Meet Jason Hardrath, Who Climbed Washington’s 100 Highest Peaks Faster Than Anyone Alive

You wouldn’t know it by what he’s achieved, but life has not always been an easy road for mountain climber Jason Hardrath. Tragedy struck the avid runner and outdoorsman in 2015.

Hardrath remembers the life altering car accident that left him with damaged knees and a punctured lung. Yet, now the Oregonian and lifelong adventurer talks freely about the aftermath and what personal decisions he made when doctors told him he would never be able to do anything strenuous again.

“It was tough. I told my doc about my love for running and triathlons, and he just said, ‘you’re probably going to let that part of your life go.” Hardrath explains further,“at first, my spirits sank, but then that defiance came out. I remember thinking, ‘You don’t know me—you just wait.’”

While Hardrath did take his doctor’s immediate orders to rest, rehab and get well, he also outright refused to accept any certain fate, and hints that those first moments were at the heart of his next set of goals. His first eventual goal was to run again, and also pursuit to prove to himself that what doctors called impossible was indeed possible. Both were more important than any ideas he had of breaking world records.

Hardrath, who makes his living as an elementary school physical education teacher, also thought the small lessons he would learn in his recovery and future conquests could come in handy when not climbing or training.

“I always tell my students to dream big and believe in themselves,” Hardrath said. “I want them to learn to not let things get in the way of their dreams and that it’s often the difficult, scary things that are worth doing.”

Less than three years after his car accident, he took up mountain climbing as a regular pursuit.

In 2018, Hardrath first climbed the 14,162-foot Mt. Shasta in northern California, then he did it as second time in a mere 5 hours and 38 minutes. He’s also conquered California’s San Jacinto, plus Washington’s Cascade Range peaks Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier. In 2020, he climbed Mt. Rainier, 14,411 feet from sea-to-summit in 11h 9m 49s.

On top of all his achievements, Hardrath is also the subject of a new documentary film, titled “Journey To 100.” The documentary, which is about his recovery and climbing pursuits, first screened in Brooklyn, Denver, Portland and Seattle April 9th, and is available online, and soon to be screened on cable network Outside TV.

After speaking to Hardrath last October about his participation in the Ironman Oceanside, I connected with him a week ago about his training and prep, and the new “Journey To 100” documentary film.

Andy Frye: The story on you is that you began climbing after your doctor’s orders to “stop being active” altogether.

So, why mountains? Climbing mountains is no easy feat.

Jason Hardrath: One of the first things I had to do was give myself permission to step out of my own shadow. I was already living larger-than-life objectives, like running ultras and 200-plus mile-a-day bike rides. I was 25 years old when the car accident happened.

But I had to be willing to de-couple that. I still refer to all the stuff before the car accident as my “former life”— it’s just a way I set it off in my head, so I wasn’t comparing my new self to my pre-car accident self. This has allowed me to celebrate small successes and see the growth between where I was and where I used to be. I was celebrating every win and increasing my motivation as I went, not assessing how I was failing compared to my past, which would have decreased my motivation. Celebrating new knee rotations or bends, or the farthest I’ve walked without swelling; all of those little wins and little things we take for granted—I had to celebrate those things.

I really dove into physical therapy and did the work. I started climbing up and down a local training hill, which led to climbing mountains and then climbing bigger mountains. As I immersed myself in the world of mountaineering, I realized I needed to learn new skills, like rock climbing, if I wanted to climb more technical peaks.

AF: What’s your mental and physical prep beforehand, at this point?

Hardrath: Physical prep includes the weeks and months before taking on a big effort; I trained multiple months with vertical gain over 20,000ft, opting to focus on gain due to Washington’s astonishingly steep terrain. Beyond training, It’s the basics everyone talks about that aren’t sexy: Proper sleep, periodized training programs stretched over time, nutrition in all aspects like pre- during- and post-workouts.

Over the course of Bulgers (hikes) I made repeatable habits of using Gnarly Nutrition Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) pre-effort, and Gnarly Nutrition Nutrition Fuel2O (a gel alternative; electrolyte + calorie drink mix), and post-workout Gnarly Nutrition vegan protein were essential for preventing my body, especially muscle, from wasting away. That and a ridiculous number of Nutella covered Oreos.

Mental prep beforehand centered around months, not to mention the years. Learning to be calm, collected, and efficient in these dangerous natural spaces was a must.

VIDEO: Perseverance, sweat, “a ridiculous number of Nutella covered Oreos.”

AF: You are a teacher by trade. What kind of interest is there among young people to take up mountain climbing?

Hardrath: It’s not really about getting more kids into the mountains, it’s about chasing the things that you love with focus and drive. I want to inspire kids to chase whatever they love to the same degree that I chase mountains. I’m just some small-town kid with ADHD. If I can go out and climb 100 mountains in 50 days, what is possible for them?

Sometimes, when it feels like something might not be possible, but it excites us and scares us, then that’s the direction we need to go. I feel like I need to be living that in order to be authentic.

AF: You’ve achieved over 100 fastest known times (FKTs). What makes each next conquest special? Or worth it?

Hardrath: I didn’t initially set out to do 100 FKTs. For me, they were a means to explore, adventure, and push my boundaries in the places that I love. They are a way to express myself and my creativity, and as such, have inspired me and forced me to expand my skill set. I love routes that involve a mixture of skills, such as rock climbing, mountaineering, and canyoneering. Each FKT gave me the opportunity to test myself.

AF: On top of it all, you have undertaken the Ironman, which is no picnic either. What do you get from tackling these major events?

Hardrath: The Ironman is what I was dedicated to and passionate about prior to the car accident. The two half-Ironmans that I’ve done over the last year have been somewhat cathartic. While I don’t necessarily want to dedicate my life to Ironman again, I do think they are a good test of physical and mental fitness, and they let me practice and dial in my transitions from one sport to another, which can help in backcountry multi-sport efforts.