VOL02.ED11 // SUMMER 2014 // AU/NZ/ASIA
ANNA FROST KAMI SEMIK TRAIL LUXE JULIAN BEE TRAIL PORN
& THE ALTAR OF ATLAS // ADVENTURES IN CHINA // // UTMB // VIETNAM MARATHON // // DAMOCLES’ SWORD // ULTRA AMAZON // // GEAR & GUIDES
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ANDREW TUCKEY GETS ONE LAST RUN IN BEFORE THE NORTH FACE 100 IN BLUE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK. PHOTO: MARK WATSON BETTER THAN NAKED CREW AND SHORTS, AND ULTRA GUIDE SHOES.
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DO SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY
60km, 85km and 100km Rotorua to Kawerau NEW ZEALAND 15 March 2014
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DETAILS
VOLUME 2, EDITION 11, SUMMER 2014
Foundation supporters (the
Yay-sayers)
Running Wild nz www.runningwildnz.com Salomon au www.salomon.com/au
Editorial Australia Editor: Chris Ord New Zealand Editor: Vicki Woolley Asia Editor: Rachel Jacqueline Minimalist/Barefoot Editor: Garry Dagg Roving Editor: Mal Law Sub-Editing: Simon Madden
Sea To Summit www.seatosummit.com Brooks / Texas Peak www.brooksrunning.com. The North Face Australia www.thenorthface.com.au La Sportiva / Expedition Equipment www.mountainrunning.com.au
Design Jordan Cole Craft-Store.net Contributing Writers Anna Frost, Kami Semik, Tegyn Angel, Richard Bowles, Lien Choong Luen, Steve Brydon Senior photographer Lyndon Marceau www.marceauphotography.com
cover photo
Visit us online
Lyndon Marceau Photography / www.marceauphotography.com. (And image below) Dusk running atop the summit of Mount Buller, Victoria, Australia.
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Photography Vicki Woolley, Tegyn Angel, Richard Bull, Sanja Jugovic Burns, Shaun Collins / Cabbage tree Photography, Rapid Ascent, Kami Semik, Chris Ord, Vicki Woolley, Spontaneous Combustion Productions, Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, Franck Ouddoux, Pascal Tournaire, Anna Frost, Jeri Chua, Kirill Talanine / www.my-visual-life.com, Stewart Aickin / www.mountainrunning.com.au, Eddie Chiu @ A Photography, Anthony Grote / www. anthonygrote.com, Koichi Iwasa / www. dogscaravan.com Trail Run is published quarterly Winter / Spring / Summer / Autumn
e o h S l i a r T ’ o T o The ‘G or EveryTurn! F
Editorial & Advertising Trail Run Magazine 10 Evans Street, Anglesea, Vic 3230 Email: chris@trailrunmag.com
ADRENALINE ASR 10
Telephone +61 (0) 430376621 Founders Chris Ord + Stuart Gibson + Mal Law + Peter & Heidi Hibberd
Disclaimer
Trail running and other activities described in this magazine can carry significant risk of injury or death. Especially if you are unfit. Undertake any trail running or other outdoors activity only with proper instruction, supervision, equipment and training. The publisher and its servants and agents have taken all reasonable care to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the expertise of its writers. Any reader attempting any of the activities described in this publication does so at their own risk. Neither the publisher nor any of its servants or agents will be held liable for any loss or injury or damage resulting from any attempt to perform any of the activities described in this publication, nor be responsible for any person/s becoming lost when following any of the guides or maps contained herewith. All descriptive and visual directions are a general guide only and not to be used as a sole source of information for navigation. Happy trails.
Publisher Adventure Types 10 Evans Street Anglesea, Victoria, Australia 3230
BROOKSRUNNING.COM.AU
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BROOKSRUNNINGAU
CONTENTS 10
128
REGULARS 10.Editors
DESIGNED FOR FREEDOM
VOLUME 2, EDITION 11, SUMMER 2014
36
Go there, faster. Everything we make is designed to enable greater freedom of movement in the mountains. The result is lightweight, ergonomic gear of the most liberated outdoor experiences. See more at www.salomon.com/au For your nearest stockist, free call 1800 651 872
Columns:
10. Australia - Chris Ord 12.New Zealand - Vicki Woolley 14. Asia - Rachel Jacqueline 104. Rich’s Rant
Rich discovers his inner Britney
116
TRAIL GUIDES 130.
Mt Buller & Stirling
Victoria, Australia
132. Mt Pirongia North Island, New Zealand
INTERVIEWS
134. You Yangs Victoria, Australia
36.Julian
136. Dome Valley Track
88
TRAIL MIX 22.
Event Preview
24.
Event Preview
27.
Event Preview
28.
Event Preview
31.
Event Preview
Bee
Running the nine Great Walks
North Island, New Zealand
Mountain Raid, Fall Creek, Victoria, Australia Partners Life DUAL, Hauraki Gulf islands, New Zealand Sydney Trailfest, NSW, Austraila Shotover Moonlight Marathon, Queenstown, New Zealand North Shore Coastal Challenge, Whangaparaoa, New Zealand
116.
Trail Porn
FEATURES
It’s dirty, not kinky
32.
16
44.
REVIEWS 16.
China - the ancient Tea and Horse Trail in Yunnan Province
56. Trail luxe - gourmet running at Lake Crackenback 62. Jungle marathon - a multiday mission in the Amazon 74. UTMB - conquering paradise? 88. High Atlas Altar - Anna Frost in Morocco 98. Running the ‘Nam - ultra marathon in Vietnam
Now’s a good time to buy… Be a dirty elf this Xmas
106.
Damocles’ Sword - philosophies of bad technique
Shoe reviews
Three for between the trees
8
EDSWORD
CHRIS ORD // AUSTRALIAN EDITOR
PHOTOGRAPHY: Lyndon Marceau / www.marceauphotography.com @ Mount Buller
GREAT MINDS RUN ALIKE
“Our search for understanding will never come to an end, and…we will always have the challenge of new discovery. Without it, we would stagnate.” - Stephen Hawking
I REMEMBER READING SOMEWHERE THAT SOME (MANY?) OF THE WORLD’S MOST BRILLIANT MINDS WERE AND ARE RUNNERS. NOT STEPHEN HAWKING, OBVIOUSLY. BUT OTHERS OF HIS ILK MORE FORTUNATE IN PHYSICAL CAPACITY. Not only that, but when faced with one of their mind boggling problems – like, how do black holes work and is the universe expanding or contracting, that kind of thing – it was a run that emptied their obviously fruitfully full minds enough for them to see the light (or the dark in the case of black holes and dark matter) and solve the problem. Sure, some people sit on the toilet for their lightbulb moments. Others take LSD. (LSD perhaps scatters the mental decks and a restroom stink is perhaps not the best olfactory seed for genius). I reckon it’s on the run where the brain best expunges the clutter, readies for clarity and follows the legs’ lead to go into overdrive. It may be in a manner that dreams up your next creative vision (talking to all you painters, potters and rainbow makers). It may be a mathematical solution that you break the back of (talking to all you PhD physicists reading). Or it may just be cracking that damn Sudoku in last weekend’s newspaper (hi, Mum). But I bet you’ve had some kind of brainwave hit you on the trail (sometimes a second before the tree branch knocks it out of you, the distraction of your own brilliance momentarily making you forget to duck). There’s some science behind why any scientist worth their weight in Nobel Prizes runs. Partly it’s about your Chief Executive Officer. That’s colloquial for the prefrontal cortex of your brain that they reckon steer the intelligence ship. It is the area just behind
our foreheads that controls the “executive functioning”, which includes cognitive processes like prioritising, planning, initiating, managing working memory, managing time and resources, and self-regulation. The results of a study by Hillman and his fellow boffins1 suggest that intense cardiovascular exercise affects neuro-electric processes that underpin executive control. Simply, exercise improves your ability to manage cognitive processeses. Another report2 reckons that aerobic exercise training has antidepressant and anxiolytic (something that inhibits anxiety) effects, which protect against the harmful consequences of stress. The findings suggest that exercise triggers a process that helps not only endure and reverse, but prevent future stress. And of course we all know and love the ‘runners’ high’, a euphoria felt after running described by as the so-called opioid theory. Boeker et al3 suggests region-specific effects in the frontolimbic brain area that translate to improved mood and an increase in general optimism. Right, so running means that our brains work better, we stave off feeling down and indeed we get a little high. How does that translate into Eureka moments? One factor is simply that with better delivery of oxygen and energy to the brain – it works better. Exercise increases cerebral blood flow and provides for more efficient glucose utilisation. Writes Craig Bennett, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, (and a runner): “The brain lives on glucose. Over 25% of the energy you take in is going to fuel that grey matter in your skull. When you are really working (thinking) on a tough problem that percentage only goes up as energy usage increases. If you can more efficiently
get energy where it needs to go that would represent a major benefit to cognitive processing.” Indeed, make a rat run in a laboratory and it gets smarter. Make it run harder than it otherwise might have of its own volition, and its thinking prowess improves further. Of course, it is the act of running in the first place that some argue (including Christopher McDougal of Born to Run fame who most popularly leads the charge) led to mankind’s sudden warp speed increase in intelligence: we ran animals to death, ate the meat, our brains exploded with the protein pill leading to vastly improved cognitive functions and outcomes, like agriculture, politics and One Direction. So where does this leave us? Firstly, that running should be incorporated into our education system, primary, secondary and tertiary. Post doctorate in quantum mechanics? You’ll be up for an ultra distance, then. Secondly: running (or some form of physical activity that is cardio vascular intensive) should be prescribed by doctors and psychologists more often than drugs – the science is in, the former can be just as if not more effective than the latter (obviously cautioned by a dose of context here – I’m not saying a psychopathic prone to bodily harm should simply be told to go for a jog). Finally: it doesn’t always work. After all, (Australian Prime Minister) Tony Abbott runs a lot and it doesn’t seem to laying the groundwork for any Eureka moments there. And so, as Stephen Hawking said “…our search for understanding will never come to an end…” Better keep on running then. The answers – whatever the problem – are out there. On the trail. Chris Ord chris@trailrunmag.com
1. Charles H. Hillman, Erin M. Snook, and Gerald J. Jerome. (2003) Acute cardiovascular exercise and executive control function. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 48 (3), pp. 307-314. 2. Salmon, Peter. (2001) Effects of physical exercise on anxiety, depression, and sensitivity to stress: A unifying theory. Clinical Psychology Review, 21(1), pp. 33–61. 3. Henning Boecker, Till Sprenger et al. (2008) The Runner’s High: Opioidergic Mechanisms in the Human Brain, Cerebral Cortex, 18 (3), pp. 2523-2531.
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11
EDSWORD
NEW ZEALAND // VICKI WOOLLEY
SHE WHO RIDES THE TIGER CAN
NEVER DISMOUNT
I’m injured. Can’t run. I’m fat, unfit, and need an aid station to get to the letterbox. And I’m shitty... actually, spoiling for a fight: so let’s take a long, hard look at one of the ugly sides of running. I call it ARS – Addicted Runners Syndrome*, and whether or not you suffer from ARS can be determined by taking this simple quiz:
Doc Doc says says you you need need to to shelve shelve the the shoes shoes for for aa while. while.
you:
a). Dutifully follow rest/recovery/rehab instructions to the letter.
SIX WEEKS INTO MY INJURY I WAS MOANING PUBLICLY BUT STILL RUNNING IN SECRET WHEN A FRIEND POSTED ON FACEBOOK: “THINK YOU NEED TO WORK ON MENTAL DISCIPLINE”. Flying into a rage, I was poised to throw the laptop off the balcony when the light came on. There is no denying people with addictive/ compulsive/obsessive predilections are tough: they can survive hell on earth for their fix. But mental toughness and mental discipline are not the same thing. It takes ‘tough’ to push a screaming body through an off-road ultra. It takes discipline to stop when that body really is at breaking point. Eventually, even the most hardcore running addict realises that whatever is broken can only be fixed by rest. So how do running ‘addicts’ deal with going cold turkey on their drug of choice? Dr Brendan O’Neill is a senior sports physician at Unisports in Auckland. He says: “In the old days, injured athletes were completely removed from their team-mates. 12
or:
They didn’t attend training; they had rehab at a clinic somewhere else. We noticed these athletes were impacted on a social and psychological level as well as physical – they had lost their ‘family’”. These days, so much of our modern-world communication takes place electronically, causing a social isolation. Yet people crave connection; out on the trail with mates every weekend, we don’t just talk politics and sport. We talk about the issues most perplexing us: my kid is in trouble; I have this problem with the boss; my wife is sad; my business is struggling. When running is our connection with ourselves, with nature and our peers, injury downtime can mean losing our physical, spiritual AND social fix. Dr Brendan offers this advice: “Try to keep to schedule. Nowadays the injured athlete attends training. He joins in where he can, and does his rehab with the physio alongside the team as they train. He gets the inside jokes, he stays current – he remains part of the team.” Shortly after becoming injured I had to honour a commitment to support friends on an epic run. Railing against the injustice, I showed
b). Nod, smile... then go out and run whatever the hell you want?
up... and had a blast. The following weekend I could have stayed home with a bar of chocolate and bottle of wine. Instead I ate a teaspoon of cement and went out to support a bunch of mates as they ripped up some trail I had never been on. I helped at registration, listened to the start-line nervous talk. Saw each competitor as they crossed the line. Heard their story, attended to their discomfort. Stayed part of the team – and felt flippin’ brilliant for it. I’m learning there are options to sitting on the couch with a tub of ice-cream reminiscing about the days when I was a runner. I’m learning to muscle doggedly through despair the same way I would muscle through low-level pain on a long trail run. I’m taking control of the Tiger.
*Note: ARS is a completely fictional condition concocted by the Editor, with no scientific basis whatsoever. Your frustrated but ever-wiser editor, Vicki Woolley
13
EDSWORD
ASIA // RACHEL JACQUELINE
PHOTOGRAPHY: Sanja Jugovic Burns
Running ultras can take you to the highest of highs, both literally and figuratively, as you journey over high peaks and discover the depths of what is possible. But it can take you to some pretty dark places too.
