LOWA Ambassador Max Seigal Loves Suffering with Friends
Pictured above: Team Disco Inferno, from left to right; Max Seigal, Russell Henry, Freya Wasteneys, and Graham Henry.
Earlier this fall, Max Seigal and his team found themselves in a tight spot.
Deep in the Canadian wilderness with only couple hours of daylight left. They faced a vast, forested valley and a climb up massive granite slabs before night fell – all with rain-soaked gear and near-zero visibility.
Luckily, this is the kind of suffering LOWA Ambassador, Max Seigal, and Team Disco Inferno embrace. After all, it’s in their name. According to Max, “Disco Inferno” loosely translates, “to learn from suffering.”
Team Disco Inferno trekking through the wilderness during Expedition Canada.
Photo courtesy of Max Seigal
But sandwiched between hardships and suffering, Max and Disco Inferno find fun in the adventure.
This year, Max and his team conquered two grueling courses in the Adventure Racing World Series (ARWS) while wearing their LOWA MADRIX trail shoes.
In May, they placed first in “America’s Toughest Race,” Expedition Oregon, a five-day over-400km event outside of Bend. And this fall, they placed thirteenth in the world championship race, Expedition Canada, a grueling 10-day, 800km event.
Team Disco Inferno after finishing 1st at Expedition Oregon 2025.
Photo courtesy of Max Seigal
The scale of these races can be hard to grasp if you haven’t experienced them. Over the course of several days, racers must bike, trek, run, and kayak all with only a compass and a map. During that time, teams must find checkpoints scattered across the terrain.
As a team of four, Disco Inferno has learned the benefits of suffering together rather than suffering alone. This means speaking up when you need help and offering help to your teammates who need it. Max said it’s common practice for his team to share the load with each other, towing a teammate’s bike or carrying their pack when they’re feeling slow.
“Something we're learning more and more with each race we attend is the mentality that it's ''all for the team'' and that we shouldn't think of things as an individual.”
Team Disco Inferno training for Expedition Canada.
Photo Credit: Max Seigal
Pictured front to back: Russell Henry, Freya Wasteneys, Graham Henry
In all his adventure races, Max has faced extreme ups and downs. From food poisoning in remote New Zealand to fatigued muscles, joints, and blisters, even the fun parts involve sleep deprivation.
“We are often sleep deprived after the second night and for the remainder of race (usually racers won't sleep the first night, and try to get about 90 minutes of sleep every night afterwards). This leads to some hilarious conversations, story telling, and even wacky hallucinations. It's super fun to be out in the woods with your friends joking, laughing, and sharing what crazy things we're all seeing out of the corner of our eyes when we start losing it out there."
Team Disco Inferno at Expedition Canada 2025.
Photo courtesy of Max Seigal
Such challenging events make training more of an all-year lifestyle than a fitness regimen. His work as a professional photographer for the likes of National Geographic and guiding expeditions in the Antarctic has primed Max for a hearty dose of the outdoors. From his home base in Boulder, Colorado, he bikes and hikes daily. But training also requires navigation skills and lots of practice with a map and compass.
But for all their suffering, Max and Team Disco Inferno aren’t done yet. They’re hoping to carry the lessons they learned this year into 2026. Next year’s eight-day long ARWS world championships will be held in the Mediterranean island of Corsica, with its over 1,000 kms of coastline with peaks up to 2,710 m high. But until then, you can catch Max’s work on our social media channels or follow him on Instagram at @maxwilderness.