March presents an odd mix of dizzying MENTAL breakthroughs, imaginal expansion and daydreaming. A call to leadership and greater authority, whether in your workplace, at home, in the community or on a team, is almost assured. You may even find that heeding such a call could garner you support from powerful and influential figures. Read your horoscope today.
Join high energy Allan on his high Altitude attempt to turn a six day bikepacking route into a Mexico City SUB480 ATB just for the love of mist, clouds, alpine sand, volcanos, terraceria, vertical kilometers, sunrises, pine forests and surprise tartan.
Allan flies like an airplane past alpine starts, cigarettes, tears of joy, mini explosions, mountain skirts, more clouds, bush bashing, peaking, hike-a-biking, switchbacks and satellites because “this bloody place is so beautiful.”
We talk to professional ultra trail runner, Abby Hall, in our second issue of Cardio Goths: Physical, Spiritual, Mental, and Emotional guidance for Subject Athletes.
Leos, Winds of change sweep into your Seventh House of interpersonal relationships, rivals and partners on February 9th, as an airy Aquarius New Moon ushers in an exceptional cycle. Mercury, planet of communication, entered your Aquarius Seventh House on February 5th, laying the foundation for this transformative beginning with unvarnished, revelatory dialogue.
Funnest Known Time is a Randonneuring, Sky Running and Fastpacking hybrid challenge aka Thrashing. Expect running, scrambling and problem solving. Funnest Known Time Wins.
The Santa Monica Mountain Challenge is the most challenging and spiritually demanding “trail’ run of your life. And/or it’s the funnest high-angle dirt scramble ever conceived of. Either way it’s 14.7 mile Thrash linking the four highest peaks in the Santa Monica Mountains. Get a cue sheet. Bring a friend. Expect chaparral, sage, rattlesnakes, Type 2 Fun, Ego Death, Exercise Induced Exorcism and, possibly, Ascension.
The first 10 teams to complete the challenge and submit proof of completion will receive FKT Thrash Awards—2 Custom Nalgene Bottles, 2 Ciele PYNCaps, 2 limited edition L/S FKT t-shirts, and a grip of limited edition FKT stickers. Teams 11 to infinity that complete the challenge and submit proof of completion will receive an official Route Sticker and whatever other random shit we feel like putting into an envelope at that time. Regardless—and more importantly—attempting and/or completing this challenge will lead to pedestrian clarity, an appreciation for hot and cold running water,Type 2 Fun, Ego Death, Exorcism, Rapture and Ascension. 99% of these exist entirely outside the context of Late Stage Capitalism, are carbon neutral and don’t cause waste.
The course opens at 12:01am January 27th, 2024 and never closes. This challenge is open to the public and costs nothing to do. FKT is modeled after the Brevet Cards used by an esoteric cycling tradition called Randonneuring. The basic gist is this; you and a friend can complete the challenge on your own time whenever you want. All you need is the GPX file and a cue sheet which you will stamp at each of the three checkpoints. Once the challenge is finished you submit proof of completion in the form of a photograph of your cue sheet featuring all stamps from the checkpoints.
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF RULES AND ALL THE BETA YOU WILL NEED CLICK THIS LINK.
HOW TO PLAY
Watch the FKT SMMC Beta Video in its entirety. Don’t scrub unless you wanna get scrubbed.
Check-out and study the annotated Beta Map. Maybe screenshot it and keep it on your phone?
Pick-up a cue sheet at Luft Los Angeles. If you can’t make it to Luft holler, we’ll mail you one.
Find a reliable friend and Endurance Partner to join you. Teams of 2 or more required.
Anytime after 12:01am January 27th run, hike, scramble and thrash this challenge.
Complete the challenge the funnest you know how. Stephen Kersh (course guide) did it in 3 hours and 29 minutes. If you beat that and can prove it, we’ll make you a custom technical running jacket. Otherwise who cares about time. This is about fun however you define it. And friendship. And Collective Effervescence.
