IronHike Endurance Productions | Elevation-Based Endurance Events

Lose Your Personal Limits Here. 🏔️

Spectators & Volunteers: Start Here 👋

We bring the highest mountains to you. No gondola. No shortcuts. No podium. Just proof.

A trail endurance Event that gets run, hiked, or power-hiked by Mountain Athletes who came here to crush their own personal limits.

💬 "10 minutes debating whether to sign up led to 6 months of gratitude."

— Rachel · IronHike Everest Finisher

🍂 Mohawk Mtn

Oct 1 – 4, 2026

Cornwall, CT – USA

Open
Register. 🎯Join the Tribe 🎯

💦 Amicalola Falls

Dec 9 – 13, 2026

Dawsonville, GA – USA

Open
Register. 🎯Join the Tribe 🎯

🌿 Mohawk Mtn

Jun 4 – 7, 2026

Cornwall, CT – USA

Closed
See the Proof 📸View Pics 📸

See All 7 Events 🏁

You and a Trail Buddy. Half the price. Twice the suffering.

You already know who you want to call. Send them this page.

No buddy yet? Register for any Buddy Event now. Your buddy completes their info on RunSignUp later at no extra cost.
Claim Both Spots. 🎯

Spectators welcome. Bring your crew. Tenting and mountain access included at no extra charge.

💬 "I saved enough by bringing a buddy to pay for my flight."

— Tom B. · IronHike Trail Buddy

First-Time Mountain Athlete?

Start with Kuwohi

12 Hours · Target Summit: Kuwohi · 6,643' · Highest Point on the AT

One foot in front of the other. If you can hike 4 hours over hilly terrain, you have the base fitness to start. Your pace is your pace. The mountain doesn't judge. Neither does your Tribe.

Start with Kuwohi

Seasoned Ultra Athlete?

Olympus Mons Ultra

84 Hours · Target Summit: Olympus Mons · 72,000' · Tallest in the Solar System

Top 4 Hardest Ultra Events in the World. Only three finishers in history. 84 hours. 72,590 feet. Are you next?

Show Me Olympus Mons

💬 "There is nothing out there like IronHike. The camaraderie, the shared suffering, the sense of brotherhood. I've done Tough Mudders, Spartans, and marathons. Nothing compares."

— Paul · IronHike Everest Finisher

Comparing 29029 vs IronHike? We did the math. IronHike is harder, more affordable, and more self-reliant.
See the Comparison →

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7 Events 🏁

4 Signature Mountains. 1 course. All of it earned under your own power.

Part hike, part trail run, part group camping trip. Trek solo, with a buddy, or as a Trail Family.

🍂 Fall · Oct 1-4, 2026 · Mohawk Mountain, Cornwall CT - USA

💦 Fall · Dec 9-13, 2026 · Amicalola Falls State Park, Dawsonville, GA - USA

Capacity is limited by the mountain. When it's full, it's full.

Discount codes. One per registration. Cannot be stacked.

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reg50 $50 off any Solo or Team registration

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brave70 $70 off any Solo or Team registration. Veterans, active military, and first responders.

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buddy50 50% off any Trail Buddy registration

Kuwohi
12 Hours · Target Summit: Kuwohi · 6,643' · Highest Point on the AT

Highest summit on the Appalachian Trail. The entry point for first-time Mountain Athletes. If you can hike 4 hours over hilly terrain, you have the base fitness to start. The rest is mental. That's what the mountain is for.

📅 IronHikers Away: Noon Start | Final Bell: 12 Hours Later
Badass Rating💪💪☆☆☆
👤 Solo - $95/day - code reg50 💰
👥 Buddies half-off - $59/day each - code buddy50 💰
👥👥 Trail Family - $96/day each - built in 🎁

Register for Kuwohi 🎯

Double Kuwohi
24 Hours · Target Summit: Kuwohi x2 · 13,286' · Double the Highest Point on the AT

Back-to-back Kuwohis across a full day and night. Night trekking by headlamp. 24 hours to find out what you are actually made of.

📅 IronHikers Away: Noon Start | Final Bell: 24 Hours Later
Badass Rating💪💪½☆☆
👤 Solo - $147/day - code reg50 💰
👥 Buddies half-off - $70/day each - code buddy50 💰
👥👥 Trail Family - $123/day each - built in 🎁

Register for Double Kuwohi 🎯

Denali
48 Hours · Target Summit: Denali · 20,310' · Highest Peak in North America

North America's highest peak. A full weekend on the mountain. This is where mental grit separates the finishers from those who came to try.

