The Ultra Tour of Monte Rosa - an account of the 170km four-day stage race
During the last six months, I had been on several start-lines
where I had felt full of apprehension: out of my depth and worried about cut-off
times. In spite of this, Mickleden Straddle, Edale Skyline, Big Black Mountain
Challenge, Jura, The LAMM, Holme Moss had all been completed successfully. Now
at Grachen on the start-line of the UTMR it was different - I knew that I had
managed all these races; I had trained by doing long runs in the Peak and some long back to back days in the Lakes. Last year Dave and I had done a training
camp with Lizzie Hawker covering most of the UTMR route so I knew what lie
ahead. I felt ready and confident.
We had arrived in Grachen two days previously. We spent a
day walking the final section which we hadn’t reccee’d last year and this served
as acclimatisation. On the second day, the day before the race, we
went on an early morning 5km run with other competitors and some of the UTMR
team, including Lizzie Hawker and Richard Bull. In the afternoon, kit was
checked, chip timers were on our wrists and trackers taped on to our race
vests. All was looking good.
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| Image www.ultratourmonterosa.com |
The Day 1 route had had to be changed a few days before the
event due to rockfall on the Europaweg – a common occurrence as this high-level
traverse is very unstable. The new route took us down into the main valley with
easy running along to Randa and a steep 850m climb upto the first checkpoint at
the Europahutte. This was the first real challenge. I was climbing strongly and
passed several people but even so I was pleased to reach the checkpoint and have some
coffee, coke and food. I drank more Coca Cola on this race than I have ever
done in my life. It really works! They told me that about 100 people had passed
through the checkpoint and since I knew that 160 people had started the 4 stage
event, I was pleased that I seemed to be going well.
After a brief stop, a
descent led to the longest suspension footbridge in the world. We were advised
to walk this – it does sway quite a lot! An enjoyable section of the Europaweg
followed with lots of runnable bits interspersed with some rocky and exposed
sections protected by chains and ropes to hold on to. The run into the second
checkpoint at Taschalp was much quicker than I remembered from the training
camp and after a quick change into shorts, I set off on the final section and
descent into Zermatt. I was pleased with my time of 7.5 hours. We measured the
first day as 39 km and 2570m ascent and descent. I was in 87th place
which I was delighted with.
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| First view of The Matterhorn on Day 1 |
On the 4 stage event bags are transported round for you and
accommodation is provided in local hotels so it is relatively luxurious. Meals
were in local restaurants or provided centrally. Pasta featured heavily and
there was always lots of it.
I didn’t have much sleep and it was soon time to get up to
be at the start for 5:45am. The forecast for Day 2 was worrying with thunder,
rain and possible snow at 3000m predicted. The sky was clear at 6am as we
started, which was very reassuring as this was the day of the glacier crossing
and highest pass on the UTMR. A 2 km run through the town got me warmed up for
the gradual 1400m climb to the first checkpoint at Gandegghutte, with fabulous
views of the Matterhorn. This was followed by a short run to the start of the
glacier. Having crossed this glacier on the training camp, I knew it was not
difficult. It is a 300m climb and, using poles to prevent a possible slip, it
is just a matter of placing your feet carefully and firmly, mainly following
the edge of a ski-piste which is maintained throughout the year for glacier
ski-ing and snow-boarding.
At the top of the glacier you reach the highest
point of the trip at 3300m. There follows an amazing moonscape of moraine to
run through, made very ugly by ski-development. However it’s amazing to be
running at 10000ft and the second check point is soon reached. After a quick drink,
I picked up a cheese panini (we were now in Italy) and started a short
climb and then a long runnable descent down a beautiful valley to the third
checkpoint at Refugio Ferraro. Here I had a lovely surprise as Digby from
Pennine Fell Runners was manning the checkpoint. He was due to do the 170km
continuous ultra but unfortunately was injured and had decided to volunteer.
All the checkpoint volunteers were lovely, friendly and helpful but seeing
someone you know gives you a real boost.