ULTRA BORING? ULTRA BORING? 14
SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE SOMEWHERE THAT ULTRARUNNERS FEAR THE MOST - IS A MIDDLE GROUND OF MONOTONY. THE PLACE OF BOREDOM. THAT’S RIGHT: ULTRARUNNING CAN BE, LET’S BE HONEST, KIND OF BORING AT TIMES. Now before you running purists take off your trail running shoes and peg them at my head “get in the moment, man” – hear me out. I’ve had these “boring” thoughts before. But they were only fleeting, say when struck with an unanticipated bout of concrete on a long run, or moments mid-race after the high of a checkpoint has worn off, it’s 15 kilometres to the next and I know I simply have to grind it out to get through. But a few weeks ago I had a case of the “ultrarunning borings”, as I’d like to coin the term, at it’s absolute best. What I really mean is, at it’s most drearingly, ho-hum painful - and I’m not talking about a blister the size of a 50 cent coin festering under the ball of your foot. I guess it’s what mice on a treadmill must feel like, if they had a brain. But I digress. After a quiet summer (you may recall my post about bludging for two months to try and get injuries back on track and rediscovering my passion), I put together a training regime and locked focus on some upcoming goals. (One of them was the Inaugural Vietnam Mountain Marathon, featured on page 96). Now, I’m not a fan of running uber-long distances week in, week out (I believe in quality training and
avoiding burnout), but at the end of the day, in this sport you need time on feet if you’re going to run some of the long ones. There’s no other way around it. So one grizzly, overcast Sunday morning at far-too-early o’clock I set off for my long Sunday run: four hours of grind on “super slow boring speed”. I stepped outside my door and instantly I wanted to turn back, but discipline and a stubborn drive towards improving my PB drove me forward. I plugged in the iPod and hoped for the best. After thirty minutes on slow burn, the rain set in. While it seems totally rational to run in the rain during a race, a long training run in the rain isn’t so compelling. I turned up my music louder and tried to comfort myself with the happy thought that this was good for me. My brain refused to cooperate. Boredoutofmybrain. Neverthless, I trudged on. At the two-hour mark I ran into a friend, none other than famed ultrarunner Kami Semick, and I couldn’t help but blurt out: “I’m so bored”. Her response? “I just did a 100 kilometre training run last weekend.” I gulped. In the depths of my ultrarunningborings state, I couldn’t think of anything worse. But then she regaled me with stories of getting lost on the myriad of trails around her beautiful hometown of Bend, Oregon. I mean, who wouldn’t want to run for 100 kilometres willy nilly there? My run, meanwhile was on some great Hong Kong trails, but they were soggy, and with
the pollution and rain the sights weren’t anything to write home about. Note to self. Somewhere and somehow I mustered up the will to continue and finished my run. I was too bored to even acknowledge my achievement and grunted out a sigh of relief before slowing to a walk. It wasn’t until a good hour or so later, after a shower, some warm clothes and a good feed, that I was ready to shake the blues and go on with the rest of my Sunday. As I steeped out the door, the clouds parted and the sun tickled my face. I found myself smiling and soon forgot about my case of ultrarunning borings. Out of nowhere, that tingly, warm fuzzy feeling of achievement spread through me. I kept going when I wanted to quit today, ran on repeat through my head. And then it hit me - number 3677 reason why ultra running teaches you everything you need to learn in life. Let’s be honest, sometimes life throws us an unexpected curveball and we’re force to buckle down and get on with it, even though we’d much rather be doing something else. Like Scott Jurek says in Eat & Run, “Sometimes you just do things.” Sometimes you have to grind through the hard points. If you’re in this game long enough, you’re bound to have the failures and the disappointments and how you deal with them defines your success as much as the podium finishes. Refill your water bottle, plug in the tunes and soldier on: the summit is yet to come. Your student of the ultra life editor, Rachel Jacqueline 15
NOW’S A GOOD TIME TO BUY
The North North The Face Feather Feather Face Lite Storm Storm Lite Blocker Blocker Jacket Jacket
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The North Face FL RACE VEST
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$280 RRP AU
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THIS IS THE JACKET that dares pernickety race directors to say no, but they can’t. Well, they can do whatever they want, in truth – it’s their race – but this lightest of lightweight puppies meets the general demands of foul weather race wear by being seam sealed and waterproof: in fact, it’s approved as an Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) mandatory race kit piece. We haven’t tested it out on a local stringent RD yet (Andy Hewat - please advise), but on trail we’ve given it a hammering in the raucously rainy spring season Victoria has been belted with: and it’s a winner. You can get it to scrunch to a cricketball size, but it’s Nerf Ball light in weight. Against the elements, it works a treat with woven ripstop fabric treated with HyVent waterproof breathable coating and lightweight polyurethane zips offer decent durability, although it is of course more delicate than a heavy raincoat (watch the sharp tree branches). A slight stretch maintains wear comfort. The hood is stowable but kind of fiddly to adjust on the run and you need to do the zip right up, otherwise the hood gives you wings. There’s next to no structure - being so lightweight - so get a size that is fitted. A great option for emergency race wear or for when you just want to run light, but not sure what the weather is doing.This puppy most definitely does what it name suggests.
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THIS IS THE VEST that Jez Bragg used to hydrate his way through the length of New Zealand on his Te Araroa run. It’s a nifty bit of kit that has been designed to a high standard that most certainly takes the quality and comfort challenge to the other venerated run packs on market the likes offered by Salomon, Ultimate Direction and UltrAspire. Lightweight (325gm) its chassis is a super breathable and uber comfortable vest that takes a bib-approach. That is, two shoulder straps hang down, flaring out into the front pockets area, while on the back hangs the main bag. The sides are non-existent bar two straps to adjust the formation snugly around. The front of the vest benefits from two lines of ribbing running down the inner chest - giving it structure and weight bearing where needed. The rest of the vest is soft, mesh material that conforms to pretty much any body shape. There are pockets a-plenty. On the front a velcro enclosed compartment (on each front strap), with an open-top stretch pocket behind it. Further up the shoulders drawstring compartments can be used for slimline bottles while stretch pockets on their outer are perfect for gels and discarded wrappers. There really is a plethora of quick access storage up front, perfect for lugging lots of carbs, maps, tech and hydro. On the rear there are nearly too many more pocket options: two small zip pockets, a larger stretch hold-all for quick grab
VITALS
$170 RRP AU
thenorthface.com.au
wet or warm gear, and yet another large zip pocket up top. That’s just the exterior cargo bays. Then there’s the main good-sized compartment with four sections, one zipped. Here is the only downfall of this bag: while the velcro tab holds the hydro bag up, the pocket beneath isn’t deep enough for a decent bladder. So it ends up sitting in the main compartment and does get a bit of a wobble on if not held in place by other stowed gear. It needs an internal strap to compress the bladder and stop the slosh. The loops on the exterior to hold trail poles are great for ultras, too, as is built-in whistle and front click in straps (easy use). A great bag for long day runs and ultras where you are going lightweight.
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NOW’S A GOOD TIME TO BUY
Ultimate Direction Jurek Endure belt
HERE’S A LITLE BIT of genius in simplicity. A belt that is perfect for those shorter runs where there’s no water option en route, but you’d be overdoing it by rigging up your full hydro pack. This super comfortable 163gm belt packs two 300ml bottles: enough for that 10km training run (or even slightly more on a race run if it has a water station). They are comfy in the hand and easy to access, and having two means you are balanced and can split the juice between water and electro fort variety. Ensure you whack the elastic over the bottle top lest one falls out on a super jumpy downhill section (it happened to me), and remember to close off the click down nozzle, lest you splash your rear end (it happened to me). But if you get the set up right, this is a perfect lightweight, just the basics run belt. There’s a stretch pocket that will squash in your lightweight rain jacket, maybe gloves or hat, and a zip pocket up front for the mobile phone, gels, first aid or change for the Piccolo en route. This has become the go to for the midday tenner whirl on local trails.
Mund Trail Running & Cross Mountain socks SOCKS ARE JUST SOCKS, right? Nup. I can tell you from experience that some give you welter blisters. Others run you hot. Of course, people’s feet are as individual as childhood memories, and not one sock will suit all. Some socks that others swear black and blue by, I’ve sworn black and blue at for giving me blisters. Or rather, the combination of the sock and shoe has - you never really know who’s to blame. Mund are socks that are most likely to do the job, however, the brand born and still residing in Burgos Pradoluengo, a place tucked between mountains and surrounded by deep forests in northern Spain. These socks take the thinner is better approach, and combine Coolmax technology with Lycra and, in the case of the Cross
Mountain, Cordura for extra durability. The Coolmax is the heart of both socks (if socks have hearts): a high-tech fabric that uses ‘four channels fibre’ with a wide surface area: wicks away the sweat apparently. Whatever the combination of fabrics, weave and shape on the Munds, I reckon they are crackers. Christmas, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day: let’s face it, socks these days are no longer the little cheap present on the side: they are both a serious investment dollars-wise, but for the runner, worth every cent from about kilometre ten onward. Good news is, Mund’s aren’t the most expensive on the block. But they are up there with the best.
18
VITALS
$59 RRP NZ
backcountryrunner.co.nz ultimatedirection.com
SATURDAY 22 MARCH 2014 MOTUTAPU & RANGITOTO ISLANDS AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
Seven EVENT OPTIONS 42.2KM MARATHON • 21.1KM HALF MARATHON 10KM RUN / WALK • 6KM RUN / WALK VITALS
$18.95 RRP AU
expeditionequipment.com.au mundsocks.com
45KM MOUNTAIN BIKE • 30KM MOUNTAIN BIKE OFF-ROAD TRIATHLON (SWIM / MTB / RUN)
ENTER AT www.thedual.co.nz
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Ay Up Head Torch Kit HT13 AY UPS LOOK like serious bits of kit because they are. Anyone on trail (running or riding) knows that these are the lamps lighting the way in more ways than one. Where most head lamps sold to the running crowd are offshoot tangents of the camping scene (and so by default often too heavy, to cumbersome or forward weighted), Ay Ups have been expressly designed for intensive, fast paced activity, where users are moving at speed through the dark in wilderness situations and where comfort on head while bobbing around, ducking branches, is paramount. Ergo, no wonder Ay Ups are regarded as the best flame for your trail running noggin. They have been on market for a while in the form of Run Specific and Ultra Lite Kits, however here we have a new set up that has improved once again in terms of comfort, longevity and flare value. One of the problems for ultra runners in the early models was a barely 3hr light life - but this has been
V-Fuel
24 to 27 April 2014 well and truly beefed up! Ultra runners will now take note of the incredible 8+hrs of light power flooding from the dual LEDs. The light pattern is broad and even, reaching out into the night to show up contours and define those roots and branches and undulations looking to knock you off your running stride. There is a new Multi Mode Battery with 3 light levels (100%, 50% and 25%), a flash option and a fuel gauge. Comfort - which I reckon was already top end – has been improved by a specific light harness with comfortable padded, air mesh vented rear battery holder. There are also two large rear reflective panels for extra safety. The unit is still lightweight - only 260 Grams - and once on the head and adjusted, you tend to fogey about it (and indeed,
READ THE ingredients list and you can’t decide if you’re in the chemist’s, the naturopath’s or Breaking Bad’s lab scene: MCT Oil, taurine, Glucuronolactone, OKG (go on, we dare you to try to say it: L-ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate), Citrulline Malate, Magnesium and Potassium Aspartate (now we’re back in familiar territory), sodium citrate and… caffeine. Nothing is complete without caffeine. Most of you will have skipped over that list of ingredients, but let’s just say that a lot of study has gone into it, likely a few PhDs, and a fair whack of arguing at sport dieticians’ conferences. It’s worth reading up on a few of them though as the logic behind them seems sound and I like the fact that MCT Oil is simply coconut oil with ‘all the bad stuff removed’. Left behind is still the
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AUSTRALIA’S FIRST 100KM STAGE RACE
$231
ayup-lights.com
Much more than a run ... � enjoy SYDNEY’S best trails
sometimes you forget it’s night time such is the brilliance of the light… the poor roos). For the techies, the dual beam light offers up 700+ Lumen Light. That’s enough for one user, up on a mountain, to accidentally flag down a passing airliner flying above, the pilot wondering if the light was a distress signal, and sending in the local troopers. Yep, these things are bright alright.
‘good fat’ - important they argue for that 71st mile (VFuel is the only gel to contain fat). The MTC is interesting: it actually gets metabolised more as energy than as fat, it goes straight to the liver and used immediately as a quick energy source. It also “does not require energy for absorption, utilisation, or storage, while, at the same time, being a dense source of calories. A perfect marriage for the endurance athlete.” Each of the other components listed have their own benefits, the unique concoction making this a gel very different to anything I’ve tried prior. The ‘natural’ ingredient approach gels with my sensibilities, too. But to the important factor: how easy is it to get down? Actually pretty easy. Ever had a chocolate Yogo (kids custard like snack)? The chocolate is like a richer
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version, same consistency. It’s pretty good. And for someone who shies from vanilla, even that flavour went a treat on a long run. Peach Cobbler? Well, that one was my least favourite, but then I don’t like peach. V is for victory, in the long run, we say.
LIMITED SPACES Register now www.trailfest.com.au
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$3.60 NZ each $20 NZ sampler six pack
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Fundraising for the Born to Run Foundation supporting Type 1 Diabetes Research
EVENT PREVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY: courtesy Rapid Ascent
T
WO COURSES FORM PART OF THE INAUGURAL FALLS CREEK MOUNTAIN RAID ON 15 AND 16 FEBRUARY 2014, AT FALLS CREEK, VICTORIA. THE FULL EVENT IS A FULLON ADVENTURE RACE, BUT FOR THOSE NOT WANTING TO PARTAKE IN MOUNTAIN BIKING, PADDLING AND NAVIGATION, THERE ARE TWO STRAIGHT TRAIL RUNS ON OFFER. The 8km and 14km courses make best use of the spectacular alpine trails and lofty mountain summits of Falls Creek. Both courses feature a flowing mix of single and double track, with short sections of 2WD dirt road; past old snow gums and wild flowers, and beside bubbling streams. The terrain of Falls Creek and the Bogong High Plains includes plenty of rock with the trails deemed moderately technical where you’ll need to watch where you put your feet. A couple of decent hills are also throw in to keep thighs and lungs pumping hard. Equally so, there are a handful of steep descents that will require concentration to avoid getting up-close and personal with a snow gum. A beautiful place to run: no wonder some of Australia’s top runners including Steve Moneghetti and Craig Mottram are often seen blazing the trails here.
PURE JOY
EVENT Mountain Raid Trail Runs Date 16 February, 2014
ONLINE
AMBIT2 S WHITE THE GPS for ATHlETES.
RAIDING THE CREEK 22
FALLS CREEK victoria, AU
The stylish Suunto Ambit2 S White comes with a soft, elastic strap for greater comfort on smaller wrists. The Suunto Ambit2 S is designed to fuel your passion for sports. Latest GPS in a light and sleek design with advanced features for running, biking, swimming and more. Thousands of Suunto Apps available to add new features to your watch. Perform at your absolute best – every time, everywhere. Find your Ambit2 S at www.suunto.com
EVENT PREVIEW
DUAL EFFORT
Hauraki Gulf islands, NORTH ISLAND, NZ
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ERE’S AN EVENT THAT GIVES YOU SPECIAL SPORTING ACCESS TO A COUPLE OF STUNNER ISLANDS TO TEAR TRAILS UP ON. The Hauraki Gulf islands of Motutapu and Rangitoto are favourite day trip for Aucklanders and impressive in their volcanic youth (Rangitoto only rose from the sea 600 years ago and is the youngest and biggest volcano in the Auckland volcanic field). It’s on the two islands – joined by a WW2 causeway – that the Partners Life DUAL offers its weighty line-up of dirty fun, both of the running and riding kind. On roster are trail runs and walks of 6 and 10km, half marathon and marathon distance trail runs, mountain bike-only options (30km and 45km) and a full on off-road triathlon. It’s fair to say you’ll see a better slice of both islands if you take on one of the longer options, the marathon being the pick of the bunch as it takes in Rangitoto Peak and a few different loops on Motutapu. The Half teases, running a ring around the 260m cone, while the run/walks stay on Motutapu. The off road triathlon (1km ocean swim, 30km MTB, 10km run) punts you all the way to the western shore of Rangitoto. All events have you weaving around WW2 bunkers, tunnels and
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gun emplacements, and feature spectacular views of the city and Hauraki Gulf. Those who run up iconic Rangitoto should eye out for the lava caves and views from the top across to the rugged horizons of the Waitakere Ranges in the west and Hunua Ranges in the east. Given the protected status of these two island reserves, entry numbers are limited, so make sure you get your Partners Life DUAL entry in early.
