Our Managing Director, Paul Nash was recently off running ultra Marathons again. This time in the Swiss Alps. Paul took part in the Ultra 170 based in Switzerland, but due to landslides in the area, the route had to be cancelled. Taken from Paul’s running club’s (Carnethy Hill Running Club) blog – in Paul’s own words:
The UTMR 170 and Mischabel 60 races were sadly cancelled this year due to storms a couple of days before the events, causing landslides which closed down access to the Saas Fee valley. Ultra competitors from around the globe who had made the intrepid journey were met with huge disappointment on receiving the news hours before the events were due to start. Understandably, safety usually comes first in these instances.
Instead both the UTMR170 and Mischabel 60 runners were offered an alternative race in the neighbouring valley which led in the general direction of the popular town of Zermatt and the iconic Matterhorn. The Mattertal 50 (miraculously pulled together by some dedicated volunteers in less than 48 hours) was an extremely well-marked course, with 4 checkpoints along the route. The M60s were consoled somewhat given the ascent and distance was similar to their original race, however there was a feeling that some of the UTMR170 runners felt a little shortchanged with this offering. This was clearly indicated when many of that group left the M60s in the dust near the start!
All competitors that entered this alternative race offering demonstrated their support for the UTMR event as a whole to ensure it was not a lost cause this year. However, not all of the 170km entrants joined in…I heard rumours of a 170km entrant slumping off further down the valley in a bit off a huff puff; and decided instead to climb (partially) up the Matterhorn….
At the starting line the runners were told by the cheery American commentator that this would be a technically challenging and rather ‘punchy’ little course… well he was certainly not wrong. Penned in like horny little mountain goats and jostling about within a small confine at 4:00am in the Grachen town square were the runners for a now somewhat oversubscribed new race…with around 200 entrants. A bunch of very tightly wound UTMR 170s and perhaps some less tightly wound Mischabel 60s were ready to release themselves onto the Valley looming in the darkness below.
The race took off at a good pace through the beautiful village of Grachen into an enchanting forest trail in the general direction of Gasenried. Guided by the string of head torches in the dark of night, the trail quickly narrowed and with that many runners running in tight single file there was a fair amount of jousting taking place (mainly with our poles) all the way down the valley and certainly up until the steep climb upwards to our first checkpoint at Europahutte which lay about 18km ahead. Even with the bright head torches, some use of the ‘force’ was required to dance along the root infested and rock covered trails to ensure a safe transit onto the valley below. This ‘force’ was apparently stronger in some more than others – a few tumbles ensued but nothing to stop this hardy group of adventurers from beasting themselves onwards and upwards.
As the sun started to rise, we battled up the side of the mountain valley opposite Grachen where the field started to thin out as we ascended upwards to around 7,000ft. The exposure was certainly apparent at points with some interesting ladder climbs and narrow paths on some steep edges, but also within an enjoyable tolerance. We could dance along the tracks and ledges with an ease and a comfortable caution whilst taking in the views while the sun rose to mark the start of a beautiful day – what a treat!
At this point, the sun streamed across the snow covered mountain tops on the opposite side of the valley, namely the Brunegghorn which stands at 3833m – the kind of view that nature says ‘How do you like this?… you insignificant little runner twat’ ; the sort of sight that stokes something primal in anyone other than a sociopath. It brought a real feeling of hope of what would surely be a fantastic, punishing and soul nourishing day ahead for these runners.
The rest of this blog can be read here
Well done Boss. Did you bring back any Toblerones?