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| At Refugio Ferraro |
Reluctantly leaving the checkpoint, I knew that there was is
another pass to go over. This climb is relatively short at about 700m but it goes
on and on with several false summits and to make matters worse we had gone an
easier way on the training camp so I didn’t know what was in store and by now
it was raining. Eventually, of course, the top came and the descent into
Gressoney via ski-roads and tracks was straightforward. It had taken me 10.5
hours to do a marathon length day with about 3000m ascent and descent. I was
still able to run along the valley and into the town at the end of the stage.
Again, I was happy with my time but I knew I was facing the hardest day in Day
3.
The 170km ultra runners had set off at 4am this morning and
the first runner passed us on the last descent into the town. I was so glad I had
a night in a bed and not a night facing the difficult terrain and tremendous
climbs and descents that make up our Day 3. I knew Nicky Spinks was out there
and wondered how she was doing.
Day 3 consists of two climbs of 1700m and 1500m with
a big descent to the town of Alagna in between. It is an epic day. We set off
again at 6am and started with a run round the town before a steep climb through
the forest to a ski station. I had realised that it was important to run these
initial town sections quite fast so that when the single track climbs came you
were in a good position and not held up by people climbing more steadily than
you. This was quite hard to do at the start of the third long day. But I got
going and after reaching a ski station a more runnable section and then another
climb led to the first checkpoint at the Passo dei Salati. The long descent
started with a technical section and then a long valley which led to the lovely
old alpine settlements above Alagna where a lovely lady had provided free tea
“for the athletes”. I was amused to be called an athlete! I thought at this
point that I was nearly in Alagna but there was a steep forest section to go
and then a run through the town. It was hot and it was an effort to keep
running to reach the checkpoint and then I nearly ran past it which would have
been a disaster! Fortunately, there was an excellent range of food and drinks which allowed
me to stoke up for the second climb of the day.
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| Typical UTMR scenery |
Leaving Alagna, there is a long fairly flat track before the
climb out of the valley. Everyone around me was walking and I did the same –
although later I regretted that I hadn’t gone faster as I was under time
pressure towards the end of the day. After the initial climb there is a
beautiful alp which is very popular with families. This is followed by a long
zigzag climb of 1500m to the Col del Turlo. After being encouraged and given
water by a couple of mountain rescue people stationed about 500m from the top, a
final half hour brought me to the top of the pass.
I knew that the final descent of the day was very long. The path
here is supposed to have been built by the Romans and restored by prisoners of
war in the second world war. Most of it is very solid and it looks like it
should be good running but you have to watch every step as some of the slabs move and were damp and slippery because there had been some rain. The descent goes
on and on and becomes is quite technical. By now my toes hurt and every rock
and tree root jarred. Eventually I reached the valley bottom but this was
followed by several kilometres through woods, still descending with more rocks and
tree roots to contend with. I reached the checkpoint at 4:50pm with a cut off
for the end of the day at 6pm. I was told there was still 5.8 km to go. I had some
more coke! Logic said I would make it easily to the overnight stop in Macugnaga
but my Garmin had run out of battery and I felt I needed to run as quickly as I
could to ensure I reached the town in time. This was turning out to be a very
long day. The 5.8km was on an easy forest track and I just kept running. I
reached the town but it was on the other side of the river and we had to run
right past the town and over a bridge at the far end of the village then through
the village and into the finish funnel. I arrived with half an hour to spare
but I knew there were lots of people behind me. Someone who I knew from the
training camp handed me a piece of pizza – it was the best thing ever! 30 miles
and 3300m of ascent and descent makes you hungry! I’d finished in 11.5 hours
and in fact they extended the cut-off by 20 minutes because the day's route had
turned out to be longer than the race schedule had stated. I felt very sorry
for those at the back some of whom were out for 14 hours. There was a live band
in the square just in front of our hotel balcony and announcements with regular updates on the
other races and competitors. Nicky Spinks had completed the 170km ultra in 37
hours – I was completely in awe of how she could have done it in that time over
that terrain.
