Somewear Labs’ Athlete Christin Douglas Records Fastest Known Time for Grand Canyon R2R2R-alt.

November 9, 2020

Douglas and two colleagues become first females to complete grueling route

Grand Canyon, AZ —  Somewear Labs’ ambassador athlete, Christin Douglas, joined colleagues Lexi Miller and Suzanne “Sunny” Stroeer to become the first females to finish the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim-alt route (R2R2R-alt). The unsupported trio completed 42miles, 15,000’ of elevation gain and two human-powered crossings of the Colorado River in a record time of 22h:27m. The trio’s success establishes a new fastest known time (FKT) for the remote route.

Athletes attempting the standard, more popular Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim route cross the Colorado River using a bridge located at Phantom Ranch. However, the lesser-known, “alt,” route does not have a bridge connecting both shores, and required the trio to swim the width of the Colorado River twice, approximately 400’ each time. “The river crossing was the part of this FKT attempt that kept me up at night, but ended up being hands down my favorite part of the adventure,” commented Douglas. She continues, “It was just enough of a current to be challenging, but never enough to be alarming.”

Douglas and Stroeer had attempted the remote R2R2R-alt in December of 2019 but inclement weather and impassable roads blocked the duo from reaching their starting point. Undeterred, the duo returned with fellow athlete Lexi Miller and completed the route under calmer weather conditions. “This FKT was everything I love about a great route; gorgeous landscape, wild and rugged trails, remote location, and incredible humans along for the journey,” Douglas states.

During her attempt, Christin Douglas relied on a Somewear satellite communicator to relay her position and to communicate with friends and family while off-grid. “The Somewear device was crucial to our attempt on this route. It not only added peace of mind in case of an emergency, but allowed friends and family to track our progress,” commented Douglas. “In addition, it was wonderful to send out a few messages along the way of how things were going, and to get an extra boost of support.”

To view photos of Christin’s successful FKT, please visit: https://www.instagram.com/christinhealey/

To learn more about the Somewear Global Hotspot, please visit: http://www.somewearlabs.com

ABOUT SOMEWEAR LABS:

Somewear Labs was established in 2017 by a team of engineers that share a passion for outdoor adventure and functional design. Bringing years of experience from Tesla, Apple, and Intuit, Somewear Labs is dedicated to creating the world’s most reliable and effective communications gear for the modern adventurer and beyond. The company’s forward-thinking design approach has bolstered the safety of numerous expeditions in Nepal and brought peace of mind to the families of adventurers exploring closer to home. Somewear Labs is the proud recipient of a 2020 Gold Edison Award in innovation and design. Learn more at SomewearLabs.com