JONNY PAIN AND PROJECT VERTICAL 2.0
We were first introduced to Jonny and his business partner Fergus in 2020, when they’d got in touch looking for watch that could stand the elements of Ben Nevis in November. Their aim was to complete a vertical marathon in 10 days, to ascend 42,200m (26.2 miles) in elevation, on foot, as a continuous effort. Meaning they would need to complete 32 accents of the mountain to achieve the height required.
You can read the original story here
Due to some bonkers weather conditions - a hurricane on day one for starters, the original plan to complete 3 summits per day in the first 5 days went out the window. The weather conditions were so bad that on the way down from summit two on day one, Jonny ended up helping to rescue a girl who had been caught off guard by the storm. The rescue had further consequences for Jonny as the slow moving cas-evac attributed to hypothermia, not an ideal start to such a physical expedition. On a separate morning a few more days in, they woke up to a fresh dumping of snow which meant that one summit and back took them 8 hours! Both of them knew by day 4 that the chance of completing their challenge target was pretty impossible, yet they kept going. Fergus had to call it on day 9 and Jonny pushed on to complete 22 ascents before running out of time. This in itself is a world record.
Sat in a New York apartment after a fantastic couple of days at the WindUp Watch Fair, we got some time to catch up and find out about Jonny’s return to Ben Nevis and a second attempt at Project Vertical.
So, four years after our first introduction you’re gearing up to tackle Ben Nevis again, how does that feel?:
"Exciting and scary, in equal measure! This challenge is wrapped up in lots of emotion for me; because we didn’t achieve what we wanted to last time, it’s always been in the back of my mind that it’s unfinished business and something I can definitely have another crack at. The possibility to complete it also brings a greater opportunity to reach more folks and show the power of pushing through fear.
The integral message here is about being open and honest to where your head’s at and to encourage people to take that first step into uncertainty. For me, I know that the challenge I’m about to face could be potentially impossible, so taking the first step onto the mountain will definitely be the hardest one. Every day and every summit, that feeling will be repeated, under more and more fatigue and uncertainty. I find that this represents the daily struggles we all go through and I’m hoping it will highlight the importance of finding the resilience to keep moving forward in others too."
Knowing what you know from the last attempt, are you coming at this any differently?
"The real big difference this time is that I’m doing the challenge on my own and entirely self-supported. I wanted to explore those feelings of isolation in a more physical sense, and to test my metal as it were, and to see that I’m still able to push myself to my limits and beyond. I always think we find out the most about ourselves right at the edges of perceived limitations.
Last time, the schedule window was a little short and the weather was so unpredictable – even for Scotland, so I’ve given myself four more days to complete the 32 summits. However this still requires a big first 5 days as I’ll aim to complete 3 summits a day, dropping down to 2 summits for 8 days after to allow for the inevitable fatigue. The final day will be one summit to allow me to soak it all in, rather than having to experience the feeling of having to rush the end. That’s the plan anyway. It’s still 32 summits in total.
To the top of the mountain and back is 10 miles, so I’m basically completing an ultra-marathon a day, on the UK’s highest peak. 14 days of back to back ultra marathons on the flat is a massive ask, and I’m about to attempt it up and down a mountain!"
Simple question but why go again?
"The why originally was about the message of climbing your own mountain, which is still front and centre in mind.
Monotony. Dread. Loneliness. Pain. Darkness. Doubt. Fear. Fight. Shame.
Everything that this project represents, and sadly, what thousands of humans suffer from in silence every single day. We all have our own uphill battles to face, but there is no reason for us to fight them alone by being open and honest. Some people will call this insane or foolish. But you know what’s truly insane? The fact that so many choose death over honesty.
From a very personal perspective, I’ve failed at plenty of things that I’ve attempted in the past and I’ve made my peace with the reasons every time. From weather and injury to external influences out of my control, I’ve been able to accept that there was a reason to not complete a challenge. But for some reason Project Vertical left me with a feeling of unfinished business and a big question mark to whether that’s even possible. So, this is an opportunity for me to try again, find out whether it’s achievable and to perhaps find the answers to the questions from 4 years ago."
Other than the personal challenge, why else are you doing this?
"I’m doing this to raise awareness of pushing through fear and it’s worth saying that ‘fear’ will mean something different to everyone. In this instance the fear for me here is failing and I want to explore how to approach this, how to push through it and to overcome fear. I’ll be seeing if I can meet myself out there somewhere and discover what questions that new version of myself has to ask me.
The challenge will be raising money for the charity REORG. Fundamentally my personal involvement with Jui-Jitsu and how I’ve used this sport to channel my own personal demons really resonates. Teaching veterans who are struggling with mental and physical difficulties something new and in a combat sport starts to rebuild resilience, self worth and builds a new community around you, especially if you’re feeling a little lost. I think that’s a really brilliant cause to get behind."
When does Project Vertical start again?
"My first step onto Ben Nevis will be on Monday 28th Oct and I’m due to finish Monday 11th Nov, with the aim for the final summit to be at 1100. I’d like to extend the invite to any veterans to join me in the final ascent and take a moment of reflection, recognising those who faced and continue to face insurmountable challenges, yet continued forward and to remember those who gave themselves so the rest of us could."
What kit will you be carrying?
"I’m working with EB, ThruDark, Grenade and Ineos for this challenge and that pretty much covers me from food and clothing to vehicles and sleeping.
Ineos have very kindly loaned me a Grenadier and tentbox for the event which will give me a platform to live from at the base of the mountain. This is invaluable time saving for me as it means that I don’t have to factor in travel to my day.
ThruDark have kitted me out from head to toe and I’m really looking forward to testing out their new gear in this environment. I’ll be wearing:
Scout Smock
Wraith Crew
Vanguard
Stealth Baselayers
Socks
Beanie
Grenade will keep my body fuelled for the duration"
Why will you be wearing your Beachmaster for this challenge?
"To allow myself to be immersed in the environment and challenge is incredibly important. To be able to explore my thoughts without digital distraction keeps me present and mindful to what I’m aiming to achieve. When I’m out on the expedition I’ve been training for, I want to feel the environment, feel the experience, feel the adventure, I don’t want to be interacting with a constant feed of data. Otherwise, I might as well be sat in an office, looking at a laptop.
Having the Beachmaster on my wrist, with its double timing system, provides all the data I need for Project Vertical. I know how to work out my pacing, the outer divers bezel is used to remind me to do a task; whether that’s to take a drink or take on some food, it provides visual prompt of what I need to do in that moment. The mission timer on the internal bezel will keep me on track for my summits each journey. It will time my rest period and at a quick glance I’ll be able to tell whether I’m pacing correctly on the mountain.
Ultimately wearing this watch gives me a shared spirit of adventure, it symbolises support and gives me an anchor to home and to love, which to me is what Elliot Brown represents."
Follow Jonny on his quest to complete the vertical marathon here