📅 IronHikers Away: Noon Start | Final Bell: 48 Hours Later
Badass Rating💪💪💪½☆
👤 Solo - $333/day - code reg50 💰
👥 Buddies half-off - $143/day each - code buddy50 💰
👥👥 Trail Family - $258/day each - built in 🎁

Register for Denali 🎯

Everest
72 Hours · Target Summit: Everest · 29,032' · Highest Peak on Earth

The authentic self-powered Everesting alternative on the East Coast. 72 hours. 29,155 feet of gain. No shortcuts. Do something over-the-top hard and let it change you.

📅 IronHikers Away: Noon Start | Final Bell: 72 Hours Later
Badass Rating💪💪💪💪☆
👤 Solo - $311/day - code reg50 💰
👥 Buddies half-off - $132/day each - code buddy50 💰
👥👥 Trail Family - $239/day each - built in 🎁

Register for Everest 🎯

Answer the Bell Ultra - Basic
24 Hours · Elevation Determined by Course · 1 Lap Per Hour

One lap per hour, every hour. On the hour. Until you can't anymore. IronHike's elevation-based take on the backyard ultra format - on a real mountain.
Badass Rating💪💪💪☆☆
👤 Solo - $197/day - code reg50 💰
💡 Solo only. No FlexRelay team format.

Register for Answer the Bell Basic 🎯

Answer the Bell Ultra - Full
84 Hours · Elevation Determined by Course · 1 Lap Per Hour

84 hours. One lap per hour, every hour. Through darkness, fatigue, and doubt. Answer the bell until you just can't anymore.
Badass Rating💪💪💪💪💪
👤 Solo - $229/day - code reg50 💰
💡 Solo only. No FlexRelay team format.

Register for Answer the Bell Full 🎯

Olympus Mons Ultra
84 Hours · Target Summit: Olympus Mons · 72,000' · Tallest in the Solar System · Powered by Skratch Labs®

Highest summit in the solar system. Ranked Top 4 Hardest Ultra Events in the World. Only three finishers in history. Are you kidding me?
Badass Rating💪💪💪💪💪½
👤 Solo - $289/day - code reg50 💰
👥 Buddies half-off - $122/day each - code buddy50 💰
👥👥 Trail Family - $221/day each - built in 🎁

Register for Olympus Mons Ultra 🎯

Mountain weather is part of the Event. Pack for it. Plan for it. Earn it anyway.

What is an IronHike Series?

Just the nitty gritty... Getting up there and back down. No yurts, no lifts, no shortcuts. Glamping and gliking are not a thing at IronHike.

▲Four Signature Mountains drive 7 Events across 3 formats. From a 12-hour entry point to one of the world's top ultra endurance experiences. Something for every level, every shape, every skill set. First-time Mountain Athlete or seasoned ultra veteran, there is an Event with your name on it.

▲Register Solo, as a Trail Buddy pair, or as a Trail Family of up to 4. The FlexRelay format means teammates share laps. You go when your teammate rests. Everyone earns the same summit.

▲Base camp is yours for the duration. Tenting, fire pit, hydration, and Tribe camaraderie included. The Cadre treks every Event alongside you.

▲This is not a race. There is no finish line, no podium, no age group awards. The Cadre rings the Final Bell. What you earned between the start and that bell is yours forever.

▲Noon start. You set up camp, meet your Tribe, and get your bearings. Then the mountain opens and you go. Lap after lap, summit after summit, through daylight and dark, until the Final Bell rings or you choose to stop. The Cadre and your Tribe are with you every step.

The mountain keeps no score. You finish what you finish. That's enough.

72,000

Feet · Olympus Mons · Target Summit

The most of any ultra under 200 miles. On Earth.

🔴 Olympus Mons Ultra. The Hardest Ultra on Earth. Or Mars.

152 to 180 Miles | 84 Hours | Powered by Skratch Labs®

Named for the tallest volcano in the solar system. No flat miles. Ever. Nothing else compares.

As of the end of the 2025 Season, only 3 finishers in history:

🥇 Dr. Scott Festa · 1st Finisher, Spring 2024
🥈 Jack "Quadzilla" Jones · 2nd Finisher, Fall 2024
🥉 Jason Dow · 3rd Finisher, Fall 2025

Register for Olympus Mons 🎯 See the World Ranking Event Page

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The Numbers 🏔️

The mountain doesn't lie. Neither do these.

0REGRETSEarned. Not bought.

