Joanne McQuarrie, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | [email protected]
A professional mountain bike racer who hails from Jasper has another milestone to add to his long list of accomplishments.聽
On Jan. 28, Cory Wallace rode his Kona bike from the base of Mount Kilimanjaro to its 5,895-metre summit and down to the base in eight hours and 55 minutes, setting the fastest recorded time to summit that peak on a bike.
鈥淚 just like the challenge; I want to challenge myself,鈥� Wallace said.
鈥淚 go for that higher elevation.鈥�
Wallace said this trip wasn鈥檛 planned.
Last year, he was Zanzibar having a good time and was scheduled to go home to Canada on Dec. 28.
Wallace went to Tanzania for a two-week quarantine before his planned return, but it was -30 C back home and COVID restrictions were in place, so he decided to stay where he was.
鈥淚t seemed like the perfect place to start training,鈥� he said.
Although he didn鈥檛 have time to do the usual acclimatizing, Wallace鈥檚 nomadic ways came in handy.
鈥淚 spent the last four winters in Nepal at high elevations, so I guess my body is used to high elevations,鈥� he said.
What he did need to get was winter gear, since he had left much of it in Jasper.
鈥淪o, I had to buy it at market, used stuff鈥攁 backpack, gloves, base layers, socks.鈥�
Wallace summited Mount Kilimanjaro over the course of three days, fulfilling his sea-to-summit goal.
That in itself was a huge accomplishment, but he hit the world record mark two days later.
With everything in place, including a GPS and a tracker to record his ride, Wallace set out early on Jan. 28.
鈥淚 left at 7 a.m. from the base,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 reached 4,700 meters at about 10:30 a.m. with my guide.
鈥淚t was a beautiful day, sunny. We had perfect weather. I reached the summit at about 2 p.m. The day I went up it was probably the nicest day of the year, plus six degrees and calm. It was insane. There were glaciers around me.鈥�
These days, Wallace is in the Kenyan highlands in a town called Iten.
鈥淭here鈥檚 lots of European runners there,鈥� he said.
Wallace joins other cyclists from Kenya in Iten.
鈥淚鈥檒l be there for three, four weeks, then make my way back home,鈥� he said.
鈥淢y first race is in California on April 9 in Monterey for the Sea Otter Classic鈥� It鈥檚 one of the biggest bike festivals in the world.鈥�
The Sea Otter Classic is a three-day event held annually that combines competition events, the festival and recreational biking.
At age 37, Wallace is not slowing down.
鈥淚 thought when I was 30, I鈥檇 retire,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut my body鈥檚 getting stronger every year. I鈥檒l keep going until I reach my peak.
鈥淢y goal is to get all this experience, travelling, exploring the world, and share it with youth. Do a bit of coaching, some training camps.鈥�
Wallace invited folks to follow along with his adventures on his Instagram account at @wallacesworld
