Mitch Hutchcraft Project Limitless: World Record Everest Climb

2 x WORLD RECORDS | 13,000KM TRIATHLON

Mitch Hutchcraft CompleteS Global Triathlon On Everest

SUMMIT REACHED 11TH MAY 2025

Mitch’s extraordinary journey from England’s white cliffs to the roof of the world - Project Limitless.

From September 2024, Mitch inched his way towards Nepal - a mission marked by his dogged determination to succeed in the face of geopolitical challenges, logistical setbacks, and the simple physical toll.

This odyssey has been utterly remarkable. In Mitch’s words, “it’s been bonkers.”

Let’s bring you up to speed:
(Click the section titles below to expand)

The Swim: Completed

11th SepTEMBER 2024

35km Dover - Calais, France

Widely hailed the Everest of swimming, just leaving home turf required a herculean effort. Mitch swam for 19 hours straight covering 35km across the cold waters of the English Channel. “By far the hardest twenty-four hours of my life” - but there was plenty more where that came from.

The Cycle: Completed

SepTEMBER 2024 - February 2025

13,000km Calais, France - Digha, India

Through Eastern Europe, Turkey, Iraq, the Arabian Peninsula, and Pakistan.

The 12,000km ride from France to India required Mitch and his team to find solutions to myriad obstacles: vehicle problems, visa and entry refusals, movement logistics, sickness - on top of spending all day in the saddle. After a re-route down the Arabian Peninsula, Mitch and his team made it across to Pakistan and then India, the end of the cycle leg. A challenging yet incredibly rewarding few months on the road.

The Run: Completed

14th February 2025 - 17th March 2025

900km Digha, India to Kathmandu, Nepal

From sea level in Digha to 1300m in Kathmandu.

The 900 kilometre run from Digha on India’s east coast up to Kathmandu in Nepal was billed as the relatively straightforward section - relatively being the key term here. Adjusting to life on foot after months on the bike exacted a real physical toll. Daily marathons - grinding ever uphill from sea level towards the Himalayas - combined with food poisoning demanded a true show of drive and human endeavour.

The Trek: Completed

24th march 2025 - 16th April 2025

350km Kathmandu - Everest Base Camp

Climbing from 1300m above sea level in Kathmandu to 5350m at Base Camp.

Setting out from the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, Mitch hiked the 300km up to Everest Base Camp, the launchpad for his summit attempt. Most climbers fly up to Lukla (2900m) - but you know Mitch, that's not his style. Opting instead to carry everything on his back, he toiled through unexpected heat in low-lying river valleys before reaching for his down jacket in the loftier climbs near Base Camp.

The Climb: Completed

17th March 2025 - 11th May 2025

70km Everest Base Camp - The Summit

Acclimatisation climbs from Base Camp and the final summit push.

Mitch undertook a series of practice and acclimatisation climbs alongside his renowned guide Gelje Sherpa. Ticking off the nearby 6000m peak Lobuche served as vital training ahead of the relays to different camps on Everest itself. Once his body had sufficiently adapted to the altitude, and a weather window opened up - the next stop was the roof of the world.

Mitch has been fully clad in technical Jöttnar clothing for his final climb stage - and we’re proud to have supported him in his bid to complete a pioneering world first.

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Update: 19th May

Summit Debrief

Mitch successfully completed his world record journey last week, reaching the summit of Everest and so finishing the longest ascent in history. Climbing to 8848m is never easy, but doing so at the end of 13000km+ of toil pushes Mitch's achievement into a new category altogether. In realising his dream - harboured for a quarter of a century - he has demonstrated what positivity, determination, and sheer willpower can accomplish.

Mitch spent 5 days on the mountain during his summit push, passing through Camps 1 - 4 and then into the Death Zone (8000m+). The final summit push came overnight on the third day.

As with any climb, the expedition's great success came in the whole team safely and successfully making it back down the mountain after summiting, which took more than a day itself - the descent often overlooked as a particularly dangerous stretch.
Recovering from such a long physical effort, and the recent impact of operating at extreme altitude, will take time. For now, it's a long overdue trip to the barber, and enjoying some down time in Nepal.

Massive congratulations to Mitch and team from all at Jöttnar!

EXTREME ADVENTURER, FORMER ROYAL MARINES COMMANDO

Mitch Hutchcraft

A former Royal Marines Commando, Mitch is accustomed to scenarios that demand high performance and mental fortitude. Rowing the Atlantic, cycling across America - feats that already put him at the sharp end of physical human accomplishment - serve as apprenticeships for this mission to touch the roof of the world.

Conceiving a Dream

Mitch was guided by two pre-existing dreams: swim the English Channel, and summit Mount Everest. Linking these two behemoths of physical performance by human power - on a bike - came naturally to a man driven by a core mindset that runs deep in the Jöttnar community: a pursuit of excellence and a refusal to be daunted by obstacles. And so a double world record attempt was born.

Alongside these great ambitions lie Mitch’s thoughtful meditations on what drives him individually, and the broader potential that he believes we as humans can unlock. Two fundamentals that shape his outlook - his time in the Royal Marines, and a lifelong passion for the natural world - align perfectly in his nominated charity, SAVSIM. Their work supports and rehabilitates veterans, as well as protecting threatened natural landscapes.

An undertaking as punishing as Project Limitless is only sufferable with a cast iron resolve, so the challenge had to be underwritten by a steadfast belief in his and SAVSIM’s mission. It is with this same belief that Mitch endeavours to show how, armed with daring, confidence, and an earnest conviction, our capabilities are truly limitless.

“That fundamental dream of sea to summit has been there as long as I can remember."

"Limitless is just my way of pushing boundaries, and showing that the only person that knows what's possible is looking in the mirror."

Mitch Hutchcraft | The Jöttnar Podcast

Up to Base Camp

Reaching Everest Base Camp is itself a lifelong ambition for many. Most trekkers fly from Kathmandu up to Lukla (2900m) and then make their way up to 5364m on foot.

Mitch and his team headed all the way up on foot - some 350km - carrying everything they needed to sustain them. Much of the trek from Kathmandu brought unexpected conditions, as the low-lying valleys before the foothills harboured 30°C+ temperatures - hard work under a heavy pack.

There are no roads higher up - only rough tracks well beaten by the feet of porters and yaks - a bumpy ride.

“it’s actually been hotter than in the entire Arabian desert”

Mitch explains his motivation behind Project Limitless.

“All this is about is pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and seeing yourself grow as a person. That is the message I want to get out.”

Up Everest

Mitch reached Base Camp mid-April and spent the next few weeks acclimatising, resting, organising, and planning. The window for the summit push generally opens mid-May - for only a couple of weeks - so it became an exercise in patience.

As part of his preparation, Mitch carried out acclimatisation training climbs up to increasing altitudes. Nearby Lobuche, which tops out at 6119m, came first, followed by relays up to Camp 3 on Everest itself.

Summiting is only half the battle, though. After the elation of reaching the top, climbers must face a notorious killer: the descent. In the face of extreme cold and exhaustion, delirium can set in - yet anything less than perfection and absolute focus could lead to serious consequences. Mitch and his team had to execute several high stakes variables just right in order to succeed.

“every single day of acclimatisation is so important”