EVENT Partners Life DUAL Motutapu & Rangitoto Islands, Auckland, New Zealand
DATE 22 March, 2014
ONLINE
Helios
“ RACE
EVENT PREVIEW
YOU DON’T
SYDNEY TRAILFEST
sydney NSW, AU
IT
SURVIVE
YOU
IT
WWW.NORTHBURN100.CO.NZ
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PHOTOGRAPHY: courtesy Trailfest Sydney
100miles
8000m VERTICAL GAIN
+ 100km + 50km + 21km half marathon
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AKING PLACE ACROSS THE ANZAC DAY WEEKEND, 2427 APRIL 2014, AUSTRALIA’S FIRST 100KM MULTI-DAY STAGE TRAIL RUNNING AND TREKKING FESTIVAL, TRAILFEST SYDNEY, LOOKS TO BREAK THE MOULD OF ORGANISED TRAIL OUTINGS IN AUSTRALIA. It’s peri-urban but trails through bush corridors. There’s no killyou distances. The food will be good. The socialising equally so. The camp will be in one spot. It’s different. Exploring spectacular National Park trails on Sydney’s North Shore and Northern Beaches, this threeday event will take runners through the scenic trails of Manly Dam, St Ives, Roseville, Belrose, Duffys Forest and Bobbin Head, rewarding with views of Bantry Bay, Middle Harbour, Cowan Creek and Broken Bay. Returning each night to camp under the stars at St Ives Showground, runners will view the day’s action on a big screen. An Anzac Day Dawn Service will also screen live in the campsite and there will be daily motivational guest speakers. It’s a cross between a training camp, a competitive run and a celebration of all things singletrack. Launched by the team behind the Big Red Run ultra-marathon,
+ 5-10km night run + 1.5km kids’ fun run
22-23 MARCH
2013
OTAGO, NEW ZEALAND
Trailfest Sydney will fundraise for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) through the Born To Run Foundation, a charity founded by amateur runner and Trailfest founder Greg Donovan, whose son Stephen was diagnosed with the potentially fatal type 1 juvenile diabetes at age 14. Trailfest participants are not required to fundraise, but if they do they will be entitled to entry fee rebates as they reach fundraising milestones.
EVENT Trailfest Sydney DATE 24-27 April 2014
ONLINE
Northburn video SCAN or CLICK to WATCH
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EVENT PREVIEW PHOTOGRAPHY: courtesy ActiveQT
SHOTOVER MOONLIGHT
QUEENSTOWN, STH ISLAND, NZ
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sk anyone why the Shotover Moonlight Marathon is quickly becoming an iconic NZ offroad event, and they will most likely answer: “unbelievably stunning ‘OMG’ scenery”, and “great southern hospitality”. Just a short drive from Queenstown, the race that has been described as ‘a whole lot of magic’ is held entirely on private land that is only accessible on race day, when participants are given a warm welcome from event director Adrian Bailey, and landowners John and Ginny Foster. Despite gobsmacking views to take your mind off the pain, this race is not for the fainthearted with approximately 2,000 metres of elevation over the marathon distance (21.1km, 10km and 5km options are also available). This is a veritable trail running smorgasbord: expect to encounter beech forest, river crossings, overgrown water races (a hangover from goldmining days), farm roads, rutted stock tracks, tussock, valley floors, rocky ridges, mountainous climbs and treacherous descents as you traverse Ben Lomond High Country Station from the Shotover River to Moke Lake. And if ‘you fall/you die’ ridge running isn’t enough adrenalin for you, then add some style of your own: stay at Ben Lomond lodge and helicopter to the start line!
EVENT Shotover Moonlight Marathon DATE 22 February 2014
ONLINE
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KIN
EVENT PREVIEW
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PHOTOGRAPHY: courtesy Total Sport
WI
COASTAL CHALLENGE
G&
N $ M O U NQT AU E 100 I N E N 0 TH
E
Whangaparaoa, new zealand
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HERE ARE LONG RACES. GNARLY RACES. MASOCHISTIC RACES. BUT AS FAR AS CRAZY RACES GO – THE NORTH SHORE COASTAL CHALLENGE TAKES THE CAKE. STANDING ON THE SAND AT ARKLES BAY, WHANGAPARAOA, THE RACE BRIEFING SIMPLY INSTRUCTS: “KEEP THE SEA ON YOUR LEFT AT ALL TIMES”... UNTIL YOU REACH DEVONPORT SOME 33KM LATER.
Now in its 12th year, urban legend has it that the event was started by a bunch of friends who decided to run to a barbeque, carrying their sausages. These days, food is available at the finish line for those brave enough to take on either the Full Monty, or one of the shorter distance options – 6k, 11k, 17k or 22km. The longer distance options include two estuary-mouth swims which vary in length according to the tide on the day – it is wise to train and prepare for these! One wonders whether the Coastal Challenge can actually be called a trail run, since much of the journey involves creeping along ledges, clinging to cliff faces, hopping nimbly over pine branches and monkey-walking around submerged boulders. And just when you think you can’t take any more of that kind of crazy, you
round a headland and spill out onto another picture-postcard beach. With luck you will find the hard seam of sand, and with even more luck this particular bay may contain an aid station, buoying you up for the next scramble. You will laugh, curse, cry, and in all probability, injure yourself. But – trust me - as the tide roars and thunders around you, and rogue pebbles bounce from the sea cliffs towering overhead... this is the MOST FUN you will have in an off-road event!
EVENT North Shore Coastal Challenge DATE 1 March 2014
ONLINE
MARATHON + HALF MARATHON 12KM DAY RUN + 12KM NIGHT RUN 1.5KM FREE MOUNTAIN DOWNHILL & UPHILL 3KM FUN & KIDS’ RUN NUTRITION & TECHNIQUE SEMINARS
8-10 MARCH 2014
ACCOMMODATION DEALS AVAILABLE REGISTER ONLINE NOW! 30
WWW.TRAILRUNFESTIVAL.COM.AU
FEATURE EDSWORD
CHRIS ORD // AUSTRALIAN EDITOR
Damocles Sword of Damocles Sword of story: gary Dagg illustration: Jordan cole
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THAT I’M AN OLD MAN, BUT I ENVY THE LIGHTNESS OF YOUTH. WATCHING A YOUNG RUNNER, LIGHT IN BODY AND BURDEN DRIFTING OVER OBSTACLES, AGILELY DIVING INTO SWITCHBACKS AND FLOATING OVER THE GROUND YOU ARE REMINDED OF THE MAXIM; THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF RUNNERS, THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN INJURED, AND THOSE SOON TO BE INJURED.
Youth who have not tasted the angst of an overuse injury pace without concern, unknowing of the pangs of pain and withdrawal that can spring from one step too many. Once you have been through the stages of grieving of dealing with an injury; from denial to disbelief, through anger and eventually acceptance and recovery, every run and footstep is forever marked. Can you really run freely again? Minimalists argue that you can, but really there is more to it than simply casting aside your shoes. The Ancients, as is custom, had a far better way of explaining this. The Sword of Damocles is told by the Roman philosopher Cicero about the desires of Damocles to have the lappings of
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luxury that his tyrannical leader has. So he is given such comforts and is housed on an ornate throne with a bevy of waiters and all the food and goods he requires. His needs are beyond sated and every want he could possibly imagine is catered for, a nirvana for the non-meditator. As a catch though, in a message that happiness always hangs on tenterhooks, a sharpened sword hangs at the man’s neck, held up only by a horse’s hair. Any hint of excess, joyous movement or carelessness could plunge the sword onto his throat, belying the story’s message of the transitory nature of life, the fragility of existence, and the dangers of excess. The Sword of Damocles reminds us that the higher our pleasures – and there can be few higher than flitting through wilderness along singletrack – the more there is to lose. The price, according to Cicero, of having sought out pleasure is living with fear and anxiety. While the Greeks and Romans threw up many a worthy tale, perhaps none serve the wounded trail runner better. Once plantar fasciitis, ITB syndrome, runner’s knee, tendonitis or any of the litany of over indulgence complaints of the long distance runner flare up, seeds of doubt germinate and ferment in the running mind. Niggles can cast clouds over the lightest of outings while the fatigue of a long run throws up a litany of complaints long enough to send a hypochondriac to the doctor’s chair. Or should it be the psychiatrist’s? The prevalence of psychosomatic overuse injuries is a little explored area of medicine, but no doubt prevalent. Perhaps Damocles’ sword is not a physical one but a metaphysical one, as the high numbers of A-type personalities that tend to run long distances on trails are also the ones
who suffer from undiagnosable maladies that physicians and wizened Chinese practitioners prescribe to the mind. But back to the matter of marrow and ligament. Once having gone through that painful hobble home, many runners move next to the stage of denial, the running addiction too strong to lay aside for any recovery. That process of ‘just running through it’ can snap the horse’s hair in two, bringing the sword down into the stage of anger and self-retribution. Or does it? Many running doctors believe most running injuries can only be cured by keeping on running and in Tim Noakes’ legendary book, The Lore of Running, he states that, barring stress fractures and injuries that physically prevent you from running any suggestion to stop running should be met with doubt. Perhaps you should, perhaps you shouldn’t, but any long process of recovery leaves mental scars normally deeper than any physical ones. >>
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FEATURE SWORD OF DAMOCLES
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Once that part of the body flares up again, even in later years, the mind starts to wander further down that road towards the Damoclean sword plunging towards you. Minimalist running has been perceived by some as a panacea, a way of ridding yourself of the sword above you. It is not. Minimal running is a way of running better, with better technique and in a more mindful way, but it is not a guarantee against injury. It will not ward off overuse any more than it will ward off irate dogs or chafing. But used well, minimal running will offer you a far gentler way of running and will certainly offer you a form of early warning against injury. The appeal of barefoot and minimal running is that Damocles’ sword hangs above your head not by a thread but by a rope. Running with bad technique cannot be supported. Any frailties in your technique will lead to pain that should be a warning signal to either stop running or change your technique. At the heart of most overuse injuries lies overstriding, poor core stability and an unbalanced stride pattern, and just a mile without shoes will let you know all about that. If running barefoot on a hard surface for ten minutes hurts, then you have not only lost the joy of being human, you have lost the ability to track your own body. If you ignore these signs, are addicted to running or see pain in the body as a weakness, minimal running won’t stop the sword dropping down somewhere on those legs of yours. But if you listen right, treat your body firmly but fairly, then running light and easy will keep the Sword of Damocles up above you, where it belongs. Garry Dagg is Trail Run Mag’s resident barefoot/minimalist sage, writing on issues, opinions, styles and techniques of barefoot/ minimalist running – and pretty much whatever he damn well pleases. We love his work so we let him and his words roam free, as is his want and right. Any queries for Garry, fling them through on info@trailrunmag.com or Facebook them at www.facebook.com/trailrunmag.
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IF RUNNING BAREFOOT ON A HARD SURFACE FOR TEN MINUTES HURTS, THEN YOU HAVE NOT ONLY LOST THE JOY OF BEING HUMAN, YOU HAVE LOST THE ABILITY TO TRACK YOUR OWN BODY.
INNERVIEW
JULIAN BEE
WORDS: Vicki Woolley IMAGES: Shaun Collins, Cabbage Tree Photography
NEW ZEALANDER
JULIAN BEE’S
CHALLENGE TO RUN
ALL NINE OF HIS NATION’S GREAT WALKS HAS SET
HIM ON A JOURNEY
OF UNEXPECTED PERSONAL GROWTH. 36
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JULIAN BEE INNERVIEW
THE FIRST QUESTION I ASK JULIAN BEE IS:
“WHAT HAPPENED?” “WHAT
HAPPENED?” brought up the Whanganui map. He found what he was looking for – a section of trail running alongside the river - and messaged his friend back: “I WILL find a way to do it.” Game On. From the outset Julian realised he would be pushing himself and his family beyond the comfort zone on many levels. “I’ve long been inspired by tales of ordinary folks doing extraordinary things, but there was always something about their exploits that I didn’t connect with. In almost every case, their crazy goals became full-time commitments, which to an ordinary bloke with a job I couldn’t leave, made me think I could never set such lofty goals. So in setting myself this goal, I’m hoping to demonstrate that you can still set, and achieve, big gnarly goals even though you’ve got the job/house/ wife/kids-box-set.” Wife Fiona agrees. “I never had doubts about his running abilities, but I had concerns about his administration and marketing skills. Not only is he a bit of an introvert, but with a fulltime job, young family, and a property which demands regular maintenance, the time factor was massive.” So why Cure Kids? Although Julian thanks his lucky stars that he has no personal
HE RECOUNTS A HORRIFIC TALE OF AVALANCHES, TRAILS LOST AT HIGH ALTITUDE AND NECK-DEEP SNOW. But I’m getting ahead of myself. It all started on a flight from Wellington to Auckland in March 2013. 35 year-old Julian Bee – husband, father of two, IT Manager and ordinary man – glanced idly through the inflight magazine. It had a feature on New Zealand’s nine Great Walks for which Julian had developed a vague interest. It had just occurred to Julian to attempt running the nine Great Walks when: “My brain smashed me on about fifteen different fronts: make it a fundraiser; do it for Cure Kids; do it to inspire others; you’ve always wanted to run ultras! Make it a mission, make it massive...OMG!” Back in his hotel room that night a plan was conceived: to raise funds and awareness for Cure Kids by running New Zealand’s nine Great Walks: Rakiura, Routeburn, Tongariro, Waikaremoana, Whanganui, Milford, Kepler, Abel Tasman and Heaphy. Julian excitedly messaged a friend. Minutes later a message came back: “Julian. You do realise one of the nine Great Walks is a river?” The entire challenge hung in the balance for a few agonising moments as Julian desperately
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experience to link him to the child health research foundation, he is quietly passionate about the relationship he has built with them over the last two years. “Cure Kids cover a broad range of research topics with wide ranging benefits, and as their research focuses on finding cures rather than palliative care, they fit my more pragmatic approach to the world.” “They work with you to fundraise, they don’t just turn up at the end and take the cheque, so you feel part of the Cure Kids family - not just someone that fills some collection buckets and goes home.” Fast forward six months and after a whirlwind of publicising, fundraising, organising and training, Julian is one-and-ahalf challenges down when I check in with him. How is it going? He shakes his head, then nods... the learning curve is steep and, at times, scary. The first Great Run was the 32km Rakiura Trail on Stewart Island. It went well, Julian thinks, but getting separated from his running buddy taught him a lot about the responsibility of engaging others in his challenge, particularly running partners. He muses: “This is more than just me and a few mates going for a run. If something were to go badly wrong, it could >>
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JULIAN BEE INNERVIEW
When he is here he is able to spend quality time as a focussed, fit, joyful dad and husband. He has definitely found his mojo.”
