On June 14, 2026, Canmore-based alpinist Haldan Borglum completed all 58 peaks in the Canadian Rockies that surpass 11,000 feet, setting records as the youngest confirmed finisher and the fastest to achieve the feat. The previous record for fastest completion was five-and-a-half years, but Borglum finished in just two years and six days.
From biathlon to mountaineering
Borglum, 26, grew up in Calgary and moved to Canmore after high school to pursue a career as a World Cup biathlete. He retired from biathlon earlier this year. With the mountains in his backyard, he began hiking and developing mountaineering skills with help from friends and mentors. He discovered the list of 11,000-foot peaks and decided to attempt them.
“Around that time is when I stumbled across the 11,000ers list, and then was like, ‘Oh, it’d be cool to do some of these,'” he said. “I definitely was pretty intimidated by some of the peaks on there.”
Speed and endurance
Borglum credits his speed to his flexible schedule and athletic background. “I’m doing them faster than a lot of people, just because of the biathlon background,” he said. Some peaks that most people take days to climb, he completed in a single push under 24 hours. He often tackled multiple peaks in one trip. His longest single push was 26 hours, which he described as “not without some pain and suffering.”
Challenging terrain
The 58 peaks vary in difficulty. Some are day trips, but many are treacherous or remote, requiring skilled climbing, rappelling, navigation, avalanche training, and physical strength. Borglum preferred climbing with partners, but some trips ended up solo—including his final expedition to Mount Clemenceau and Tusk Peak, two of the most remote and rarely climbed peaks on the list.
“It’s a logistical nightmare to get those without a heli — they’re super deep in the remote wilderness,” Borglum said. “Previously what people have done to get in there without air support is they canoe across Kinbasket Lake to the west, so we were planning to just do the same as other people had done.”
He and his climbing partners made two failed attempts prior to the successful one. On the first, the vehicle carrying the canoe broke down. On the second, they turned back after encountering large waves beyond their skill level.
Record-breaking achievement
When Borglum started in June 2024, he thought about finishing the list someday but had no plans to break records. His achievement now stands as both the fastest and youngest completion of all 58 peaks. According to the article, the previous record was five-and-a-half years.