4Signature
Mountains

7Endurance
Events

12Hours
Kuwohi

24Hours
Double Kuwohi

48Hours
Denali

72Hours
Everest

84Hours
Olympus Mons

6,643Feet · Kuwohi
Lowest Target Summit

72,000Feet · Olympus Mons
Highest Target Summit

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💬 "Growth hides in discomfort, and in the pain most people avoid. That's what's so special about IronHike Events. It forces you into rewarding suffering, surrounded by a Tribe of people who choose to prove themselves right."

— Isabelle · Age 17 · First-Ever Answer the Bell Ultra Finisher

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About 🔆

Veteran-built. Trail-proven. Run by people who do this themselves.

Long-distance hikers, proud US Army veterans, and endurance athletes.

We built it the hard way because that's the only way that matters.

Meet the Cadre →

Tribe 🤜🤛

Mountain Athletes from 30 states and 3 countries and counting. You show up, you belong.

Adaptive athletes, cancer survivors, first-timers, and elites. One mountain. They all came here for their own reason. They all left with the same thing.

Your people are already here.

Find Your Tribe →

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Explore 🔍

Every page on the site. Every comparison. Every answer. Start here.

Full site map, blog archive, and every comparison page in one place. If it exists on this site, Explore finds it.

29029 vs IronHike - Which Everest Event is for you?

Barkley Marathons vs IronHike - The ultimate comparison

Olympus Mons Ultra world ranking - Top 4 hardest ultras on Earth

Series photos - Download your Event photos

Explore the Site →

Guide 📗

Everything you need to know before you set foot on the Mountain.

Training plans start the moment you register. Free coaching videos are available any time.

Course stats, maps, elevation profiles, gear lists, base camp layout, check-in times, rules, safety, driving directions, nearby accommodations, and mandatory items. Everything you need from registration day to the Final Bell.

Read it before you pack. Read it again the night before.

Read the Guide →

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Sponsors 🤝

Backed by brands that know what hard looks like.

Skratch Labs. The brands on this page chose IronHike because they've seen what happens on this mountain. When serious endurance brands show up, it means something.

See who backs the Tribe.

See Our Partners →

FAQs ✨

100 questions. 10 categories. If you're wondering, it's answered here.

What's included in registration? Can I defer to a future season? What gear do I need?

Registration, logistics, gear, rules, FlexRelay format, Trail Buddy and Trail Family formats, training plans, cancellation policy, what to eat, how to train, and what to expect on the Mountain.

If you are wondering, it is answered here.

Read the FAQs →

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Blog ✏️

Real athletes. Real summits. Real stories from the people who showed up.

Isabelle at 17, the first Answer the Bell Ultra finisher. Jason Dow, Olympus Mons on his third attempt. Tasha Boyd, who arrived broken and left with a Tribe. Rachel's 10 minutes of doubt and 6 months of gratitude. Founder's Corner, podcasts, and training articles.

Real stories. Real summits. Real proof.

Read Tribe Stories →

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What's Included in Your Registration ✅

⛺Tenting space on-mountain, included for you and up to 6 spectators at no extra charge.

🔥Base area support station with shade, fire pit, hydration, snacks, and Tribe camaraderie.

🏅Personalized event bibs, summit tokens, finisher's medals, and hats.

📋Custom training plans designed by Chaski Endurance Collective.

🏔️Exclusive mountain access for athletes, teams, and spectators.

🚑Ski patrol medical support on-mountain throughout the Event.

📞Monthly Tribe Calls for pre-Event preparation and post-Event connection with the Cadre and fellow Mountain Athletes.

🅿️Free parking, spectator areas, and restrooms on-mountain.

🤝A new Tribe. Bragging rights. Proof.

Team Building 👥👥

Not your old man's team-building exercise.

Your team will never look at each other the same way again.

Bring Your Team →

Community & Causes 🤝

Trek with purpose. Register and we'll build your cause a page on our site.

St. Jude Children's Hospital — Scott Festa, First Olympus Mons Finisher

2ndGo — Paul Laedke, Charity Partner

Team TWINspirational — Christine Hussey, Everest Athlete

ASF

Do Good Pantry

Dylan's Wings of Change

One Life 2 Love

Your valid cause belongs on this mountain.

Bring Your Cause →

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The Mountain 🌋

Real summits. Real stairs. Real insane.