THE GREAT NINE JULIAN IS RUNNING THE GREAT WALKS IN ORDER OF SHORTEST TO LONGEST, TO ENABLE HIM TO “WORK UP THROUGH THE DISTANCES IN A SAFE AND SENSIBLE WAY.” HERE’S THE ROUGH DATES AS AT CURRENT PLAN:
October 2013 – Rakiura (32km) and Routeburn (32km)
November 2013 – Tongariro Northern Circuit (43km) and Waikaremoana (46km) December 22nd 2013 [longest day of the year] – Whanganui River (145km, 40km run) January 2014 – Milford Track (53km) February 2014 – Kepler Track (60km) March 2014 – Abel Tasman (54km) April 2014 – Heaphy Track (78km)
CHECK OUT THE RUNS
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JULIAN BEE INNERVIEW
It’s one thing having a crazy idea that energises you...but the feeling you get when it energises others - it’s electrifying!” ”
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seriously damage Cure Kids public image.” Routeburn was aborted halfway through in atrocious weather conditions, but taught him a lot about honouring the environment and the challenge, and listening to gut feel. It turns out the part about neck-deep snow and getting horribly lost actually happened to another guy, an Australian solo tramper Julian met near Earland Falls. Julian recounts: “I looked into his eyes and saw real fear, and utter exhaustion. It took the guy six hours just to cross Harris Saddle after losing the trail in a whiteout. He kept falling in pockets of snow – at one time he was neck-deep and had nothing to dig himself out with. He was so desperate to reach shelter that when he saw the hut was on the other side of the lake, he seriously considered swimming across,” – a sure-fire hypothermia recipe. By the time Julian reached McKenzie Hut the snow had settled enough to obscure the ground surface, compromising his footing – and he had plenty of time to consider the conditions he would most certainly encounter higher up the mountain. After a brief moment of introspection in “one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen”, Julian wisely – but ruefully – turned back. Does that mean Routeburn is scratched? The reply is emphatic: “NO. The Great Runs Challenge IS the Great Runs. It’s not over until they have all been completed.” Talk inevitably strays to family, and work, and how – HOW – does he get the work/ family/training balance right?
“Ha! Impossible. On a given week I get two out of three about right, and it’s anyone’s guess on a given week which one won’t make the cut. I try and make the most of my lunchbreaks or early mornings for training, and trade a great many breakfasts in bed for my wife for weekend training runs for me.” I ask Fiona about the impact Great Runs is having on family life. “Julian had a wife and two kids, nice house, good job... but was treading water for some time. Something was missing.” She continues: “So while the kids and I see him a little less [during the Great Runs challenge], when he is here he is able to spend quality time as a focussed, fit, joyful dad and husband. He has definitely found his mojo.” Fiona and the children, Lara (5) and Oscar (3), will have to be patient a little longer: six months of enduring a part-time husband and father await them as the Great Runs Challenge takes on a life of its own. Already Julian has to find time for radio interviews, photo shoots and speaking engagements – such as addressing guests at the infamous Stewart Island Quiz Night. Complete strangers Bruce and Sue Ford mobilised almost the entire island for the Rakiura leg of the challenge. Far from being daunted, Julian enthuses: “It’s one thing having a crazy idea that energises you and drives you forward, but the feeling you get when you explain your idea to someone and it energises them enough to want to help and move the thing forward on their own - it’s electrifying!”. He encourages other runners to engage the wider community in their adventures: “Get a
sense of how incredibly rewarding it is to add a charity-flavour to your running projects. We as runners are a really close-knit and giving community of people, regularly doing things for others in the community (crewing, pacing, encouraging, etc), but when you bolt on some charity endeavour to your running activities, it just turns everything up to eleven – it gives you one more reason to get out for that training run, or push that little bit harder on a tough race leg.” Julian and I share a quiet moment in the car between photo shoot and training runs, and I ask if he feels he has changed as a result of taking on this feat. He thinks for a moment, then refers me to a quote that he carries around in his heart, and that, probably more than anything else, is the inspiration behind this challenge: “Set a goal so big that you can’t achieve it until you grow into the person who can.” He may be surprised: having recently celebrated the couple’s tenth wedding anniversary, Fiona has this to say: “I guess the one unanticipated occurrence is that I have found someone who inspires me. It is so unexpected to see this typical Kiwi bloke; this quiet, unassuming IT Manager, someone you thought you knew so well challenge themselves to the edge of their ability. Sure I have seen a few flickers of doubt, but he always comes out fighting. He is relentless, stubborn and brilliant.” At time of writing, Julian had raised over $2,000 towards his goal of $20,000 for Cure Kids, and was about to embark on his third Great Run, Tongariro.
WEBSITE You can follow Julian on his
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EDSWORD FEATURE
CHRIS ORD // AUSTRALIAN EDITOR
High Tea on the WESTERN FRONT IV drips, pack dogs, stomach bugs and lost team members on big mountains: The ancient Tea and Horse Trail in Yunnan Province, China, delivered adventure in spades for The North Face trail expedition athlete, Kami Semick. WORDS: KAMI SEMICK IMAGES: Courtesy Kami Semick
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FEATURE CHINA ADVENTURE RUN
CHINA ADVENTURE RUN FEATURE
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“Trail” running?
MODERN CHINA IS A TALE OF TWO OPPOSITES. WITH 1.3 BILLION OF THE 7 BILLION-PLUS GLOBAL POPULATION, CHINA HOLDS FOUR OF THE LARGEST TOP TEN CITIES IN THE WORLD. ALTHOUGH SIMILAR IN GEOGRAPHIC SIZE TO THE UNITED STATES, FOR EVERY ONE PERSON IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE ARE FOUR AND ONE THIRD PEOPLE IN CHINA. THE POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, HOWEVER, IS SKEWED. NINETY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE CHINESE POPULATION LIVES IN THE NORTH-EAST, CENTRAL AND SOUTH EASTERN AREA OF CHINA. LEAVING THE WESTERN FRONTIER REMARKABLY OPEN. The Western Frontier of China, specifically the north-western region of Yunnan province, has piqued my curiosity and captured my heart. Sparsely populated and geographically isolated because of the demanding terrain, this Eastern Tibetan region is rich in cultural heritage and ethnic minorities. It is also where we, as a team of The North Face athletes, start our journey of the Tea and Horse Trail. For more than 1000 years, this trading route connected west and southwest China with India via Tibet and Burma. Goods, people and ideas flowed both ways, starting in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) and reaching a climax during the Second World War, just a few years before the trail’s demise in the 1950s. It rivaled the Silk Road in terms of its historical importance to China’s communications with the outside world. Guided only by GPS waypoints, in seven days we are stringing together bits and pieces of footpaths, herding trails and – painfully – cross country travel, covering 300km from Dali to Zhongdian. Our route takes us over high mountain passes, through valleys, skirting deep gorges, only to then climb the next mountain pass. 46
Unfortunately at this very moment, we are caught in thorn bushes. Our GPS annoyingly states that we are on the trail, and the next waypoint is directing us 1600 meters up a thick mesh of thorn bushes. This is not the first or the last time we will pick our way through thorn bushes, forest draped in thick spider webs, scrambling up and down steep mountain sides, where seemingly no trail exists. The only positive reinforcement being our GPS stating we are dead on the trail. Even now, many days on, the small thorns embedded in my palm are a constant reminder of days on the trail and representative of the unfolding journey. The cuts on my legs are healed, the scratches on my arms no longer visible. But it’s the small thorns embedded in my palm that itch and itch. Trail running in China is a rude awakening for an ultra running American. Lulled into an almost comatose state when it comes to route finding, Westerners are generally accustomed to a lavish amount of information regarding trails. Maps, books, and websites are full of route descriptions. Trails are signed. Except for Hong Kong, this kind of information is not available in China. Maps showing terrain and trails are illegal and having so much as a hand drawn map, especially in the sensitive Tibetan region, is reason for imprisonment. Local knowledge of how to move from one village to the next, the best route over a mountain pass, the most efficient way through a valley, is handed down from generation to generation. This tacit knowledge has never been documented or mapped. Even with GPS waypoints the route changes on a seasonal basis. Although some parts of the old trail are well preserved, we find some sections to be particularly challenging. The footpaths shift based upon rain and snow run-off, the direction a pack of mules or a herd of goats has ascended or descended over a pass. Our source of knowledge of this region >>
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FEATURE CHINA ADVENTURE RUN
CHINA ADVENTURE RUN FEATURE
Knowledge of how to move from one village to the next, the best route over a mountain pass, the most efficient way through a valley, is handed down from generation to generation. â&#x20AC;?
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stimulation and medicinal properties to help counter the effects of high altitude living. Around the same time, the Chinese had a need for war horses to protect their northern border from Mongol invasion. Thus a trade began, Chinese tea for Tibetan war horses. From the seventh century continuing into the twentieth century, the Tea and Horse route became a major trade route between the two regions. We start our journey due north of the tea growing region in Yunnan. Because of time constraints and a desire to tackle the most demanding terrain, our team is focusing on a 300km route from Dali, an ancient trading hub, to Zhongdian, recently renamed Shangri La by the Chinese government in an effort to promote tourism in reference to the 1933 James Hilton novel, Lost Horizon. The isolated villages that dot the valleys and hug the sides of the gorges represent high altitude agricultural zones. To the south is the tea growing region, tobacco in the Dali region, corn through Shaxi and Lijiang, hemp plots thriving at 3000 meters near White Water Terraces, and medicinal herbs in the plateaus around Zhongdian. Each of these villages represents a different ethnic minority. Because of the roughness of the terrain, traditionally the tribes in each village rarely mixed, and have remained isolated for centuries. Many of these minorities maintain their own traditional
sprung from a chance relationship forged with one of the foremost experts on the Tea and Horse route. Over a year ago when I started researching this exploration run, I came across Ed Jocelyn, an Australian-born Englishman who has lived in China since 1997. The stars had somehow aligned to facilitate our introduction. Me, an exploration runner looking to map a course through the rugged terrain of the mountainous region of western Yunnan/ Eastern Tibet; Ed, a well-respected China historian looking to preserve this ancient route. Ed is somewhat of an endurance legend himself, having retraced the steps of Mao Zedongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Red Army in what is historically known as The Long March, a 4000-mile (6500 km) journey, which was the material source for his book The Long March. Tea for war horses South-western Yunnan, with its fertile and lush low altitude mountains, is the birthplace of tea in China. Somewhere around the seventh century, Tibetans started developing a taste for tea. The Tibetan plateau, with an average elevation exceeding 5000meters is unsuitable for growing much at all, tea included. Chinese tea seemed to fill a gap in the Tibetan diet, especially with the addition of yak butter and salt. This concoction provided
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FEATURE CHINA ADVENTURE RUN
CHINA ADVENTURE RUN FEATURE
The North Face Tea and Horse Expedition Team: Kami Semick: Team Leader, American runner living in Hong Kong. 2009 World Champion 100km; 2009 World Trophy Champion 50km; 2010 Vermont 100 mile Champion; 2011 Western States 100 Runner Up; 2012 Beijing 100km Champion. 2013 Round the Island Champion and record holder; Winner of numerous USA National Championship and Awards.
Nikki Kimball: American Runner living in Montana. One of the top 100 mile runners in the world; 3 time winner of Western States 100 mile; UTMB Champion; Leadville 100 mile Champion. Winner of numerous USA National Championship and Awards. Xing Ruling: Chinese runner living in Beijing. 2009 TNF 100 Beijing female Champion; 2010 2nd Woman TNF 100 Beijing; 2011 2nd Woman TNF 100 Beijing.
Stone Tsang: Chinese runner living in Hong Kong. 4 x Overall Series Champion – HK’s King Of The Hills mountain running series ; 1st place Trailwalker 100Km - Hong Kong; 1st place x 2 and record holder 65km Round the Island trail run –Hong Kong; 1st place x 4 times and record holder Raleigh Challenge Wilson Trail 78Km Hong Kong; Runner-up Racing the Planet’s International Gobi March 250Km – China.
Yun Yanqiao: Chinese runner living in Beijing. 2009, 2010, 2011 Runner up Champion TNF Beijing 100km; 2009 Singapore TNF 100km Champion. 50
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FEATURE CHINA ADVENTURE RUN
CHINA ADVENTURE RUN FEATURE
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who could go on, we ran to the next village where we were able to buy an IV kit and several bags of saline. Unfortunately, for our patients, the IV needle itself was more like a toothpick, something from the 1950’s.Through screams of anguish, not from the gut but from the large needle, Stone patiently rehydrated those who were worst off, and got them back on their feet in 24 hours.
dress, customs and food. And, we learn, their own intestinal bacteria. Early into our adventure, we landed in a very isolated village, sweetly named Pear Orchard. This village is primarily reached by boat across a lake. Our run took us approximately 70km to a boat launch. Boarding the boat at sunset, the team was looking forward to the basics of food and sleep. Our route out the next morning was over the high mountains that kept this small village in almost perpetual darkness in the wintertime. Upon reaching the village the generous guest house proprietor had laid out a feast. Tired and hungry, we dug in and enjoyed a delicious and very typical Chinese selection of salted duck eggs, chicken and fish soup complete with heads, claws and fins, a huge array of vegetables prepared many ways, rice and tea. Thoroughly satisfied we headed to bed. And then the bacteria multiplied in our gut. Some were hit by the trots, others by severe vomiting. One by one, the soldiers fell. So early in the adventure, I wondered if we were going to be sidelined completely. Fortunately, we had a secret weapon: one of our runners, Stone Tsang, is a trained paramedic. For those
Man’s best friend? Dogs are a rare companion in China. As one moves easterly across China toward the Pacific Ocean, dog is more likely to be on the menu than viewed as a companion. But in Eastern Tibet dogs are used to guard precious herds of yak, sheep, and a bison/yak hybrid that dot this mountainous area. To the invading ultrarunner passing through these high altitude pastures, they signify a true threat. Their instinct is to kill, and differentiating between the once in a lifetime runner versus a wolf or a thief, is not a distinction these dogs stop to ponder. We heard her screams before we heard the barks. One of my team mates had slowed her pace to eat as the team moved across a high pasture. The dogs seemingly came out of
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nowhere. Three had her surrounded. Working as a pack, they systematically each went in, jaws snapping closer and closer as she screamed and swung with her hydration pack. When attacked like this the only response is to fight back. Armed with sticks and rocks the team sprinted back to fight off the dogs. Fortunately, the herder was also alerted by the commotion and sprinted across the pasture to call off the pack. Through this far too close of a call, we were reminded to run together. These wouldn’t be the last dogs we had to fend off, but we adapted. Heading across any high pasture with signs of herding, or through any village, we formed ourselves into a well armed gang. Sticks were gathered, measured and tested, rocks weighted to balance runability with heft. The team would group together, someone faced in each direction ready to defend as we descended into enemy territory. Finding Shangri-la Our final challenge presented itself in the last miles over a 4500 foot pass that would drop us into our “Shangri-la.” Skies in the early days of the journey had been blue and bright. Ominously the weather forecast had
We heard her screams before we heard the barks. The dogs came out of nowhere... jaws snapping closer as she screamed and swung her hydration pack. ” 53
FEATURE CHINA ADVENTURE RUN
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then eventually to our road out. Except we didn’t have everyone with us. At the key point where we started running down the steep scree slope to catch a barely visible trail to the west, one of the team members bent down to tie his shoe. At that exact moment, the fog moved in dropping visibility to zero. Once the fog lifted, he found himself alone, not a trace of the team in sight. The safety whistles on the hydration packs work and are highly recommended in this type of situation. As two of us stayed in place, two went back to find the lost runner. Forty-five cold and terrifying minutes later, three runners emerged from the fog. Running into the new Shangri-la - the old Zhongdian - 300 km from our start, approximately 15,000 meters of ascent later, our bodies displayed a collective story telling of our journey: all with hundreds of small cuts on arms and legs, some modifying their stride to compensate for overused muscles, others forced to pause because of the intestinal travelers we carried with us, and another catching a sleep at GPS waypoint checks. Enriched by the journey, but glad to be done, we made our way to the town center, and then off to the three constants along the trail: a cold shower, warm food, and a hard bed.
