--- title: "Roving Musician Pushes Piano on Custom Dolly Up 13-Mile Hill Climb" date: "2024-11-18" modified: "2024-11-18" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/roving-musician-pushes-piano-on-custom-dolly-up-13-mile-hill-climb" categories: - "Culture" - "News" - "People" --- # Roving Musician Pushes Piano on Custom Dolly Up 13-Mile Hill Climb ![Kelvin Smith pushes piano up mountain hill climb in Australia.]() *\ABC News Australia via YouTube\* Australian musician Kelvin Smith is known for playing his piano in strange locations, under the name "[A Piano of Tasmania]()," which he founded five years ago. Smith will bring his piano all over Tasmania, to the most scenic and unusual places. He'll even have it air-freighted in and out via helicopter if necessary. Over the weekend, Smith played his Albert Fahr piano at the top of Mount Wellington. But this time, he didn't use a helicopter to get it up there—he pushed it. Smith shoved his piano up the Mount Wellington half-marathon [hill climb]() to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention. "It's a vivid metaphor, we're all pushing something uphill," Smith told *[ABC News Australia]()*. "Why not make it a piano so we can play it at the summit?" It's a 13-mile climb from the city of Hobart to the summit of Mount Wellington, with an elevation of 4,175 feet, making it one of the most challenging half-marathons on the planet. And Smith didn't just have to walk or run it, he had to push a 530-pound piano all the way to the top. He started a day earlier than the other half-marathoners and set himself a goal of 21 hours so that he could finish before the first runner. That's precisely what he did, beating them by four minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0spwBE6yZ5o You obviously can't just push a piano up a hill without at least a little modification. They aren't the most mobile of instruments. So, Smith had his Albert Fahr mounted to a pretty kick-ass dolly. In an interview with Australia's [*Drive*](), he showed off the custom-built dolly made from 4mm aluminum, designed and built by Australian industrial manufacturer Richmond Rolling Solutions. Its 10-inch rubber tires featured anti-rotate brakes, to make sure it didn't roll downhill. And I'm sure being able to just take a break and let the dolly's brakes handle the weight for a little bit was a lifesaver. Smith's half-marathon, piano-pushing hill climb was six months in the making. He trained by pushing a brick-laden piano—which was almost 220 pounds heavier than his Albert Fahr—up an equivalent mountain road 10 times during that time. Thankfully, all of the hard work paid off, his plan went off without a hitch, and he played his piano at the summit for all in attendance. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()