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| Image www.ultratourmonterosa.com |
For the first time the next morning, I felt a stiff and my
toenails hurt. I taped them up as best as I could. Once I had negotiated the
stairs in the hotel and got my shoes on I felt ok. One day to go and I knew I
could finish. Last year this first section of Day 4 was my favourite part of
the route and I was looking forward to seeing the statue of the Golden Madonna
at the top of the Monte Moro pass. I ran fast out of Macugnaga and got in a
good position for the climb up to Monte Moro. We were treated to the most amazing
sunrise on Monte Rosa and the dawn promised a completely clear and sunny day. It
did not let us down. The climb is 1500m over 7km and I knew the top was very
rocky with chains and iron steps to help negotiate what I think is the most technical part of
the whole route. What I had not bargained for was ice covering the rocks. I
wondered initially why my Roclite 305s, which had been excellent so far were skating
around on the rock until I reached a wooden railing which was covered in frost
and it dawned on me that it was icy. Pulling up on the chains helped and I was
soon at the checkpoint. This was one of the best checkpoints of the whole race but
I couldn’t stop for long though as it was very busy and I felt I had to move
through. The apple strudel went down well though.
The initial descent over the icy rocks was a nightmare and I
lost about 20 places as I went cautiously down where others were prepared to
slip and slide. Once down, I ran quickly along a lakeshore, through forests and
down a long track towards Sass Fee. The final part was uphill and I
had to maintain a fast walk as the cut-off was approaching. I was a bit alarmed
to have only 20 minutes to spare but Digby was there at the checkpoint again
and he assured me that the second half of the day was shorter and that I would
make it easily before the deadline of 6pm, even if I walked. He also said, “Only
an ascent of Ben Nevis and 20km left” which was a bit daunting. I fuelled up and took some extra supplies to
eat on the way as today, for the first time, I felt I needed to eat continuously to
keep going.
I set off from the checkpoint at a fast walk up the road out
of the town and climbed easily up onto the Hohenweg which is a high level
traversing path at a height of between 2100m and 2400m all the way to the final
checkpoint at Hannigalp. This path is lovely – technical in places with chains
to protect you, some bouldery parts, some wooded sections and some easy trail
running. It is surprisingly up and down but it did not feel like an ascent of
Ben Nevis fortunately! My last few jelly babies supplemented with a few peanuts
did their job and I could feel the energy they gave as I kept on moving as
quickly as I could, eating every few minutes. Eventually I reached Hannigalp and
the final checkpoint where I had more coke and flapjack and the lovely lady
told me it was just 3.8 km of easy descent to the finish. Unfortunately, my
toenails really hurt now and it took me quite a while to get down and I
couldn’t keep up with the lovely girl who suggested we run in together.
It was fabulous when the town came into sight and I was soon on tarmac leading down into the village centre. The music, announcements and
cowbells got closer and closer and I was running into the finishing funnel. I
had completed Day 4 in exactly 11 hours and the whole UTMR in just under 40 hours. Lizzie Hawker put a
medal, a Swiss army knife(!) and Nepali prayer scarf around my neck and Digby
gave me a beer. The adventure was over and I was delighted to have finished in
94th place. 160 people started, 118 finished and I was the 5th
V50+ lady. There was no V60 category but I think that I was the oldest lady to
finish. The celebrations continued into the evening.
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| Dave and I at the finish |
If you fancy running in Europe this is definitely one to
consider. There are not the crowds of the UTMB races, the route is very
thoroughly marked with orange flags, tape and chalk all the way and, although
they provide GPX tracks, I never needed to look at them at all. Mostly I was
running with other people and I met people from all over the world. It was very
friendly with everyone looking out for each other and the volunteers at the
checkpoints were great. We measured the course as 175km with nearly 12000m of
ascent and descent and it goes over some very technical and remote mountain
terrain. It is, in the words of Lizzy Hawker “brutal, beautiful and brilliant
and, in stages, a lot of fun.” It was!
Uncreditted photos by Digby Harris
Fantastic write up Chris. Makes me very jealous!
ReplyDeleteWell done Chris you are one tough lady. Great write-up.
ReplyDelete