predicted a change in weather, bringing cold temperatures and rain at 2500 meters. With a 4500-meter pass to navigate in the middle of the wilderness with no real outs, we had to make a call. Go up or wait it out. Being the team leader, I decided we would have to go up and at least have a look. Although a 5-6 hour run/climb to the start of the pass, the thinking was we would see how it looked, and retrace our steps if necessary. The ascent up the south side was pleasant enough, despite being a bit damp and cold. Majestically, autumn had swung her magic wand, changing the foliage from green to gold, rust and red. With everyone in good spirits, we decided to complete the full length of the pass, and drop down onto the north side. Instantaneously, once at the high point of approximately 4500 meters, the pass conditions changed dramatically. Wind, freezing rain/hail at times and a complete white out greeted us on the north side. Navigating the ridgeline on slick snow with running shoes and a no fall zone, the team worked together for two plus hours to move to a safe point. Our objective was to navigate to the top of a scree slope where we would drop steeply out of the wind and fog into a valley, and
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Stay tuned to more of Kami’s adventure runs at:
KAMISEMICK THE NORTH FACE
Two trail runs in a spectacular alpine landscape ›› 8km and 14km on mountain trails ›› Open to runners of all abilities
›› 2-day, 2-stage, navigational adventure race ›› Teams of 4 racing together ›› Kayaking, Trail Running, Mountain Biking (Kayaks and support available for interstate teams)
15-16 FEBRUARY 2014 – FAlls CREEk, ViCtoRiA
www.MountainRaid.com.au Brought to you by the same folks who organise The Salomon Trail Running Series and The Surf Coast Century. We love trails too!
FEATURE
Is trail running inextricably linked to deprivation? Can dirt, sweat (and potentially blood) mix with whitewashed linen and massage oil? We assign our intrepid correspondent Tegyn Angel to find out on a trail running mission based from a resort. Yes. A resort.
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pain WORDS + IMAGES: Tegyn Angel / www.wildplans.com
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TRAIL LUXE FEATURE
TRAIL RUNNING...
...THE AUTHORITIES TELL US, IS A DIRTY SPORT. SO MUCH SO THAT WHEN WE RAVE TO OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT A RACE, HOW FILTHY AND ROUGH IT WAS RANKS UP THERE WITH DISTANCE, ELEVATION, TIME AND ATTRITION RATE AS ONE OF THE MORE IMPORTANT DETAILS. A GOOD YEAR IN AUSTRALIA’S CULT RACE, THE GOW100 (GREAT OCEAN WALK 100), IS DETERMINED BY HOW MUDDY IT IS.
through my own body-shaped pool of sweat on a tropical run makes me feel that little bit tougher than I do on a bellbird 25-degree day. This appreciation of extremes and challenging conditions is part of what defines trail running and distinguishes it from road running. But here’s the glossed over postscript: no one said anything about staying out in the ice and slush once the run is over. Yes, it’s actually okay to go and warm up, take a hot shower, melt into the safety of a comfortable loungeroom, treat yourself with some fine food and wine. Reward is part of the balance equation, isn’t it? There is an apparent dichotomy: smashing yourself on the trails and relaxing in luxurious, pampered comfort. They almost seem antagonistic, as if from different worlds. Surely there’s nothing stopping us from replacing the kilograms we lost to dehydration with a fine shiraz? What’s to stop us working on our cramped muscles passively, while lying on a heated massage bed? Is there some unwritten law decreeing that words like “pamper” and “luxury” should be expunged from the vocabulary of trail runners, except where writing-off road runners? There isn’t. Get over it. In Ayn Rand’s epic Atlas Shrugged, the characters Hank Rearden and Dagny Taggart are portrayed as champions of the highest ideals of humanity. In one scene Rearden and Taggart attend an extravagant salón party and are juxtaposed with the rest of the guests, portrayed as aimless and incongruent
Sure, the soft focus on Salomon’s Knights in White try pretty hard to make the sport seem shiny and glamorous, but videos and posts of the pros getting pummeled and looking bedraggled attract more than their fair share of attention. Footage of Kilian getting slammed by Mount Kinabalu or a half-frozen Emilie Forsberg dragging her way up a mountain in the sleet makes us smile. Part of it is a sense that their suffering makes it more human. Bigger than that though, we want to be there. On the off chance running epic distances through rugged mountains or intense heat wasn’t enough, a drenching rain, blizzard or sand storm is sure to make the punters happy. Personally, I feel most alive when I’m bombing a loose technical trail, throwing up rocks and trying to avoid breaking my neck on a stray stick, racing the weather and my lung capacity. Going for a run in the rain or freezing cold always feels a little more edgy. I hate the heat and humidity, but swimming 58
moochers. The two are discussing why they so often loathe the parties they attend. “Parties” Taggart suggests, “are intended to be celebrations, and celebrations should be only for those who have something to celebrate.” She closes by musing that “Perhaps we’re the only ones who were meant to enjoy them.” Condemning the senselessness of throwing a party for its own sake. While it’d be ridiculous of me to be as hardline as Rand and suggest that celebrations and indulgence should be reserved only for those who’ve slogged out a hard session or “earned” it, there’s no doubt in my mind whatsoever that as trail- and ultra-runners we bloody well deserve an occasional bit of luxury. Far from feeling guilty or ill-at-ease for enjoying the finer things in life, I’d argue that we should dismiss this sense of conflict as ridiculous. Trail running continues to experience massive growth, not only in Australia but internationally. While it’s still nowhere near the popularity of road running, a study published by the American Trail Running Association reported that between 2000 and 2012, the number of US trail races rose from 450 to 2667 and race participation jumped from 90,105 to 326,098. As the race calendar gets more crowded, both with the more traditional ultra distance events and a newer breed of short, sharp, fast events, brands like The North Face, Brooks, Salomon and New Balance help to bring the sport to a wider audience
smashing yourself on the trails and relaxing in luxurious, pampered comfort.
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TRAIL LUXE FEATURE
Know more Tegyn Angel was hosted at Lake Crakenback for the first in its series of trail Running Weekend Packages hosted by pros Brendan Davies and Hanny Allston. The Resort will put more on in 2014, beginning with its 7-9th February Camp with a theme of ‘ Maximising your potential.’ Packages from $360 pp (six share) incl 2 nights accommodation, breakfast, dinner, Saturday lunch.
The Resort’s spa beckons weary legs while the fine dining restaurant and cafE both serve a great feed
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by sponsoring events, media campaigns and charismatic champions. With an increase in participation comes a widening of the participant demographic. No longer a cult of eccentricity and a subtle anti-social outlook, the new breed of sociallynetworked trail runner spends almost as much time praising their warm and inspiring communities as they do discussing shoes and training strategies. People from all walks of life, from hand-to-mouth running-bums to white-collar professionals in Mercedes are flocking to races around the world. In what may be one of the only benefits of climate change, ski seasons seem to be shortening almost as rapidly as trail running is growing. As mountain resorts lose winter revenue their focus shifts to increasing the profitability of their green seasons. Alpine resorts like Novotel’s Lake Crackenback Resort and Spa are perfectly positioned to take advantage of trail running’s growth. By leveraging their existing accommodation, catering, transport and marketing infrastructure, mountain resorts are beginning to apply the lessons learnt from mountain biking to trail running. Multi-use trails,
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Hanny Allston takes to the trails around Lake Crackenback Resort
running-specific signage and maps, organised events and even training workshops by the pros are starting to pop up around the country and cater to the needs (and wants) of the full spectrum of trail runners. In October, I spent a few nights a Lake Crackenback, in the NSW High Country, and took part in the first of Hanny Alston (Find Your Feet Coaching) and Brendan Davies’ (UP Coaching) Trail Running Camps to be held at the resort. Hidden from the Alpine Way, driving down the private road felt like passing into another world. The steep Alps stare up at you from the lake’s surface and beg an opportunity to beat you into submission. The Thredbo river winds its way through the property and offers some fast, flowing riverside single track. It will soon reach all the way to Thredbo, offering some awesome opportunities for long runs into the high country. The Resort’s spa beckons weary legs while the fine dining restaurant and café both serve a great feed, perfect for “recovery and rehydration” after a hard day on the hoof. The accommodation is well appointed and most apartments would easily fit a family group. What Crackenback is doing here is in keeping with what other alpine resorts around the
world are doing in leveraging their offering for the growing ‘green season’ market. This beautifully pairs the rawness of trail running with a bit of sophistication and luxury. To top it off, the resort manager is a long-time runner currently training for 2014 The North Face 100 and his passion is clearly seen in the program he is curating and the support he has thrown behind Hanny and Brendan. As an outdoor guide and instructor, people often tell me how much they hate cities and urban spaces. In a former suit-and-officebound life I regularly had people look at me dumbfounded when I told them I went into the wilderness voluntarily. I think true value lies somewhere in the middle. While the chaos, claustrophobia and crush of humanity found in cities fosters in us an appreciation of the simplicity and stillness of our wild places, the hardships, brutality and base indifference of the wilderness tends to do the same for our appreciation of the convenience, comfort and security of modern society. Trail running is no different. We put in the hard yards, tolerate adversity and deny gratification so we can binge-eat, share a round with mates and have a good yarn. If we don’t deserve a party then who the hell does?
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BUGS THAT EAT YOU, SWAMPS THAT SUCK YOU ASUNDER, AGGRIEVED CHEATS THREATENING VIOLENCE, SNAKES THAT CAN KILL YOU AND RAZOR SHARP PLANTS THAT RIP YOU APART: ALL PART OF THE ADVENTURE THAT IS THE JUNGLE MARATHON IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON.
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GROUP OF RUNNERS MOTOR ALONG AT A COMFORTABLE PACE WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TALL BRAZILIAN AHEAD HOLDS UP HIS HAND SIGNALING FOR US TO STOP. HE URGENTLY POINTS TO THE GROUND. SLITHERING IN THE GRASS ACROSS THE TRAIL IS A MOVING PARADE OF RED, YELLOW AND BLACK: THE MARKINGS OF A HIGHLY VENOMOUS CORAL SNAKE. HAD WE TRODDEN ON IT, IT WOULD LIKELY HAVE SUBJECTED US TO AN INTENSE BITE OF POTENTIALLY FATAL NEUROTOXINS: YET ANOTHER REMINDER OF THE BEAUTY AND DANGER INHERENT IN THE LUSH SEA OF GREEN SWIMMING WITH LIFE THAT WE HAVE CHOSEN TO RUN THROUGH. Death threats, elusive jungle trails, malariacarrying mosquitoes, stingrays, caimans, tarantulas, jaguars, venomous snakes, legions of stinging and biting insects, debilitating heat and humidity, razor-sharp plants, multiple swamp crossings and endless hills – all these and more give credit to CNN billing the 250km UVU Jungle Marathon as “The World’s Toughest Race”. It’s not like the event hides the fact that it will be a tough week at the adventure office, either. On the official website (www. junglemarathon.com), organisers ask potential entrants: “Can you cope with temperatures of 40 Degrees Celsius? Humidity of 99%? Primary Jungle with a dense canopy covering and not a chink of daylight? Swamp crossings where anacondas lurk? River crossings with caiman and piranhas as companions? Insane elevation, often on
slippery, muddy slopes? Sleeping in deep jungle to the sounds of jaguar and howler monkeys?” Despite it obviously being no luxury cruise, the event had always been high on my bucket list. In 2005, after completing the 250km Gobi desert ultra-marathon, I was inspired to see the opposite extreme. I’d done the very dry. It was time to run the very, very wet. As it happened, work and life conspired to keep me from the seething Amazon wilderness for another eight years. Set deep in the Amazon forest of north-west Brazil, the format of the event is simple. Shirley Thompson (a lovely petite lady, but also an incredibly formidable race director who has been doing this for almost 10 years) and her team are responsible only for marking a trail, providing drinking water at check-points, offering medical coverage and clearing a campsite every night. Everything else competitors must bring along to survive the 6-stage, 7-day race: food, clothes (racing and sleeping), medical kit, hammock, jungle knife and other emergency items. Ensuring an optimal trade-off meant endless rounds of packing before we set off with plenty of agonising over the number of power gels and salt tablets to bring along, whether to jettisoned unimportant and important equipment and many interminable exchanges of “Does anyone have a spare …” (insert: safety pins, anti-malaria tablets, head-lamp, batteries, wet-wipes). In such an extreme environment, a missing piece of gear can have disastrous consequences. Equally, carrying too much could also blow things up. In the end, most had packs weighing >>
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FEATURE JUNGLE MARATHON
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all anxious to get racing. Once running, there would be no second-guessing and the nervous energy could finally be put to good use. On the first day of the race, I woke at 5am to a hive of camp activity with headlamps dotting the darkness as racers started packing away hammocks, applying lotions to their nether bits likely to blister, donning on racing gear and filling water bottles. The tension was palpable. The first stage began with a beach start and then a steep hill climb out of the village. Having been through this kind of melee previously, I was measured in take off, wary of the looming fact that we had 250km of Brazilian jungle to endure. The first checkpoint brought a mandatory 15-minute rest, required for all checkpoints in the first two days to reduce the likelihood of heat injury. Then came the first of many rivercrossings, a version of which we would face most days, the only variable being how deep and what critters lay in them. Our feet would rarely be dry for the next seven days. The course also waded through deep, muddy swamps: not just a ‘shoes need washing’ mill ponds, but mudpits reminiscent of Florida swamps that suck you in and never spit you out. Once away from the soft, sucking earth, we contended with a series of steep hills – legburning, lung-busting climbs, the ascent of which made all the worse by a heavy cloak of
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between 6–10kg. Not light at all, especially when you factored in the weight of the packs when completely soaked, which they were most of the time. Before race start, we had two days to acclimatise, and to go through training on understanding the flora and fauna, a factor perhaps more important here than anywhere else in the world. In the desert, heat is a passive killer (the 50+ celcius heat endured in the Gobi was certainly significant). In contrast, in the Amazon everything is actively trying to put you at the bottom of the food-chain. The humidity and heat also add an intense toll on the body and, equally, the mind. Coming from Singapore, I have spent significant amount of time in tropical jungles, in Borneo (Brunei), as well as in West Malaysia, so I was welladapted to the environment. Indeed I found it strangely familiar and comforting. Not so other competitors used to more temperate home climates. Hammock siting also became a valuable skill. Occasionally, the tree / sapling our hammock was attached would suddenly lean over in the darkness, depositing us unceremoniously on the ground; or we could be next to the dreaded “snoring bear”; or tied in to a tree with highly toxic caterpillars; or teeming with army ants. With drills down pat, warnings processed and gear as sorted as it would ever be, we were
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humidity. It was interesting to see who was stronger on the downs, the ups and the flats as competitors played leapfrog in the placings, particular personal strengths allowing one to surge ahead of another. Coming from the tableflat terrain of my base in Shanghai, where the nearest hill is more than an hour away, this was a serious pain-point for me. Along with the ups came the downs – steep descents that promised sliding and slipping and the nascent emergence of hot-spots within shoes full of grit. The conditions of blisterformation – heat, moisture and friction (the unholy trinity) – were present in force, and would exact a heavy toll as the race progressed. The first leg punished, taking more than four hours. I overheard someone telling Shirley that a racer from the previous year had scoffed at how easy the first leg was. I guess this was delayed payback. The close of day one also presented the first heat-casualty, a British competitor administered IV at the medical tent and making the tough call to run no further. The second day began with another swim across the river (this was turning into a multisport event). Unfortunately, my big dry bag was completely non-functional and delaminated, so I carried lots of water in my drybag, adding unnecessarily to my burden. The second day was also scorching hot, resulting in more competitors crashing out at checkpoints. >>