Along the way stop at each Checkpoint. Locate the Stamp Cache—an olive green pelican case chained to the ground. Inside each Stamp Cache you will find a stamp and an inkpad. Stamp your Cue Sheet in the space provided and please return the stamp and ink pad into the olive green pelican case.
Take clips and snaps at key emotionally, spiritually, mentally and physically challenging moments.
If you CAN’T FIND the Stamp Cache take a photograph of yourself at the checkpoint and smear something onto your Cue Sheet onto the area provided for stamping. Dirt, mud, boogers, blood, gel, snot, tears, sweat, etc.; are all accepted.
Fill out the Digital Brevet Card at the bottom of this page and submit your proof of completion.
The course will be open for eternity BUT the first 10 teams to complete the challenge and submit proof of completion will receive an FKT Thrash Award. Teams 11 to infinity that complete the challenge and submit proof of completion will receive an official Route Sticker and whatever other random shit we feel like putting into an envelope at that time.
WHAT: STUPID ROUTES: A community Conversation about Stupid Routes; a 3-person multimedia presentation with Q&A. 👽 Abby Hall talks about a possible too close encounter and Misery PRs. 😴 Stephen Kersh talks about sleeping in the bottom of the world’s largest ditch by himself, by accident. 🚫🚴🏻♀️😢🥾 Moi Medina presents “I’m glad I brought a bike on this hike”; an IRL blogpost on the liminal space where dumb ideas and hubris meet genius and glory. 🙋♀️ Q&A
WHO: MSO and RWC. And you. And every other Subject Athlete, Rat and Cardiogoth in Los Angeles ready to explore confusion, dehydration, discovery, spiritual growth, access to portals both imagined and real, pain, suffering, nausea, latent fun aka Type 2 Fun, Type 4 Fun, ruined friendships, sisterhood, permanent disfigurement caused by frostbite or similar, a glimpse into the Valhalla of your choice, an everlasting sense of purpose, rapture, epiphany, temporary insanity, irrational exuberance, wanderlust, New Hope, existential dread and Lizard Brain takeover.
WHY: C-O-L-L-E-C-T-I-V-E E-F-F-E-R-V-E-S-C-E-N-C-E, elucidation. inspiration. entertainment and stoke. What makes a Stupid Route a Stupid Route? How do you build your own Stupid Route? Why are the gifts of Stupid Routes past, present and future intrinsically valuable to Endurance Earthlings and Subject Athletes? Are there other even more better gifts? How do you access the gifts you want, and only the gifts you want, on your time and terms? Great question(s), COME TO THIS EVENT AND FIND OUT THE ANSWERS TO THESE AND MANY OTHER KNOWN KNOWNS, KNOWN UKNOWNS AND UNKNOWN UNKNOWNS. This might (probably will) be the most riveting hour of Endurance storytelling ever. Full of actionable Do’s, Don’ts, Beta, Inspiration and Takeaways
EVEN MORE WHY: Get the collectible piece of art in the form of a tyvek cue sheet that you’re gonna need if you wanna complete the FKT Santa Monica Challenge—the highest you can get in Santa Monica. While supplies last said cue-sheet will be inside a 32oz custom Nalgene bottle next so some Maurten Drink Mix and Gels in the form of the single greatest registration packet ever. Registration is free.
ARIES RISING & SUN As the planet of magic and curiosity, Mercury, turns direct in your Sagittarius Ninth House of SPIRITUALITY and higher knowledge at the top of the month, you begin the new year on an introspective note. Insightful Mercury makes thought-provoking contacts with the hermit Saturn in your…
ARIES & ARIES RISING A fiery Sagittarius New Moon conjunct warrior Mars really kicks off the month with a bang on December 12th! This empowered new beginning takes place in your Ninth House of SPIRITUAL belief and quests for meaning. Intrepid Mars in Sagittarius encourages a quick and passionate embrace…
