Mount Washington’s Climb to the Clouds sounds simple enough: a solo driver, in a purpose-built race car, crosses a starting beam and then tries to produce the fastest time up the mountain. Along the way, he’ll likely encounter wet pavement, dry pavement, loose gravel, clouds, fog, and wind. He’ll also encounter the kind of sheer drop-offs that ensure making a mistake is a one-time thing. There are no guard rails, there are no corner workers and there are no safety nets.
This year marks the first official running of the Climb to the Clouds in a decade, and the official time to beat was 6:41.99 seconds, set by Frank Sprongl in 1998. Travis Pastrana did an exhibition run up the mountain in 6:20.47 last year, but the time didn’t count since it wasn’t recorded during a sanctioned event. Pro rally driver David Higgins clearly had his work cut out for him, and his goal was to beat both the “official” time and Pastrana’s unofficial record pace. In the end, Higgins crossed the line in 6:11.54, beating Pastrana’s time by nearly nine seconds and shaving over 30 seconds off the record. His 2011 run, in the video below, is epic enough, but the driver has set a new goal for next year: weather conditions permitting, Higgins wants to run a sub-6:00 time.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