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adventure run like this is also a break from work, emails, laptops and Powerpoint. An early day at my day job ends at midnight; a late day could be anything stretching to a bleary-eyed 4am. So I relished lying in my hammock at night, listening to the sounds of the jungle around me and savouring the smell of fresh air. Day four was a marathon stage, in part routed down a fast-flowing stream that we swam along – a challenging effort with fallen trees in the way. Clambering over them tiring and painful each time. By this stage our skin was so raw and chafed that any slight scrape was sheer agony. Trying to move fast was wishful thinking. We did a kilometre or two slowly, then the fresh fast-flowing water petered out into a swamp, which continued to a monotonous and excruciating degree. The second half of the day was a long hot slog on a dirt road, before coming to a beautiful beach. Resting up that night and wary of a 2am start the next morning, we were caught surprised by the calling of a sudden town hall meeting. One of the local competitors who had been in first place had been caught cheating on a motorbike, and so disqualified. Irate, and considering a loss of face, he made threats against the race and one of the other runners, who was vying for
That night’s campsite was nearby a cemetery – appropriate even in these early stages, for a few runners were already feeling like death warmed up. One competitor had five big blisters on each foot drained and refilled with friar’s balsam – meant to act as a hardening agent to hold the dead skin in place, like super-glue. The down side was that it felt like someone was taking a red-hot poker to his raw skin. Each time they plunged the needle in he would scream with a vengeance. The third day asked us for another 34km, not a long way for many ultra runners, but in a jungle, numerical values take on little relevancy to their counterparts on dry land. As we ran, we shared the forest with many creatures. I found out the hard way what interval training in the jungle was – when the bees and hornets come swarming at you, it gives a huge jolt and incentive to sprint for it. Several times in the race we came across angry bees and had to make a mad dash. It was bizarre, as I had soaked my clothes in Permethrin, a strong insect repellent supposed to be especially toxic to bees, but they did not receive the scented memo. For me, as I’m, sure many others, an
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first place. Given that our route went past his village, it was difficult to say what we would do – go on, or retrace our steps or …? While organisers worried about the rogue competitor, our concerns were focused on getting as much rest as possible before the 108km stage – essentially, we were only halfway through the race. Early next morning the decision was made – we would carry on, with a modified route entailing a boat ride around the disqualified competitor’s village area to avoid confrontation. This meant that what was usually a time cut-off (60km in 10 hours) to prevent people from being in the deep jungle at night was now a cut-off by place – the first 10 runners to reach the 38km mark would push off first, with a 3-hour round-trip between the launch and drop-off point. I was determined to make that cut-off, but it would be tough – I was usually around 15th in the pack and would have to dig deep to make it. After the first leg, I got lost in the jungle and had assumed I was out of contention when I found out at the first checkpoint that I was in 10th position. However, 11th and 12th placed runners were right behind me with only another 20km to go. With a long spell
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IMAGE: MT BULLER, AUSTRALIA / WWW.MARCEAUPHOTOGRAPHY.COM JUNGLE MARATHON FEATURE
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COMING
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EAST TIMOR >> PATAGONIA >> PERU >> JAPAN >> UNITED KINGDOM >> USA >> LARAPINTA TASMANIA >> ALPS >> GREAT OCEAN WALK >> EUROBODALLA >> CAPE TO CAPE >> GRAMPIANS
of running beach, jungle and road ahead, I summoned all the reserves I had, pounding a few power gels along the way with a strong push, and arrived at the check-point within 1520 minutes of the front pack, still in tenth. It felt like catching the last chopper out of Saigon. The rest of the night was on the beach, pushing, running and walking. Part of it was not marked but we were now a team of four: JP, a Dutch soldier and super fit; Krystof, a polish engineer who had studied in Singapore; and Jason, a former trader from the US. That night was unforgettable, as we fought fatigue and exhaustion moving along the beach, climbing rocks and trying to find a path. Near daybreak, we were making up time on the front team when we suddenly found ourselves in a deep swamp in the dark, with no trail to follow, and no more water. All our attempts to skirt around the swamp or follow the road were to no avail. In the end we resorted to jumping a school bus to the nearest town (the kids smelled so clean and fresh that we were embarrassed), then a cab ride back to our last on route point so that we could run back to the finish line and complete the leg. That night was epic. In the end we covered an extra 30km and what would have been a super-fast time had us arriving mid-pack. The final day covered last 10km along a scorching beach, with a final swim taking us
to the finish line. There were a multitude of injuries in the wash up, from a huge gash that split open the calf of one racer (he still finished, including the swamp and swims), to heat and monster blisters engulfing whole feet. As the race drew to a close, it was a battle of attrition. Tights were ripped loose on legs, skin scraped and burnt and everyone suffered heat rash. I counted myself reasonably unscathed â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which meant that my whole body was speckled with blood spots from the heat rash and completely burnt and cut-up, but nothing more serious, and unlike many others, my feet were completely blister free. After the race ended on a Saturday afternoon, I was hours later in a plane and transit for 40 hours. When I stepped off the airport in Shanghai, I had such severe swelling of my lower legs, they were as big as my thighs and when I walked, I could feel the fluids sloshing around. Only after four days could I finally see the bones on my feet, and the veins on my calves. I landed back in Shanghai on Tuesday at 8.30am and was at a conference in a suit and tie by 10am. That night, at an office event, I reflected how bizarre it was to be back in a city, wearing black-tie, when I would rather be asleep in a hammock and shivering in my shredded race clothes. For all its creature comforts the workday office will never match the allure of the adventure office, even with all its creatures and decidedly no comfort.
Masochistic side? Enter the 2014 edition of the UVU Jungle Marathon. Distances offered include: 42km, 122km or 254km.
JUNGLE MARATHON
TRAIL RUNNING TOURS COMING SOON. REGISTER YOUR INTEREST BY EMAILING YOUR CONTACT TO TOURDETRAILS@GMAIL.COM
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FEATURE EDSWORD
CON QUEST OF PARA DISE
CHRIS ORD // AUSTRALIAN EDITOR
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LOOKING UP AT THE SWISS ALPS, CONSIDERING ALL THE HISTORY AND HARDSHIP THOSE MOUNTAINS REPRESENT, STEVE BRYDON COULD FEEL EVERY CHINK IN HIS ARMOUR. HE HAD NOT DONE THE GROUNDWORK TO RUN HERE. HE STOOD THERE WARY OF THEIR ABILITY TO HUMILIATE EVEN THE MOST HIGHLY TUNED ATHLETE. HE HAD NOT STUCK TO THE TRAINING PLAN. NOT BY A LONG SHOT. NEVERTHELESS, HE STEPPED FORTH TO TAKE UP THE CHALLENGE THAT IS THE ULTRA TRAIL DU MONT BLANC. 75
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SITTING QUIETLY IN THE LOBBY OF THE PARK SWISSE HOTEL IN PLACE DU TRIANGLE DE L’AMITIÉ, CHAMONIX I REALISE IT IS THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY A WEEK THAT I AM COMPLETELY STILL AND RELAXED, BUT AM I READY? MAYBE I’M OVER THINKING THE SINGLE STEP FROM THE HOTEL INTO THE SMALL VILLAGE SQUARE, SO I STAND AND CROSS THE THRESHOLD SEPARATING COMFORT FROM CHAOS AND THE RACE DAY ATMOSPHERE OF THE 2013 ULTRA TRAIL DU MON BLANC CONSUMES ME. Although I am walking into a personal unknown, the facts and course information about the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, Europe’s’ premier mountain ultra marathon, are widely known. Every year in August more than 2000 elite and amateur athletes converge on the French alpine village of Chamonix to run the 100-mile loop around the mountain passes and valleys of the Mont Blanc Massif. I arrive in town with 166 kilometres fixed firmly in my mind and select the hotel closest to the finish line so as to avoid as many steps beyond that distance as I can. I am then
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mortified to see this year’s distance set at 168.7 Kilometres, a little over 104 miles. Perfect. The course, distances, checkpoints, crowd and finish are all irrelevant now as I wedge myself deeper into the crowd of racers and spectators. In the densely packed martialling area, racers hold spouses and children for photos, chattering away, stretching and shuffling. The colour and calamity of the minutes before race start is intoxicating. Groups of runners brush past, some smiling and laughing, most quiet and anxious, but all wearing the same pensive look: what lies ahead? Preferring to focus on preparation, I don’t engage in banter or snap pictures to celebrate the moment. I’m far too nervous, watching the time clock drain minutes in what seems like seconds. Music is blaring and I sense the carnival, but I am detached. UTMB will be my first tilt at a ‘miler’, my first real mountain race and the culmination of a very big year. Those thoughts are not useful in this moment and I quickly discard them to instead ponder my way through the emotional final minute. Like many of the thousands jostling about, I studied with enthusiasm the UTMB course >>
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When I began running...I was nearly 100 kilograms and incapable of summoning the energy for much more than ambling around a small lake”
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which snakes through the stunning Haute-Savoie, Aosta and Western Valais valleys of France, Italy and Switzerland and under the perennially snow capped peaks of the Grain Alps. I also poured over online video vignettes. Each short clip was always set to a powerful piece of music, always the same piece, and it has come to represent my soundtrack for UTMB. And so once more in that final minute, Vangelis’ haunting ‘Conquest of Paradise’ punctures my balloon of adrenalized emotion. The crowd erupts before quickly falling silent. The eeriness of standing shoulderto-shoulder with thousands of people, yet feeling so solitary has a prodigious effect. Registering and training for UTMB was never about conquering the course or the distance. But I am about the find out whether I can conquer my own fears and doubts and in doing so be amongst the mountains and see and feel them as the paradise they are. Clock down to zero, elite runners cross impatiently under the thick streamer holding them back and surge through the cobbled streets of Chamonix. The fleeting glimpse of the back of Anton, Seb, Timothy and Julian will be the last I see of them. Battles raging between runners at the front of the pack are incredibly different from the more introspective struggles happening at the tail
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end of the field. I maintain an interest in the leaders but my foes will be my own mind and body and emotions. When I began running, less than two years prior to toeing the line here in Chamonix, I was nearly 100 kilograms and incapable of summoning the energy for much more than ambling around a small lake near my home in the city of Melbourne, Australia. Qualifying for and running arguably the world’s most prestigious ultra distance race was within my grasp as much as time travel. Instead, I set my sights on completing a 250 kilometre multi-stage Sahara Race – equally ludicrous at the time. Over the course of the year I trained and trimmed, completed my first triathlon, a marathon and Oxfam trailwalk. Running gave me a freedom and confidence I never felt before and prior to arriving in Egypt I tackled ‘3 marathons in 3 days’ in Cairns and my first ultra, the inaugural Surfcoast Century along the coastal trails of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. In 2012, I completed the Sahara Race and when the dust, or sand, finally settled and registration for UTMB opened I had amassed the requisite qualifying points. Trying to slow my heart race and pace as I run through the cheers of spectators lining the road, those past battles are a long way from my thoughts. I am running in the moment >>
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FEATURE ULTRA TRAIL DU MONT BLANC
ULTRA TRAIL DU MONT BLANC FEATURE
There are thousands of people crowding the route, cheering, cries and applause of ‘bon courage’ and encouragement to ‘allez, allez’...” 80
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FEATURE ULTRA TRAIL DU MONT BLANC
ULTRA TRAIL DU MONT BLANC FEATURE
I stop my mind wandering to the finish line, and refuse to do the mathematics of distances or time. I seek and find small milestones, bite size wins...” <<
now, relaxing through 15 kilometres of gentle undulations before the first climb to Col de Voza to reach Les Contamines. It is dark when I step into the checkpoint and crowded tents stocked with steaming soup, bread and a staggering array of food and drink choices. When I pause, to sit and rest for just a few minutes my thoughts are in the mountains, visualising the climbs and setting my mind to accept the toll the Alps will exact from me. When I step back into darkness, the night has grown cold and I don my mandatory warm gear. My gait is steady and breathing controlled but I cannot avoid staring up and ahead to the dark silhouettes of towering peaks dominating the horizon. They are only visible in the low cloud as other runner torches betray their fierce profile. The zig-zag of lights negotiating switchbacks through the high passes rise until they blend seamlessly with a sea of stars. Otherwise, my race is reduced to the few metres illuminated by my head torch and I wage the first internal war. The long thin line of runners is reduced to walking, silently trudging up Crois du Bonhomme (2479 m) and shuffling into the first life base at Le Chapieux. Runners are allowed to take a half hour sleep at life bases, but most elect to move through the night. I have never heard a runner say they had no tough times in a race; hitting ‘dark patches’ is unavoidable but manageable. Similarly, there are joyous bright moments of euphoria but they are fleeting. The highs and lows occur at multiple stages, are rarely predictable and part of the challenge that lures runners into trail ultras. Everyone has different methods for managing the emotional extremes. Right now, I’m feeling low. I don’t chatter,
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rarely look up and use all my willpower to focus on positive parts of training, telling myself I expected these tough patches and to keep moving. Nothing to see here. I stop my mind wandering to the finish line, and refuse to do the mathematics of distances or time. I seek and find small milestones, bite size wins that develop momentum until my trudge finds some rhythm and I start moving more easily. Thankful that another dark moment is behind me, I race more in the moment, lifting my head to the mountains, watching the procession of head torches climb higher and tuning out the scratching and strikes of trekking poles ahead and behind me. We are snaking through a high pass and it’s cold; very cold. My hands are clad in thick gloves and my head is covered in a tight fitting insulated beanie. I can see my breath passing through the Buff pulled over my eyes and keeping my neck warm. My head torch is not as bright as other’s but it’s enough to illuminate my way and I can see the path clearly. Walking through the night does not bother me; in some respects I enjoy the challenge of the quiet discomfort. Well before I cross the French-Italian border into Courmayeur, at 77 kilometres, my race plan and controlled eating regime goes out the window, left somewhere back down the path with my morale. Instead, as I pass through each checkpoint, I haphazardly scoff mouthfuls of bread, soup and refill my water bladder and inhale cups of Coca-Cola. The sugar and caffeine does wonders to stave off fatigue. My spirits lift when I start to see the faint shadows, tinged with the slightest glow, of the Alps ahead. Daylight is close and despite >>
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FEATURE ULTRA TRAIL DU MONT BLANC
ULTRA TRAIL DU MONT BLANC FEATURE
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THE AUTHOR, STEVE BRYDON CROSSES THE UTMB LINE.
