Andrea Sansone just lately set a brand new girls’s supported quickest identified time on the Nolan’s 14 route in a time of 45 hours and 52 minutes, taking the ladies’s file nicely below the two-day barrier for the primary time. The earlier file was set by Sabrina Stanley in 2020 at 48:49.
The route contains 14 peaks of higher 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 achieve. You may 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 have 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 pictures courtesy of Andrea Sansone.
On How She’s Feeling a Few Days After Ending
I suppose I’m feeling a bit of bit worse than I used to be. I completed at 1:52 a.m. on Monday morning, and I couldn’t sleep that night time as a result of I used to be coughing a lot. My first full night time of sleep was most likely the night time after I completed, after which final night time I truly slept good. I’m a bit of bit swollen now. My voice is simply getting worse. That’s most likely the place I’m at proper now, ready for all the pieces to get higher.
On Background and Buildup
Again in 2020, Andrew [Hamilton] and I did Nolan’s, as a staff. 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 recuperate from that; it was a extremely huge surgical procedure. After that, we had Andrew’s [Colorado] Centennials file that summer season, so I crewed for him and I climbed 21 mountains with him. I wouldn’t have been in a position 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 yr, after which quick ahead to this yr. We have been coaching all by the winter and we didn’t actually know what we have been coaching for. When spring got here, I feel 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 after I had the concept to exit to [do a record attempt on] the Manitou Incline. A good friend had achieved 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’m wondering 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 speak. We had thought concerning the Colorado 14er 24-hour file for a extremely very long time however by no means acted on it. After I did the Incline, we have been simply speaking about how this is able to be the yr to do it. We put loads 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 break up instances.
Going into the 24-hour file try, I didn’t assume that 12 peaks have been truly potential. However I really feel like every time I do these makes an attempt, I all the time carry out higher on the day. You understand, it’s a psychological factor. When the 24-hour file got here, I ended up doing the Mount Columbia by 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 option 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 automotive, 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 achieved. 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 all the pieces, simply taking out the breaks that we had once we did it in 2020, a file seemed potential. We took 5 hours off of our Mount Columbia-Missouri Mountain leg from our 2020 Nolan’s.
He was like, “Even when you take two hours, three hours off of that, and bam, there may be the file proper there.” This yr I’m a stronger descender, I’m a sooner climber, and so I knew that on paper it seemed potential. However I’m an emotional particular person greater than I’m logical. You may put numbers in entrance of me all you need, however I’ve to consider 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 particular person. However Andrew satisfied me to simply 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 achieved that.”
Andrew had a giant 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 large 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 feel 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 feel that took the strain off of me, to really feel like I’ve to succeed or I’m going to let all these folks down.
A Good Begin
We used our 2020 splits for this file try. Principally for the primary eight mountains, Mount Shavano by Mount Yale, my solely purpose was to fulfill my splits. My up instances have been a bit of bit sooner, however not a lot. However the place I actually gained my time was on the descents. I’m a a lot better descender now.
In 2020, I keep 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 a bit of bit. I don’t need to run exhausting. I don’t need to damage my physique in any respect. However jogging a bit of bit goes a great distance. That first day I used to be an hour and a half forward of my splits going into the night time.
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 Missouri Mountain. In 2020, that leg took Andrew and me 11 hours and quarter-hour. After we did it within the 24-hour file try, it was a 6:55. Andrew was with me by the nighttime [this time] and we gave ourselves 9 hours to try this Mount Columbia by 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 night time of my life.
That night time, it was lovely, the complete 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 this low, and it was one of many hardest issues I’ve ever achieved. I used to be able to be achieved and I used to be so drained. It was so sudden due to all these 24-hour efforts that I had achieved, my nights had been nice. I used to be anticipating my nighttime to be not that tough.
However we figured that, I used to be going exhausting in the course of the day and so I feel it simply form of caught up with me. However I feel the attractive factor is that even after I’m in such a mentally low state, my physique nonetheless is aware of learn how to 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 have been on the point of meet Dan Hobbs and Forrest Hobbs. They’d a crew spot at Clohesy Lake for us. Earlier than we bought 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 sit down.
Ultimately, we left the crew and headed up Huron Peak. It felt like I used to be going so sluggish, it was a dying march. Then we get to the highest and it’s morning, it’s 8:30 a.m. We have 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 have been proper on observe. 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 exhausting however I didn’t hate it. I used to be having an excellent time, I had my crew with me and my good friend Jaime Bakeman got here up with me on La Plata Peak. I used to be in loads of ache, and it was nonetheless actually exhausting however I used to be again to being like, Oh, okay that is what I love to do.
The Last Push
I had an incredible break up on Mount Elbert. My good friend 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 bought off when it was turning darkish. It’s simply clockwork, you recognize, as quickly because the solar goes down, then my mind is like, Oh yay, now you get to be depressing. TJ [Pitts] and his good friend Josh [Pater], they have been planning on developing Mount Large with me however actually, additionally I craved the presence of Andrew. You understand, I really feel prefer it permits me to be okay with my feelings. He actually didn’t need to come up Mount Large, however he was ready and so he ended up coming with us and it was actually exhausting. Trying up and seeing the ridgeline so far-off — I simply felt prefer it was by no means going to finish.
Then we bought 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 exhausting for me to be tremendous completely happy. I used to be occupied with you [Meghan Hicks, former Nolan’s 14 record holder] and the way in your Nolan’s run, you began off and you then simply sped up by the whole 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 find it irresistible you recognize, 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 all the pieces, I put my tears on the market, I put my exhausting 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 Last Miles
There are two miles after you get right down to the bushes and you may 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 potential, nevertheless it’s solely potential when you run.”
My physique damage head to toe, each step was simply so painful. Josh and TJ have been drill sergeants; they have been pushing me so exhausting. The primary two miles I used to be working, 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 working, I’m darn nicely 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, nevertheless it nonetheless felt so quick. It felt like a dash. They have been identical to, “Go, go, go!” And the entire time I used to be crying and saying, I don’t need to do that, I’m effective 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 exhausting work and perception in me that made it potential. This may have been not possible with out my crew. They labored exhausting, they suffered with me.
It’s so particular that I had a staff of people that cared and cherished me sufficient and wished to do that, wished me to succeed as a lot as I wished to succeed. It will simply be completely not possible with out each single certainly one of them on the market with me.
On Encouraging Extra Girls to Try Nolan’s 14
I like Nolan’s, I feel that it’s so humorous [that there aren’t more women doing it]. I’m nothing particular. I feel that what I do, anyone else can do. I feel that when you simply put within the work, the time, and energy, then anyone can exit and do it and I feel that I’ve undoubtedly realized rather a lot and I’ve grown. I feel that there’s undoubtedly a part of that in my improvement over time.
I feel that Nolan’s, you need to, not grasp — I don’t assume anybody actually masters this — however you need to have a grip on the psychological part of it for certain. However when you simply observe getting on the market and mountaineering mountains and doing exhausting issues, anyone can do that. I feel that it’s actually rewarding and it’s a large accomplishment. It’s cliché, however when you actually consider and put your thoughts to it and may break by the barrier of doubt and the desirous to give up, that psychological part, anybody can do that. It’s so enjoyable and rewarding.
You understand, 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 understand, I’m not the one one who’s suffered, everybody else who has achieved this previously has suffered identical to this.” Since you begin feeling dangerous for your self and so I thought of you a lot, I’m like, Meghan did this, she was hurting too, she needed to undergo the nights too.
You understand, 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 potential. These girls have achieved it earlier than me and I’ve achieved 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 an exquisite 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 girls’s supported quickest identified time on the Nolan’s 14 route.
