As if hiking weren't demanding enough on its own

Sep 17, 2015 21:01 GMT  ·  By

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who are so lazy they sleep with the lights on simply because they can't be bothered to get up and flick the switch - don't knock it till you've tried it - and those who love nothing more than getting physical whenever they get the chance. 

Andrey Rodichev of Russia most definitely falls into the second category. Recently, this guy hiked all the way up Mount Elbrus, Europe's highest peak, while carrying a 75-kilogram (165-pound) barbell on his back. Yup, that's about the weight of a full-grown man that he dragged around.

Mount Elbrus in the western Caucasus mountains stands about 5,642 meters (17,926 feet) tall. To most mountain climbers, the trek all the way up its slopes is fairly easy. Sort of like a power walk. Then again, they only have their backpacks and not an oversized barbell to worry about.

To make sure the barbell wouldn't fall off his back, Andrey Rodichev secured it to his body using special straps. Because of the added weight, he could only average a speed of 50 meters (164 feet) per hour. In some regions, he moved as slow as 15 meters (49 feet) per hour.

In the end, however, he prevailed. As detailed by Oddity Central, the Russian man reached the summit of Mount Elbrus on September 6, after a journey that lasted about 8 days.

It wasn't easy training for this adventure

As part of his training for this adventure up Europe's highest peak, Andrey Rodichev spent a few good weeks following an intense workout routine. In the morning, he would jog for about an hour and a half carrying an added weight of 10 kilograms (22 pounds).

Then, in the evening, he would hit the gym. The training made him strong enough to carry the barbell up Mount Elbrus, but it also took its toll on his body. Apparently, the man lost some 20 kilograms (44 pounds) during the weeks that he stuck to this exercise routine.

As for why he did it, Andrey Rodichev says he simply wanted to raise awareness of powerlifting in his home town of Murmansk in Russia's northwest. “The Federation has no professional equipment for competition and training,” he said in an interview.

“A professional barbell costs 500,000 rubles ($7,650 / €6,550), but the city and regional administration has no money, ever. I want to do this to draw attention to the Powerlifting Federation in Murmansk region,” Andrey Rodichev added.

The barbell he carried weighed as much as a grown man
The barbell he carried weighed as much as a grown man

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Andrey Rodichev
The barbell he carried weighed as much as a grown man
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