within the day, by way of this low, and it was one of many hardest issues I’ve ever finished. I used to be able to be finished and I used to be so drained. It was so surprising due to all these 24-hour efforts that I had finished, my nights had been nice. I used to be anticipating my nighttime to be not that troublesome.
However we figured that, I used to be going laborious throughout the day and so I believe it simply form of caught up with me. However I believe the attractive factor is that even once I’m in such a mentally low state, my physique nonetheless is aware of hike. I used to be nonetheless mountaineering 1,800, 2,000 ft per hour generally. It was simply psychological, and generally that may actually overpower you.
Coming off of Missouri Mountain, we had been on the point of meet Dan Hobbs and Forrest Hobbs. That they had a crew spot at Clohesy Lake for us. Earlier than we acquired there, I simply bawled my eyes out, I simply cried. I sat down, we wasted a couple of half hour at Clohesy Lake, however I simply wanted to take a seat.
Ultimately, we left the crew and headed up Huron Peak. It felt like I used to be going so sluggish, it was a loss of life march. Then we get to the highest and it’s morning, it’s 8:30 a.m. We had been afraid to have a look at our splits as a result of we thought we went so sluggish, however once we lastly seemed, we had been proper on monitor. That was key.
A Turning Level
I began feeling higher from then, I simply actually wanted the solar to come back up. The remainder of the day was very laborious however I didn’t hate it. I used to be having an excellent time, I had my crew with me and my buddy Jaime Bakeman got here up with me on La Plata Peak. I used to be in quite a lot of ache, and it was nonetheless actually laborious however I used to be again to being like, Oh, okay that is what I love to do.
The Remaining Push
I had a fantastic cut up on Mount Elbert. My buddy Joey [Campanelli, the men’s overall and unsupported Nolan’s 14 record holder] was with me, and we had such a good time. Coming off of Mount Elbert, we mainly acquired off when it was turning darkish. It’s simply clockwork, you understand, as quickly because the solar goes down, then my mind is like, Oh yay, now you get to be depressing. TJ [Pitts] and his buddy Josh [Pater], they had been planning on arising Mount Huge with me however actually, additionally I craved the presence of Andrew. You already know, I really feel prefer it permits me to be okay with my feelings. He actually didn’t need to come up Mount Huge, however he was ready and so he ended up coming with us and it was actually laborious. Trying up and seeing the ridgeline so distant — I simply felt prefer it was by no means going to finish.
Then we acquired to the ridgeline and it took what felt like an eternity to get to the summit. It was false summit after false summit.
TJ and Josh, they’re actually humorous guys and so going up I simply take heed to their tales and stuff. I nonetheless had my moaning and groaning. It was simply laborious for me to be tremendous comfortable. I used to be excited about you [Meghan Hicks, former Nolan’s 14 record holder] and the way in your Nolan’s run, you began off and then you definately simply sped up by way of all the factor and I assumed that was superb. I felt dangerous for my angle as a result of my crew put in a lot work for me and right here I’m simply groaning.
However I like it you understand, I like the problem, I like the mountains. That’s why I do these items. I like being on the market. Even within the hardest of hards. I put every thing, I put my tears on the market, I put my laborious work on the market, I put my scouting on the market, and I left all of it on the mountain. I didn’t need to go away the Nolan’s course with something that I had left in me.
Andrea Sansone descending Tabeguache Peak at dawn throughout her profitable Nolan’s 14 try in September 2022.
The Remaining Miles
There are two miles after you get all the way down to the bushes and you will get again onto the path to the fish hatchery, after which you’ve got 5 miles left. These first two miles, Andrew did the mathematics, he was like, “We’re getting you below 46 hours, it’s doable, but it surely’s solely doable in case you run.”
My physique damage head to toe, each step was simply so painful. Josh and TJ had been drill sergeants; they had been pushing me so laborious. The primary two miles I used to be operating, and I look over, and TJ is subsequent to me and he’s strolling! And that form of turned a change on for me as a result of I used to be like, If I’m going to beat my physique up operating, I’m darn properly not going to do it at a strolling tempo!
I turned it on after that two miles, and it was nonetheless solely 12-minute miles, 11-minute miles, but it surely nonetheless felt so quick. It felt like a dash. They had been similar to, “Go, go, go!” And the entire time I used to be crying and saying, I don’t need to do that, I’m high quality with 46 hours.
For 3 hours, everybody simply form of pushed me and was like, “You are able to do it, you’re going to do it.” It was simply their encouragement and laborious work and perception in me that made it doable. This could have been inconceivable with out my crew. They labored laborious, they suffered with me.
It’s so particular that I had a crew of people that cared and beloved me sufficient and wished to do that, wished me to succeed as a lot as I wished to succeed. It will simply be completely inconceivable with out each single considered one of them on the market with me.
On Encouraging Extra Girls to Try Nolan’s 14
I like Nolan’s, I believe that it’s so humorous [that there aren’t more women doing it]. I’m nothing particular. I believe that what I do, anyone else can do. I believe that in case you simply put within the work, the time, and energy, then anyone can exit and do it and I believe that I’ve positively realized lots and I’ve grown. I believe that there’s positively a part of that in my growth through the years.
I believe that Nolan’s, it’s important to, not grasp — I don’t suppose anybody actually masters this — however it’s important to have a grip on the psychological part of it for positive. However in case you simply apply getting on the market and mountaineering mountains and doing laborious issues, anyone can do that. I believe that it’s actually rewarding and it’s a enormous accomplishment. It’s cliché, however in case you actually imagine and put your thoughts to it and may break by way of the barrier of doubt and the eager to stop, that psychological part, anybody can do that. It’s so enjoyable and rewarding.
You already know, I simply need to say that the entire women who’ve gone earlier than me have simply been an entire inspiration. After I was on the market, Andrew and I stored saying, “You already know, I’m not the one one who’s suffered, everybody else who has finished this prior to now has suffered similar to this.” Since you begin feeling dangerous for your self and so I considered you a lot, I’m like, Meghan did this, she was hurting too, she needed to undergo the nights too.
You already know, Sabrina [Stanley] needed to undergo the nights and she or he was hurting. I imply goodness, Sarah [Hansel], she did this alone. All the ladies who’ve gone earlier than me have actually been an inspiration. It’s doable. These ladies have finished it earlier than me and I’ve finished it. I’m simply actually grateful for everybody who goes on the market, will get themselves out on that line, and simply even makes an attempt it. It’s a fantastic factor.
Andrea Sansone (in pink) with a few of her crew on the Leadville, Colorado, fish hatchery on Monday, September 12, 2022, after she set a brand new ladies’s supported quickest identified time on the Nolan’s 14 route.