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the pre-dawn chills I am starting to thaw and come alive again. It is during these more positive patches that I devise tactics to combat doubt. Enjoy this moment, I tell myself, but prepare for the next. When I eventually spy my wife, Leanne, who is my support crew in more ways than one, in the throng at Courmayeur, she has a smile for me. Do I want something sweet, a sandwich, something to drink, a change of clothes? She is hurried and purposeful while I am lethargic. She is the frenetic pit crew doing what is required to keep the old engine on the road. Her competence and understanding is encouraging and uplifting and once I get into new socks and shirt, clean up a little, even slap on some deodorant, I’m a new man and back out the door. The next few hours – all day in fact – is climbing, climbing, climbing, either up or down. Climbing up is brutal on the muscles and the pounding descents are just hellish on the bones. Feet, knees and hips are tested over and over and the cumulative damage starts to take a physical and mental toll. Shortly after passing the 100-kilometre point I walk headlong into the darkest moments of my race. The 46km from Courmayeur to Champex in Switzerland takes me more than 14 hours. I spend time thinking about my children and my goals, talking to myself: “This is what you wanted”, “It is a privilege to be here”, “Champex is not far and you can rest again”, and so on. Despite how awful I feel going into my second full night of racing I never question why I am doing this race. I don’t know if that is because I do not know the answer or I am scared of the answer. Champex is festive. I am not. What I want is to be left alone, or perhaps bundled up into a balI and rolled into a corner to die.
thE breath of ghosts
My suffering doesn’t need an audience but when Leanne leads me to a table I am buoyed by the banter around me. Talking to others drags me out of my shell and the distraction is invigorating. Back out into the cold I face a series of checkpoints, killer climbs and knee rattling descents into wooded valleys and forest paths. And so it goes for the afternoon, a full sleepless night, then a bright hot day and another cold, sleepless night. By dawn on the final day, limping into Vallorcine I have covered 148km and just as the end seems within grasp the Alps has other plans. I struggle through the bleakest patch of my race. The penultimate stage is only 10 kilometres long, a simple up and over. But I just can’t stay awake. I am seeing figures sitting at the side of the road, casualties of the race. The only problem is that some of them aren’t actually sitting there. I am hallucinating with a serious case of what they call the ‘sleepmonsters’. Fighting to keep my eyes open, I sleep and walk. When I staggered back into France at the final checkpoint at Vallorcine I am a zombie. I confess to my support: “I have no idea how I can do another 19km.” Leanne replies: “You have done so much, what do you need to do to finish?” I have the answer. I have been thinking about it for the past few hours. “I’ve been imagining myself writing an email,” I tell her. “I can’t stop thinking about how awful it would be to sit down in a few hours and write and tell people that I have failed.” It is an odd feeling. I don’t think it is ego nor bravado, but I can’t bare the thought of all the encouragement I had received – kind emails, messages and donations for the autism charity I fundraise for – being repaid with excuses of why I gave up. The emotional
STEVE BRYDON
Steve Brydon is an adventure runner who chose the aim of running in the Sahara Desert as his doorway to reinvigorating a life he admits was slowly killing him. In his recently released book, The Breath of Ghosts, Steven recounts how he battled depression and substance abuse during a journey from self-deception to self-discovery and demonstrates the extraordinary changes we are capable of when we redefine our own start and finish lines. With unflinching honesty he challenges his motivations, relationships and decisions, and discovers the questions we often ask of ourselves are as important as the conclusions we draw. The Breath of Ghosts is available on Amazon.com.
CHECK OUT THE BOOK
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FEATURE ULTRA TRAIL DU MONT BLANC
I have no doubt I’ll soon forget the climbs and place names, and the fortysix hours I have spent in the mountains will fade back to brief moments.”
ENTER NOW! www.seasonsofpain.com.au
THERE’S A FINE LINE BETWEEN <<
special. I have no doubt I’ll soon forget the climbs and place names, and the forty-six hours I have spent in the mountains will fade back to these brief moments. When I finally hit tarmac, a mere kilometre or so from the finish line, I see my friend Adrian. His smile is as broad as mine and he congratulates me and we set off together. In those last minutes I experience what I have so long pushed out of my mind and why so many people rate UTMB their must-race event. The entire town and valley of hamlets seems to have invaded the streets. There are literally thousands of people crowding the route, cheering, cries and applause of ‘bon courage’ and encouragement to ‘allez, allez’ carries me around the narrow streets and finally under that towering blue banner that in only two days had morphed from intimidating to inviting. I cross under the banner with my hands held high after 44 hours 20 minutes and 13 seconds. I am as elated as I am exhausted. Did I conquer paradise? I most certainly not. But I did achieve what I set out to do: complete a miler. I may never (who am I kidding, will never) draw comparison with the likes of elite runner Timothy Olsen, I echo his sentiment as he reflected on his own race: “I never thought I was going to accomplish this one, not for over half the race; I’ve never had so much doubt in myself as I struggled again and again to make peace with how the day was unfolding. I’m extremely happy to have finished and overcome adversity to cross the line in beautiful Chamonix.” Well said Tim. Bon courage.
pain of quitting for me is more difficult then limping slowly onward for a few more hours. “I am reasonably tough,” I say to my wife. “But I’m not tough enough to quit.” It sounds trite but it’s how I feel at the time. After such a long and emotional build up I am terrified of what my mental state would be if I played the same scenario over and over in my head when I return home. A little recuperation, food and encouragement performs miracles. The sun is shining now and I am five hours from the finish. To come through the most difficult patch so close to the finish line is a blessing in disguise; the darkest moment only a tick before the dawn. Shaking off the self-doubt (self pity) I stumble into the brightest phase of my race. The climb up Col de Montets is a series of steep switchbacks but is far from the torture I imagined it to be. For the first time I enjoy conversation with a fellow competitor. Tristan Miller and I share the final climb past a few false crests and pause at the top. When he pulls out the camera for a ‘selfie’ we pose, smile and snap away. I am elated and at this, the happiest point of my race, a small herd of Chamois mountain goats’, crest a rocky bluff to complete the postcard. Tristan, renowned for running 52 marathons in 52 weeks in 42 countries, pauses to make a Father’s Day call to his Dad from the final summit. His interlude gives me opportunity to reflect on the small moments as I cross the pass at Argentière before the final twists and turns into Chamonix. A phone call, a fleeting glimpse of wildlife or a smile and hug make these events
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PLEASURE & PAIN
SATURDAY 8th FEBRUARY TRAIL RUN + MOUNTAIN BIKE MULTISPORT WWW.SEASONSOFPAIN.COM.AU MT BAW BAW, VICTORIA
HIGH
FEATURE
STORY+IMAGES: Anna Frost
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FEATURE MOROCCO
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MOROCCO FEATURE
IWI TRAIL QUEEN ANNA FROST SEEMED TO HAVE LOST HER TRAIL MOJO. SHE STILL LOVED IT. SHE WAS STILL GOOD AT IT. BUT THE VIBES WEREN’T ALIGNING AND INJURY NIGGLED. IN SEARCH OF A LITTLE REINVIGORATION, SHE JOINED FELLOW ADVENTURE TRAILITES LIZZY HAWKER AND MOHAMED AHANSAL ON A MISSION TO REGAIN HER FLOW IN MOROCCO’S HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS. Imlil (1790m) to Gite Azib Tamsoult (2250m) Distance: 10km In my mind Morocco is orange. And orange is what I get, with sunrays streaking through the airplane windows as we circle down to Marrakech. We don’t waste time. British ultra trail runner Lizzy Hawker, local trail legend Mohamed Ahansal, and I hit the road to Imlil, a two-hour drive through orange sand dunes, bumpy worn out roads and, a surprise to me, apple orchards surrounded by green river beds. It is a buzzing little village, orange ceramic Tajines (a Berber ceramic dish used to steam the traditional meals of meat, vegetables and couscous) lined up and steaming, sheep and goat heads hanging, blood dripping body parts getting chopped, fruit and vegetables, donkeys towing carts, buses honking, flies searching, cats and dog squabbling. The roads appear lawless and chaotic but somehow it works. With 8kg loaded on my back we head for Gite Azib Tamsoult. It is a hot afternoon and within minutes my legs are orange with dust sticking to the beads of sweat forming. We climb the first pass Tz Mzik (2469m) where we get our first real taste of Moroccan tea. A small group of Berbers (the ethnic group indigenous to North Africa) gather under a tree, their mule grazing under another. They are packing up lunch from a group of tourists just gone by, but are in no rush. One of them recognises Mohamed – a running and mountain guide legend in the area – and invited us to share ‘tea’. This, we learn, is more that just tea. Not only is
it full, and I mean really full, of sugar (Morocco consuming 3-5kg of extra added sugar per year per person) it is also packed with fresh mint. Now for the process. Hot water is added to the pot, swirled, lid opened, pot on flame, lid closed, one pour into a glass, back to the pot, swirl and now we are ready. But wait, it is all about the pour. Held up high and tilting the pot slowly to create the sound of a waterfall. This symbolises calm, rest, time and peace with friends new and old. And it is delicious. Buzzing with sugar we are back on track. There are perfect trails wanting to be run on, but not being used to the weight of the bag yet we walk on past interested Berber and their herds of little goats. These herds will be called down from the high mountains as the sun sets leaving skies of orange, to be tucked away in their little hamlets safe in the valley floors. There is an obvious and strong connection between Berber and animal. One call from the Berber and the following calls from the babies that have been kept safe down low bring the herd out from nowhere. The goats’ connection with the land is wonderful to watch. Their movement on what seems to be an impassable route is so fluid and natural as they come down to meet the babies that have started scrambling up the scree. Darkness comes and we all cuddle into the small gite (accommodation) where I read until my eyes can’t stay open anymore. It is 8:30pm. This is what I love about being in the mountains. You go back to natural sleep and habit patterns. You sleep and wake with the mountain and its life. Azib Tamsoult to Refuge Toubkal (3200m) Distance: 15km I open eyes and senses to the sounds of the mountain waking up. The wind blowing; animals calling to their masters to get ready; the Berber preparing tea. The crisp air is refreshing after such a hot day prior. On the trail my mind is taken back >>
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FEATURE MOROCCO
MOROCCO FEATURE
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to Nepal as we pass our first loaded mules for the day. They are carrying 100-150kg. Their skinny legs seem like they will snap under the load. One of my last encounters with a loaded yak was not pretty. Apparently I was in the way so she butted me, throwing me to the ground, expelling me of any air to breathe and sending blood splattering from my hand. So I approach these mules with caution. At the bottom of the route to the Agalzim Pass (3500m), I see a number of early starters getting going on the 92 zigzags up. As we approach the top, the sight of the mountain Toubkal (the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains and in North Africa) greets us. It has a light dusting on snow and sits proudly above the valley. We are greeted by Berber and his coke shop. Chilled? Not really, but sitting there in a bucket or hanging from a tree, waiting for us tourists to crack in the heat, high altitude and the lack of energy. The mules have packed down a superb track contouring towards Toubkal. I soar forward, with the freedom of a bird, the lightness of air and acceptance of weight, I run. Until, with the slight change of technique from the bag, I trip in one of those heart-thumping-and-stoppingat-the-same-time-recovery-scrambles. I quickly remembered I was not a bird and kept walking. The smell of wet dog is in the air at the
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jam packed Toubkal Refuge. The smoky fire is drying out sweaty clothes from peoples’ adventure to the top of North Africa. Judging from the sound of the happy but tired chatter amongst the groups huddled around their steaming soups, they care little about the smell, still ecstatic from their day. Finding a spare mattress and dropping my bag, I feel bird-like again and I set off down the valley for a quick evening run in the cold air and strong winds. I did something I haven’t done for months: I ran for more than 30mins. I felt like I did in 1985. Tiny, 4-years old. Setting off in my little dress and backpack, life ahead of me, with everything I needed behind me: love and happiness from my parents and sister. It woke the ‘Anna’ up, she who has been lying dormant, I smiled as she yawned and knocked at the door to be let out to see the light. A weight was lifted (as well as no back pack) and I skipped jumped and giggled past the mules. And then just like that as I turned to go back up into the thin air my bird wings turned to elephant ears and I flapped my way back to the refuge. Refuge Toubkal to Toubkal summit (4169m) return via plane crash route Distance: 15km Snoring, door banging, wind howling and the 4am starter’s crash bang and chattering didn’t make for a great sleep. But excitement and suspension and some fret filled the hut.
Mohamed was going up the mountain for his 100+ time. Passing the hundreds of hikers on the way up, we reached the top in 1hr 15min (compared to his fastest ascent of 48min) and completely on our own. We could celebrate this mountain amongst ourselves. The views extend across the Atlas Mountain range. Clouds cover the sea. As the hoards arrive we set off down on a route not used by the masses. We pass a plane crash... apparently with money on board which got lost to the villages in the valley. The run is a little technical at points with snow and frost covering the slick black rock. The wind is still howling. We find a little patch of sun and bask in it fully clothed but oit’s not enough to vanish a chill to my bone. Walking on to Tizin Ohanams pass to see lake and Imlil beyond we are surrounded by mountains sliced with colour. Refuge Toubkal to Ouanoukrim (4100, 4069, 4065) return. Distance: 9km To Imlil. Distance: 11km We have walked for two hours up a small, unspoiled trail. An ever-changing valley of flowers, green, sun, goats, ridge lines, red, stone, sand, grass, donkeys, wind. We are standing on the top of Ouanoukrim looking >>
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FEATURE MOROCCO
MOROCCO FEATURE
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at Toubkal. I have seen no-one. Yet on top of Toubkal yesterday morning stood 150 visitors. We are only 100 metres lower. And here there is no one. We walk another kilometre and get in two more mountaintops (above 4000m - part of the Ouanoukrim range). Still no-one. Why? Why do we want to get to the top? Sure, it is the highest but what is it that we need at the highest that we can’t get 100 metres lower? I can’t get this out of mind. I can’t find any real reasons. As we come back to the refuge we pass the last of the hundreds that are returning from their Toubkal summit. To Imlil we return, cheering on some of the final Ultra Trail Atlas Toubkal (UTAT) runners at about the 70 of 105kms. They are looking happy but a bit wind- and dust-blown from a long day and night high up in the mountain passes. If you are looking for a good hard 100km challenge in Morocco, this one is it. Imlil to Timichi (2008m) Distance: 24km After two restless nights, today we have an easy start with Berber bread and butter with sweet and spicy coffee. At this lower altitude and out of the bone chilling wind it is already warm. We speak about feeling small amongst
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these high and vast mountains, valleys and plateaus. “One drop in the sea,” says Mohamed. “One piece of sand in the Sahara,” I say. I ask about religion. 90% of Moroccans are Muslim, 5% Christian and the rest a mix of minorities. His religious view is to be kind, be good and share happiness. With his endless smile he does just that. In general we are quieter today. We are thirsty, tired and hot and maybe we just happy in our own space, walking through the mountains and forgotten villages. Our silence is broken as we reach the valley floor and there are Cactus figs. The thirst quencher and energy shot. In the Timichi Valley, they grow year round. Used mainly for bees to feed on to make delicious honey, today they are our dessert. All you need is a knife to get in and some tweezers to get the prickles out. Timichi (2008m) to Imlil via Oukaimeden (2600m) Distance: 27.5km By now my legs are almost used to the extra 8kg on my back. We have done a lot of vertical accent and I can feel my strength building. My lungs are not screaming in the thin air and the noise of my heart beating doesn’t keep me awake at night.
