FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 2021

Hillary Gerardi & The 90K du Mont-Blanc

Switching gears from shorter distances to a straight-up gnarly 90K ultra through the technical mountains of Chamonix is an admirable feat. But to win? That’s a tall order. For Black Diamond Athlete Hillary Gerardi, the transition to longer distances was a goal spawned by a winter of massive days on skis. Having completed the famous 110K Haute Route in a blistering 26 hours with her partner Valentine Fabre—in turn establishing the fastest female time for the route—Hillary felt ready to make the jump into ultra-distances.

Black Diamond Presents: What It Takes—Hillary Gerardi & The 90K du Mont-Blanc

deo & Photos: Julen Elorza & Yann Audouin

First on her list this season was the 90K du Mont-Blanc. With roughly 6,000 meters of vertical gain packed into a technical course traipsing through the craggy alps, the 90K du Mont-Blanc is a true mountain testpiece of Chamonix.

But Hillary didn’t take on this beast alone. She had a crew of friends that put everything they had into seeing Hillary succeed. In this film, we glimpse What It Takes to win an ultra-marathon.

Follow all of Hillary's achievements on Instagram and don't miss a second of her record-smashing runs

Hillary Gerardi did not intend to become a runner. It wasn’t until after high school that her love affair with the mountains truly began, when she started climbing and working in the Appalachian Mountain Club huts in New Hampshire.

MORE STORIES

What to Bring on a Trail Run

WHAT TO BRING ON A TRAIL RUN

The essentials for mountain running. 

READ ARTICLE
BD Guide To Climbing Pants

BD GUIDE TO CLIMBING PANTS

Focused on comfort and freedom of movement, built for the climbing life. 

READ ARTICLE
How to Choose a Hiking Pack

HOW TO CHOOSE A HIKING PACK

A guide to find the pack for your pursuit.

READ ARTICLE
Bouldering in Milho Verde

BOULDERING IN MILHO VERDE

BD Ambassador Eric Jerome shares about his experience from the little Brazilian bouldering town of...

READ ARTICLE
Packs and Vests for Moving Through the Mountains

PACKS AND VESTS FOR MOVING THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS

BD mountain athletes Joe Grant and Kelly Halpin guide us through their picks for trail...

READ ARTICLE
The New School Of Hard Rocks

THE NEW SCHOOL OF HARD ROCKS

BD Ambassador Ethan Salvo sounds off on why Squamish is yielding testpieces for the next...

READ ARTICLE
Making of the Zone Harness

MAKING OF THE ZONE HARNESS

A revolutionary design in performance and comfort.

READ ARTICLE
BFCL Episode 4: Drifter's Escape

BFCL EPISODE 4: DRIFTER'S ESCAPE

Watch Connor Herson establish the world’s hardest trad climb.

READ ARTICLE
How to Choose a Climbing Rope

HOW TO CHOOSE A CLIMBING ROPE

Tips for picking a new cord. 

READ ARTICLE
Making Of The Distance FKT Pole

MAKING OF THE DISTANCE FKT POLE

The next evolution of efficiency and endurance for mountain running.

READ ARTICLE
The Growing Tribe Of Trad

THE GROWING TRIBE OF TRAD

Watch Jacopo Larcher climb Bon Voyage (9a/5.14d), the hardest trad route in France. And read...

READ ARTICLE
Black Diamond Harness Guide

BLACK DIAMOND HARNESS GUIDE

Core to climbing, core to Black Diamond, and engineered to send.

READ ARTICLE
BFCL—Connor Herson on Bon Voyage (9a/5.14d)

BFCL—CONNOR HERSON ON BON VOYAGE (9A/5.14D)

After repeating Norway’s two hardest crack climbs, Connor Herson had one more route in mind:...

READ ARTICLE
Connor Herson In Norway Part 2

CONNOR HERSON IN NORWAY PART 2

After taking down Crown Royale on day three of his trip to Norway, Connor racked...

READ ARTICLE
Daddy Issues

DADDY ISSUES

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. In this essay, the legendary Jim Herson,...

READ ARTICLE