What is almost unimaginable for the vast majority of people—even over the course of a lifetime—Sven Gelhaus made a reality in just 14 days. With the “ODYSSEY – 100,000 HM on the Glockner, ”the Berlin-based endurance athlete completed his biggest athletic project to date—amid the impressive mountain scenery of the BRUCK FUSCH | GROSSGLOCKNER region.
For over two weeks, Sven made the ascents daily between Ferleiten, Fuscher Törl, Hochtor, Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, and, on some occasions, the Edelweißspitze.
On average, he covered 7,143 meters of elevation gain per day.
By way of comparison: During the project, Sven climbed the stretch from Ferleiten to the Hochtor alone approximately 66 times uphill. In reality, he used different routes and constantly varied the combinations of the climbs on the Großglockner High Alpine Road.
However, the raw numbers tell only part of the story.
Because riding the same long climbs over and over again for 14 days requires far more than just physical endurance. It means refocusing every morning. It means keeping going even when your legs feel heavy, the weather takes a turn for the worse, and your mind starts looking for reasons to quit.
Focus, Performance, and Mental Strength
Sven Gelhaus is used to taking on extraordinary endurance projects.
As early as 2024, he crossed a total of 62 Alpine passes at an elevation of more than 2,000 meters above sea level within 20 days. In doing so, he covered 3,808 kilometers and climbed 82,631 meters in elevation.
In 2025, he set his sights on the 100,000-meter elevation gain mark for the first time. After covering 4,086 kilometers and gaining 92,808 meters in elevation, he was forced to end the project early due to prolonged periods of bad weather.
But giving up was not an option for Sven.
This setback gave rise to the idea for a multi-year project series “ODYSSEY”. He has now successfully completed the first chapter on the Großglockner.
“It’s all about pushing boundaries. I definitely reached those boundaries on this year’s Odyssey. Whether I can push them further remains to be seen in the next challenge.”
Reliable Hydration on Every Climb
With a project of this scale, every detail matters.
Energy intake, nutrition, recovery, and hydration must be sustained over many hours and days. During his ODYSSEY, Sven relied on his KEEGO water bottles and was able to refill them repeatedly with fresh Alpine water along the route.
Especially during long endurance activities, water should just taste like water—without any plastic aftertaste and without any unnecessary distractions.
For Sven, that meant focusing entirely on the next climb, the next descent, and the big goal.
A personal challenge that brings people together
Over the course of those two weeks, the ODYSSEY evolved into more than just a personal endurance project.
Cycling enthusiasts from various regions joined Sven on individual sections of the route and climbed elevation together with him. Some of them even set new personal bests in the process.
As a result, a community has formed around the Challenge—one made up of people who share the same passion for endurance, mountains, and pushing their own limits.
Simone Höller, managing director of the BRUCK FUSCH | GROSSGLOCKNER Tourism Association, is also impressed:
"Sven Gelhaus has achieved something extraordinary with his project. Climbing 100,000 meters of elevation in just 14 days requires not only tremendous physical fitness, but above all, extraordinary mental strength and perseverance."
"If it were easy, it wouldn't be an ultra."
By successfully completing his first ODYSSEY, Sven has achieved his biggest athletic goal to date.
At the same time, the project is just the beginning of a series that will span several years. The next challenge will reveal which boundaries can still be pushed.
Sven's own words sum up what lies behind such projects:
"If it were easy, it wouldn't be an ultra."
We congratulate Sven on this extraordinary achievement and are proud that KEEGO was able to accompany him every meter of the way.
KEEP GOING, Sven.
The Project in Numbers
Project: ODYSSEY – 100,000 hm on the Glockner
Duration: 14 days
Elevation gain: 100,000 hm
Average: 7,143 meters of elevation gain per day
Daily start time: 6:00 a.m. at the Ferleiten ticket office
Routes: Ferleiten, Fuscher Törl, Hochtor, Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, and parts of the Edelweißspitze
Special feature: The ascent from Ferleiten to the Hochtor is equivalent to approximately 66 ski runs
Photo: Victoria Dauter
