The SXSW® panel will take place at the Four Seasons San Jacinto from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 11
SAN FRANCISCO March 10, 2017 Strava, the social network for athletes, will be participating in a SXSW® panel with legendary alpinist Adrian Ballinger titled, Biometric Social Storytelling on Mt. Everest. Ballinger, along with Andrew Vontz, Communications Lead at Strava, and Karissa Bell, Mashables Apps reporter, will discuss how Ballinger used Strava to show a never-before-seen perspective on the effort and athleticism it takes to tackle the worlds tallest mountain.
Mount Everest has been the backdrop for some of the most dramatic stories ever told about athletes, says Vontz. Using Strava, Adrian helped pioneer an entirely new style of storytelling on Everest that gave new context to the climb through biometric and geospatial data. The photos, data and descriptions Adrian posted in his Strava activities allowed athletes around the world to follow along every step of the climb and have a better sense of what it felt like to do it. As an event that celebrates discovery and innovation, SXSW is the perfect place to take a deep dive into this bold new approach.
In May 2016, Ballinger and award-winning photojournalist Cory Richards attempted their first climb of the worlds tallest peak without any supplemental oxygen. Strava was one of three social platforms the climbers used to tell the story of the first Mount Everest expedition shared live on social media. Ballingers Strava feed offered an in-depth experience of their climb, including route, distance, time, pace and heart rate.Having summited Mount Everest seven times previously, Ballinger turned back at 27,822 feet, a difficult decision that demonstrated his acute knowledge of the risks associated with this climb.
The panel will take place at the Four Seasons San Jacinto from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 11. To schedule a meeting with Vontz or Ballinger at SXSW or before the event, please email strava@maxborgesagency.com.
Strava makes it easy to connect and engage with other athletes. Download Strava for iOS or Android and upgrade to Strava Premium to access the latest features such as Beacon and Live Segments. To learn more about Strava, visit www.strava.com.
About Strava
Strava unlocks potential through the power of sport. Designed by athletes, for athletes, Stravas mobile apps and website connect millions of runners and cyclists every day. For more information visit www.strava.com
About Adrian Ballinger
Adrian Ballinger is one of the USAs premier high-altitude ski mountaineers and mountain guides, and the only American guide to have both AMGA/IFMGA guides certification (one of 75 in the USA) and more than 10 summits of 8,000 meter peaks (12 total, including six summits of Mt. Everest). As founder and head guide of Alpenglow Expeditions, Adrian has been guiding full-time for twenty years and has led over 100 international climbing expeditions on 6 continents. His personal ski descents include the first descent of Manaslu (8th tallest peak in the world), and Cho Oyu (6th tallest peak in the world), making him the only American to have successfully skied two 8000-meter peaks.