If you complete any distance of HIGHLANDER successfully, you will receive a unique experience to remember every time you look up in the sky, lifetime friends, a hard-earned HIGHLANDER Title, Pin, Patch, and Certificate.

This is a backpacking adventure, not a race.

• Ursa Major, Hercules, Pegasus, and Orion formats finish on June 23, 2024.
• Lyra format finishes on June 23, 2024.

Yes.

Everyone who is truly ready to take on the challenge of backpacking through 102 miles in 5 days.

That means that in the past 2 years you finished some of the following:

• Long Distance hike 5+ days (e.g. PCT, CDT, Appalachian Trail, etc.)
• Spartan Ultra (finisher) 
• Spartan Trail or any other Trail Race - 50+ miles finisher 
• HIGHLANDER Hercules - 60 miles - 5 days

After registration you will need to e-mail us directly with your past experience to qualify with additional or other qualifications.

To register for the event, complete the registration form on the event website and submit using the REGISTER NOW button. 

Payments are made online only using a debit or credit card. 

Capacity is limited, make sure you don't miss your slot and register now for the Adventure of a Lifetime!

You can register as a team using Team registration 3+1:

• 3+1 means that the team of 4 is registered - 3 registrations are purchased and 1 is complimentary.
• Choose a member of your team that will make the purchase of the whole group. Congratulations, you are now a Team Captain. During the purchase, you are asked to name the team and make a password.
• You share the name and the password with the other 3 people in your team, that register as Team Members.
• Team Members register with a price of €0 but need Team's name and password in order to register.
• The maximum in 3+1 is 4 people. There can be less, but not more. In case of fewer people, the group is not entitled to the price deduction.

Please find all relevant information here.

No, all participants must come to Registration in person during open hours for the Registration Check-in and to personally sign the event waiver.

Minors are permitted at the event with a parent/guardian. Please download the document attached below, complete the document with the necessary information and save it as a PDF. Once you complete the registration and the payment for a parent/guardian and a minor, please, contact the organizer at usa@highlanderadventure.com to send the PDF file and get further instructions.

The minors' age limit differs by the format. Please check the age limit below.  

Consents for Minor to participate:

• from 12 years old - HIGHLANDER Hercules Big Bear Lake
• from 10 years old - HIGHLANDER Pegasus Big Bear Lake
• from 8 years old - HIGHLANDER Orion Big Bear Lake
• from 8 years old - HIGHLANDER Lyra Big Bear Lake

The confirmation email is automatically sent after submitting the payment. Check your inbox and spam folders, and if confirmation is not found, please contact usa@highlanderadventure.com.

If this is your first time registering for an event on the Active.com platform, you will create an Active profile. Here you will have access to all registered events, and you can edit some of your personal details.

• Log in to https://myevents.active.com.     
• Scroll through the list of registered events 
• Choose “Edit Registration Information” 
• Make changes to custom questions etc.   
• Save changes

If you need to change other information (such as an email address), please contact usa@highlanderadventure.com.

All participants must register in person at the event before the start to collect the Participant´s Kit and food. We do not send out the Participant´s Kit by mail. You will also receive an email with Registration Check-in information one week before the event.

Participants need to come to the Check-in with their own transport.

As the start is not at the same place as the Check-in, the organizer is providing transport buses for each format. Busses depart from Bear Mountain Ski Resort and take participants to the start of their format. Dogs are allowed onboard transportation buses.

Check Travel and Accommodation section for a detailed schedule of the buses.

No. The Organizer will only provide transportation to the HIGHLANDER start position. Any other transportation arrangements are your responsibility.

It depends on you and your body. For each participant, the Organizer will provide camping food, distributed at checkpoints. There is a specific field in the registration form that includes diet preferences. A vegan option will be available at all checkpoints. Vegetarian and gluten-free options, however, will not be available.

We all have unique eating habits and feel full at different rates so if you think you need additional food / have a special diet please bring it with you.

If you are participating with your dog, please bear in mind dog food is not provided.

Of course! 

However, take into consideration it might still be pretty hot and unless the dog is acclimated to the heat, overheating might be a challenge. For the same reason, please make sure the dog is well hydrated - you probably need to carry 1.5x to 2x your water amount for the two of you. 

The general rule for the K9 team for wilderness in hot weather is 1 liter (0.26 gallon) per 1-2 hours for the dog and his owner together. 

There is no extra registration fee required but please note the dog food is your responsibility. 

Dogs are allowed onboard transportation buses. Your dog must always be kept on a leash, even in the camping area where they must be taken outside of the camping area to relieve themselves. Dogs are not allowed inside any buildings including the dining hall. 

We are aware some of you might want to capture your Adventure of a Lifetime by using a drone, however, we must point out that drones are, unfortunately, not allowed.

Temperatures in the San Bernardino Mountains in late September are between 80°F (27°C) and 43°F (6°C). Weather is typically a clear sky, dry and sunny with a very low percentage of humidity and low chances of rain. There is little wind with an average of 7 miles/h (3 m/s). For more details on the current weather situation, we recommend you check the Weather forecast for Big Bear Lake, CA.

To be safe, we recommend you prepare for all types of weather as well as you can.

Of course! HIGHLANDER is not for professional hikers and mountaineers only. It welcomes nature lovers hungry for activity and adventure. HIGHLANDER is very safe and not overly challenging. A minimum of backpacking experience is required. We suggest starting a training plan in the months before the event.

All participants should be physically prepared to tackle the route smoothly. We recommend 60-120 miles of light backpacking in the months before HIGHLANDER to prepare for the trail. Above all, you must be able to carry a heavy backpack (practice with 11-15 lbs and increase gradually to 33-37 lbs). Make sure you can walk comfortably in your backpacking shoes and break them in prior to the event.

Find more information on how to get ready here.

There is spotty coverage for most of the course.

Most backpacking trails in the San Bernardino Mountains are well-marked, but some short sections of the route have some less-traveled paths where you need to stay more aware of your bearings. It is important to follow markers and official backpacking trails. Always keep a map on hand and follow the signposts to stay on course and arrive safely at your destination.

You must collect all the checkpoint stamps. Checkpoints are open at specific times. Staff will stamp your HIGHLANDER ID. During the checkpoints’ working hours, our staff will help you obtain your HIGHLANDER checkpoint stamp, water, and food. Please know that if you don’t manage to get the checkpoint stamp, you are disqualified and are not entitled to the HIGHLANDER Title, Pin, Patch, or Certificate. Checkpoint stamp collection is the sole responsibility of the participant.

Bivouacking is allowed only inside the designated bivouacking campgrounds.

Designated bivouacking sites are on the Checkpoints for each HIGHLANDER format or in close vicinity, and you are required to camp on these sites.

No. Sleeping is only permitted in tents and in sleeping bags which are mandatory HIGHLANDER gear for all participants. Mountain lodges and huts have limited space and could not accommodate all HIGHLANDER participants. Sleeping in a tent is a special experience and one of the best parts of a true backpacking adventure.

A great idea!

Checkpoint staff are trained for such cases. Feel free to consult them with any gear malfunction or similar issues.

Yes. Participants sharing equipment must inform the organizing staff at Registration Check-in - Event week. Gear that can be shared includes the required tents, isobutane/alcohol stoves, compasses, and first aid kits. Participants sharing the required gear must cross the finish line within a time difference of no more than 30 minutes from the first to the last group member.

Please contact the organizer at usa@highlanderadventure.com.