North Vancouver, B.C.'s Sebastian Albrecht, who holds a world record for climbing the Grouse Grind 13 consecutive times in a single day, has vowed to break his own record on Monday for charity.
The realtor will attempt to complete the 853-metre hike 14 times, days after his 35th birthday, from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. It is the equivalent of reaching the summit of Mount Everest one and a half times in a day, or walking up Toronto's CN Tower 68 times.
"You're just thinking ‘Okay, it's just one more climb,'" he said. "From my experience of having done it, I can't begin to think of where the time would come from to do it 14 times."
The typical hiker takes about an hour and a half to complete the Grind. Albrecht's average when he set the record in 2009 was 52 minutes.
To help him through the 14th run, Albrecht has added yoga and flexibility exercises to his training regiment – but he still worries about whether his problem knees will hold up.
"My knees were one of my limitations," he said. "Last year I was almost incapacitated with pain."
His fundraising target has increased as well. Last year, he raised more than $9,200 for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, a charity devoted to supporting shelters and ending violence against women and children. This year, he's shooting for $15,000.
Albrecht also promises to make time to update his Twitter followers on Monday from his account @salbrecht.
"I just think social media is the reality of how we get news these days – it's instant."
The avid hiker shares his current 13-climb record with Vicki Mann. The prior record of 12 climbs was achieved by Jason Chong.
For more information or to donate to Albrecht's fundraising goal, visit the Grind4Shelter website.
