Probably permanent damage

Amputation of a toe threatened after world record

The toes were treated for the first time in a clinic in Villach. Michael Strasser will then see a specialist in Salzburg on Thursday evening for further treatment.

(Bild: Michael Strasser)

Extreme sports world record! Michael Strasser climbed the seven highest mountains in the seven Alpine countries solo unsupported in seven days and covered the distances in between by bike. The Lower Austrian mastered 1400 kilometers and 36,500 meters of altitude, but afterwards feared for his left big toe.

Strasser climbed Mont Blanc (France), the Gran Paradiso (Italy), the Dufourspitze (Switzerland), the Vordere Grauspitze (Liechtenstein), the Zugspitze (Germany), the Grossglockner (Austria) and the Triglav (Slovenia). He covered 155 kilometers and 20,500 vertical meters on foot.

Everything recorded via GPS live tracking
After two years of preparation, he spent a total of seven days, ten hours and 56 minutes on this project, recording everything via live GPS tracking and on his STRAVA profile. Here, the extreme athlete published his physical activity after each stage, including heart rate and power meter data. He slept three hours the first few nights and only two hours at the end.

Michael Strasser was on the road with a 6.5 kilogram bike and 13.5 kilograms of luggage.

(Bild: Markus Frühmann / Red Bull Content Pool)

Power nap on the tiles of a bank branch
Shortly before the grand finale, he almost nodded off on his bike, lying down on the tiles of a bank branch at 4.30 a.m. for a half-hour power nap. When he woke up again half an hour later thanks to a double alarm clock (very loud cell phone signal and very strong vibration of the wristwatch), he startled a woman who immediately turned around in front of the door.

Michael Strasser had partly bright sunshine, but also rain, wind and temperatures of minus ten degrees.

(Bild: Michael Strasser)

Liters of lemonade and bags of jelly babies
His diet was also very unusual. In addition to extremely bitter-tasting recovery packs, which mainly contained magnesium and protein, he had liters of sugary lemonade, several chocolate bars, bags of jelly babies and only one proper meal a day. "There's no other way," explains Strasser, "with such an extreme project with a mega load." As a result, his gastrointestinal tract kept going crazy.

Strasser's left big toe caused him problems after the project.

(Bild: Markus Frühmann / Red Bull Content Pool)

Also not for the faint-hearted: as he didn't have any spare clothes in his 13.5 kilogram equipment (plus the 6.5 kilogram bike) for weight reasons, he only ever wore one outfit: "It's horrible, but it's part of it, you can't be squeamish." The shower at the finish in a shelter at the foot of the Triglav in Slovenia was all the better, even if the water was only lukewarm.

"It was the hardest week of my life"
The extreme athlete's conclusion: "The old record from 2012 was nine and a half days. The new mark has caused quite a stir in the scene. But it was the toughest week of my life. I've never been so close to the limit." This was also due to the fact that he suffered frostbite on six toes on the ascent of Mont Blanc, the first mountain of the project. His left big toe was particularly badly affected. During the project, Strasser was largely able to block out the pain, but on the first night afterwards he could hardly sleep despite the massive exhaustion. After the first examination, he even briefly considered amputation. "That," groans Strasser, "would have been pretty bad..."

Expert in high-altitude medicine helps
But then the all-clear was given. Amputation is off the table, but permanent damage is likely to remain. He is currently on his way to Salzburg, where Dr. Anita Maruna (an expert in high-altitude medicine) will continue to treat him on Thursday evening at 10 pm. Strasser is grateful: "There aren't that many doctors with expedition experience in Austria. She has already seen many frostbitten toes."