72Hours
Everest

84Hours
Olympus Mons

604Stairs Up
Per Lap · Amicalola

1,208Stairs Round Trip
Per Lap · Amicalola

6,643Feet · Kuwohi
Target Summit

13,288Stairs · Kuwohi
Amicalola Falls

20,310Feet · Denali
Target Summit

26,576Stairs · Double Kuwohi
Amicalola Falls

29,032Feet · Everest
Target Summit

41,072Stairs · Denali
Amicalola Falls

59,192Stairs · Everest
Amicalola Falls

72,000Feet · Olympus Mons
Target Summit

101,472Stairs · ATB Full
Amicalola Falls

144,960Stairs · OMS
Amicalola Falls

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Contact 📡

The Cadre reads every message and actually responds. Follow us on social, get in touch, volunteer at a Series, or sign your spectator waiver.
Questions about Registration, gear, sponsorship, or the Mountain. We have answers.
🎯Register Now 📡Contact the Cadre 🙋Volunteer at a Series 👀Spectators - Sign Your Waiver Instagram Facebook YouTube TikTok

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See it all. 👓

Every page on the IronHike site has something for Mountain Athletes at every stage.

Register 🎯 Events 🏁 About 🔆 Tribe 🤜🤛 Explore 🔍 Guide 📗 Sponsors 🤝 FAQs ✨ Blog ✏️ Contact 📡

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Your Mountain is waiting.
Claim Your Spot. 🎯

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IronHike Endurance Productions

Who We Are IronHike Endurance Productions is a veteran-owned endurance event series built by US Army veterans who hike, coach, and compete. We produce elevation-based endurance events and multi-day mountain endurance events at Mohawk Mountain Ski Area in Cornwall, Connecticut and Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, Georgia. The Mohawk Mountain endurance event series runs Spring and Fall each year. The Amicalola Falls endurance event series runs Fall each year. Our FlexRelay format is a team endurance event structure that lets Mountain Athletes compete Solo, as a Trail Buddy pair, or as a Trail Family of four across the same vertical trail endurance course. This is not a race endurance event. There is no podium, no finish line prize, and no gondola. Every foot of elevation gain is self-powered, earned one lap at a time, by athletes from 30 states and 3 countries and counting who came here to prove themselves right.

The Events IronHike offers seven elevation-based endurance events ranging from a 12-hour endurance event to an 84-hour endurance event, covering target elevations from 6,643 to 72,000 feet at Mohawk Mountain in Cornwall, Connecticut and Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, Georgia. For athletes looking for a self-powered Everesting or an affordable Everesting alternative on the East Coast - the definitive Everesting alternative East Coast athletes have been searching for - IronHike is the answer. We are the leading 29029 alternative and Barkley Marathons alternative in the USA, and the Olympus Mons Ultra is ranked as one of the hardest ultra in the world and the hardest endurance hiking event in the USA. The Answer the Bell Ultra is a backyard ultra on a mountain and a last person standing ultra where athletes answer the bell every hour until only one remains. Our FlexRelay team endurance event format makes multi-day ultra endurance and vertical trail endurance accessible to athletes at every level across trail endurance events USA-wide.

The Tribe The IronHike Mountain Athlete Tribe is a shared suffering endurance community built from the ground up by veteran endurance sports athletes who believe that personal transformation happens on a mountain. Athletes from across the country and beyond register as Solo Mountain Athletes, Trail Buddy pairs, and Trail Family teams to earn every foot of elevation together. The IronHike Tribe spans 30 states and 3 countries, supported by the veteran-owned Cadre who trek every Event alongside them. Every IronHike mountain athlete event is designed around the belief that the mountain does not care, but your Tribe does. This is not a spectator sport. You show up, you belong, and you prove yourself right one lap at a time.

What Makes Us Different IronHike is a self-supported mountain ultra series where every foot of elevation gain is earned under your own power. No gondola, no lift, no shortcuts. As a veteran-owned endurance event operating at Mohawk Mountain Ski Area in Cornwall, Connecticut and Amicalola Falls State Park in Dawsonville, Georgia, IronHike delivers East Coast ultra endurance at a level that rivals the hardest events in the world. We are the most affordable Everesting alternative and the most accessible 29029 alternative on the East Coast, with elevation gain events designed around the FlexRelay format that no other trail endurance event USA-wide can match. Staircase endurance event Georgia. Elevation endurance event Georgia. Amicalola Falls endurance event. AT Approach Trail endurance event. Every Mountain Athlete who shows up to an IronHike endurance event leaves having earned something that cannot be bought, only proven.

Lose Your Personal Limits Here. 🏔️

🔴 Olympus Mons Ultra. The Hardest Ultra on Earth. Or Mars.