This morning we start with a vertical kilometre. Me versus mule. She is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse (the other way makes a Hinny). She will never pass on her wonderful endurance and strength genes as she and all her fellow mules are infertile. I pass her in the bottom third. She gets a fright out of her sleep walk and follows me along the rough path. She is panting right behind me, her saliva dripping down my bag. She walks like they run here. Sprint for a little bit and then walk, sprint, walk. I am sticking to a steady pace. She drops back to catch her breath and I think I have made the gap but before I know it she is back. We move up the zigzags together and then I make my move, I can see it is getting steeper and rockier. I actually feel for her in those hard hooves and skinny legs. How does she do it? At the top I can see over to Oukaimeden, a plateau at 2600 metres. A tourist ski area, it seems lifeless and artificial. I drop my bag and the dirt road makes a nice change to stretch my legs out and run. Mohamed does some speed work, I attempt to but my face-off with the mule has left heavy legs. As I stride back along the dirt road she passes me, with her 150kg load. I guess we will see her again in Imlil. A 35km day for her, too, but instead of 8kg, she carries nearly twenty times. >>
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FEATURE MOROCCO
MOROCCO FEATURE
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In 1510 the fortress fell to the local resistance of the Regraga sub-tribe who came from the mountains to the region. During the 16th century, Spain, England, the Netherlands and France all tried unsuccessfully to conquer Essaouria and the influence of each is still obvious today. Outside these walls the little blue boats stack up in the port to get in through the wall to sell their fresh fish of the day. This is the smell. Dead Fish, fish guts, alive fish, fish pots. Everywhere you look there are fish. We walk by quickly as the normal life goes on for these people so used to this stench. Away from the port we wander through the small and quaint, colourful and creative souks. The people are welcoming and interested but not too pushy. I can now smell mint and spices, incense and Tajines cooking, a nice change. Finally we sit for the first great coffee and fresh orange juice in the sun. The light turns to orange and we head back to our homely gite on the beach to watch the sunset as the camels wander home for the day. The stars cover the black in a glittered blanket and I fall soundly asleep to the sound of the crashing waves.
We refuel with omelette and sugar loaded tea before we leave the mountains to recover at the sea after six wonderfully fulfilling days in the Toubkal. It is pitch black when we arrive, but there is no question about where we are. The waves crash, the smell of the ocean surrounding us and the salt air filling our lungs. We sleep well. Sidi Kaouki and Essaouria I wake with a smile on my face. The waves are luring me to the beach. It isn’t quite daylight yet so I greet the sunrise running along the never ending beach of Sidi Kaouki, a little surf town just south of Essaouria. The land is covered in Argan trees. And brilliantly, in 1998, UNESCO declared almost 10,000 square miles of southwest Morocco, including the whole Argan growing region, to be a special “biosphere reserve.” The trees are used to make Argan oil for cosmetics, eating and massage as well as to feed the little goats with. They also act as a shield against expansion of the Sahara Desert. I try a friendly nomad’s home brew of the oil. It is rich with flavour, like I am eating the oil directly from the nut. My Berber corn bread makes for a delicious dip as we enjoy a long breakfast looking out to the horizon. Essaouria – also know as la petite Marrakech - stinks. Yes, stinks. I smell it as we are still driving along side the ocean where the sky is full of kites from the surfers enjoying the gusty winds and the camels rest on the beach. There is action. The old village is a fortress surrounded by big walls, lined with massive cannons ready to fight. In 1506 the Portuguese seized and occupied Essaouria as well as six other Moroccan towns and built stand-alone fortresses on the Atlantic coast.
Marrakech The excitement of Marrakech wears off quickly. The souks are exactly as expected. Except for the price these guys start bargaining at. After being in the energy-giving mountains for a week, the city zaps mine all in one afternoon. The ‘Blue Gardens’, the souk, palaces, monuments, museums. All with so many stories of wealth, health and disaster. I wish I had worn a GPS as I am sure I would have clocked at least 15-20km. The monkeys on chains, snakes dancing on something unnatural, the beggars and flies on everything
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were just too much in the end and I needed to get out for a run. We visited the course of the world crosscountry championships. Once a lush green course, surrounded with ponds, trees and flowers, now a barren, brown and rubble mound in the land, telling yet another story of disintegration. Return I walk outside onto the steel steps, cold raindrops hit my face, freezing air strikes my lungs. In my silk skirt and light top I am too cold. But it is a refreshing feeling. The sky is black with storm and the mountains are dusted with snow. I have stepped off the plane in Geneva. It is so normal. And I like that. It is easy. It makes me think of this strange world we live in. So unequal, what some people consider acceptable and what some people do not. Morocco has been a love/ hate relationship for me. Mountains force truth. Cities are a bustling marketplace of lies.
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WATCH: Get a sense of where Anna ran with this promo of the 2013 Ultra Trail Atlas Toubkal
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FEATURE
Running the ‘Nam WORDS: Rachel Jacqueline IMAGES: Jeri Chua
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FEATURE VIETNAM
VIETNAM FEATURE
South East Asia – with its riches of village-to-village singletrack and cultural intrigue – is quickly becoming a travelling trail runner’s paradise. In the name of research, TRM’s Asian Editor heads to Sapa, Vietnam, to run an inaugural 70km ultra making best use of the region’s landscape.
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THEY SAY “GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT”. AFTER A FLIGHT TO HANOI, A SQUASHED TAXI RIDE, A CLATTERING NINE-HOUR OVERNIGHT TRAIN TO REMOTE SAPA IN VIETNAM’S NORTH AND NOW, A PRECARIOUS BUS RIDE OVER YET ANOTHER ROCKY PATCH OF ROAD, I WAS PRAYING WHOEVER ‘THEY’ IS, WAS RIGHT. Together with a clan of Hong Kong runners, I was making my way to the remote hilltops of Hoang Lien National Park, home to Indochina’s highest peak of Fansipan (3,143m). Our mission: to take part in the inaugural Vietnam Mountain Marathon, a 70 kilometre ultra marathon through Sapa’s hills, a mission I was feeling less than ready for with a day’s travel behind me. As the bus driver maneuvered dangerously close to the side of a dirt road bordering a steep drop, I wasn’t sure I’d even get to begin. But the excitement of my fellow competitors, gathered from all corners of the globe, was infectious. How often do you get to tackle 70 kilometres of trails through rice fields and lush terraced hillsides, with water buffaloes, mountain pigs and cheering local children for company? Our base for the weekend was Topas Ecolodge, perched on the hillsides of the National Park and offering breathtaking views of the valley below. Shortly after we arrived (intact), my sleep-deprived self took it all in with a smile. I had the feeling it wouldn’t just be a “good” weekend, but a brilliant one. After a jovial introduction from race director, Asger Køppen, it became clear that the Vietnam Mountain Marathon was not your average trail race, but a grand-scale production fuelled by a fiery passion for Sapa’s mountains. After moving to the region late in 2012 with wife, Pernille, Asger not only fell in love with the area, but
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also quickly realised its potential as a racing destination. “I thought ‘I need to show this to my running friends’,” he says with a grin. But the journey between idea and fruition is a long one, especially in developing Vietnam. “Arranging big events in Vietnam is a challenge; you need permission from a long list of local authorities on many levels,” he explains with a pained expression on his face. Plus there was the fact that the local Vietnamese didn’t actually believe running 70 kilometres in one day was humanly possible. Luckily Asger is persuasive. The rest of Friday was spent as lazily as possible: after a detailed race briefing, where each section of the course was dissected in minute detail using Google Earth, runners had a packed afternoon itinerary of yoga and mountain hikes. With a fully belly after yet another extensive buffet meal, I called it an early night, bracing for the next day’s 4am start. No matter how many times I run a race, there’s still something strangely thrilling, and at the same time frightening, about knowing you’re about to run an ultra. You know the idea isn’t altogether sensible, yet there’s a childlike curiosity about exploring what’s possible, and the joy in knowing you’re about to collect a swag of scratches, dirt and sweat like trophies along the way. Casting aside my mind’s ramblings, I quickly changed into my race gear and made my way to breakfast. It was 3:30am and I wasn’t hungry, but I ate anyway, then hurried to the start to join the bevy of nervous runners making last minute preparations by headlamp. With a hasty “3-2-1-GO!” we were on our way to the rhythm of heavy footsteps on gravel. The race began with a six-kilometre stretch of road, allowing us some time to wake up the legs and find some sort of rhythm. Still dark, the course then veered off to a steep left. Asger’s cautionary >>
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FEATURE VIETNAM
VIETNAM FEATURE
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words during the race briefing echoed in my ears (“Slow down, this is not the world championships, the hills are muddy!”) as I flung myself down the steep hill, trusting the heavy grip of new shoes. After a steep climb through a thick bamboo forest we emerged into a valley once again. As if on cue, the sun began to rise and illuminated the scenery that would be our playground for the day: endless rice paddies etched into steep hillsides, rushing rivers through muddy jungles and narrow bridges. With the excitement of it all, a few runners and I got a little lost (and I fell almost head first in a rice paddy), but it wasn’t long until we were on our way again. I found a rhythm and stayed in it, with my breath and the odd runner for company, for the rest of the day. As the sun made its arc through the sky, the hours passed by in a pastiche of luscious greens. That’s what I remember the most: green. Living in a grey city, the vibrancy of such colour becomes more acute, and I found myself absorbed by it. But there were punctuations to the day, too. At one point I chased buffaloes off the trail; at another I got attacked by a small group of overzealous puppies defending their territory. With each village came another hill tribe – Sapa is home to five different ethnic minorities – and each welcomed us with a smile while the small children, their eyes wide and curious, reminding me of the ridiculousness of our ultra endeavors. After 50 kilometres, we reached the most challenging point of the day: seven kilometres of ceaseless “douchegrade” – a hill not too steep to (usually) force you into a walk, but with enough rise to work you hard. “Run or walk,” I wondered? Legs won. Walk. With the welcomed company of fellow Hong Kong runners, Alex and Adrian, I pulled out the poles and trudged on. After what seemed like an eternity, we finally made it to the top, the 102
exhaustion of the day catching up. We shared a sugar hit and a quiet moment before setting off. Finally, after more than nine hours (and losing poor Adrian to a bad case of runner’s trots and Alex to a bung ankle), I was greeted at the last checkpoint by an exuberant, though tired-looking Asger. He told me about his struggles with mischievous village children stealing the course markers and wearing them like ribbons around their neck, before urging me back on my way. “Only seven kilometres to go, you’re doing so well!” the happy Dane exclaimed. Continuing the theme of the event, the final kilometers weaved through riced paddies and then back on the hot road, now sizzling in the heat of the day. I forced myself to run the last five kilometres and finally made it to the finish to a showering of clapping and cheering from fellow runners. I’d managed just a little over 10 and a half hours and just shy of the top 10, but more importantly a long way off my estimated 12-13 hours for the day. My running buddy, Nora, third place female of the day, bear hugged me with excitement. It’s these moments of joy we truly run for; sharing the triumphs and celebrating the achievements with those who know them best. After a shower, and with a beer in hand, I returned to the gaggle of runners sprawled in the sunshine around the finish, welcoming each runner. In between a flurry of hollering, we shared our tales from the day with exaggerated hand movements, laughter and the odd grimace. And the sun returning to its place behind the mountains didn’t dampen our cheers - with a bonfire blazing in the background, we looked out for the solo headlamps coming towards the finish line, the cheers now getting louder in direct correlation with the beers consumed. But perhaps the loudest cheer of all was for Asger - sleep deprived, delirious and with a bottle of whiskey in hand held up triumphantly: the inaugural VMM had gone off without (much of) a hitch.
After a meal of barbequed pork, chicken and generous lashings of fried rice, I sat with fellow runners pondering just what it was that made the event so special, and what had made it truly worth the journey. It was a bloody long way to come – that we all agreed. But it turns out, ‘They’ are right. We waited. We ran. And good things came. Newfound running buddy, Jeri Chua, put it best: “I think it is the fact that that it takes you so far out of the city,” she said. “Life - and everything else - becomes infinitely more simplified.” With a beer in hand and the buzz of exhaustion still abundant, I couldn’t agree more (if you discount getting to the start line).
Registration is open for Vietnam, Mountain Marathon 2014. A running camp is also being held in May 2014 for eager runners.
WEBSITE FOR DETAILS
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RANT
COLUMN // RICH’S RANT
TRAIL MUSE
“The hills are alive with the sound of music” That well-known line from the famous musical of 1965 The Sound of Music, defines to me what trail running is about. I don’t listen to music out on the single track and never have done because There seems to be an already carefully constructed chorus put together by a god-like composer called Nature. THOSE TWEETING NOTES OF THE BIRD VARIETY - AND NOT THE ONES THAT GET QUICKER ON THE BUILD-UP OF A TECHNO TRACK - COMBINED WITH THE WHISTLE OF THE WIND PAST TREE TRUCKS - AND NOT THE RAVE HEAD THAT’S BLOWING THEIR FLURO WHISTLE TO THAT SAME TWEETING TRACK: THESE SOUNDS OF THE EARTH HAVE SOME PROFOUND EFFECT ON EVEN THE MOST DEVOTED MUSIC FANS. That said I have many a hard hitting lyric that runs through my head that I conform to the rustling of leaves and the harsh call of a passing cockatoo.
“You gotta work bitch,” 104
…..would interrupt my spiritual daze as I’m under the hypnotising state of a long run. How does Britney Spears interrupt the peace and make it into the natural sounds of the great outdoors? I realise it’s not the peace she is interrupting but my pace.
“You want a Maserati, you want a hot body… you gotta work” …replace a few of those words with such lines as “ripped quads” and “speed” and it begins to work in your favour of increasing the pace, or helping you tackle the next climb. All of a sudden you have a powerful concoction of modern pop and natural elements that spur you further and faster down the single track. 105
RANT
COLUMN // RICH’S RANT
I reckon the earphones should stay at home, as runners of dirt we can be far more spurred on through nature’s own bass line. But, does it have to be that tacky? I don’t feel you get the choice. As trailites, we beeline for the trailhead for similar reasons: getting away from the rat race, people, advertising and bumper to bumper traffic; all that business and noise. This noise is ingrained in our subconscious; we run on trails to rid the mind of such city trash. But it takes time to feel at peace, and we feel better for just being amongst it for an hour or two, the clearing process of that city trash comes out with the sweat. The noises of our busy lives often persist, advertising song jingles flutter through my thoughts:
was when I ran New Zealand’s Te Araoa Trail. 2000km into the 3054km journey and yet another hard day of high mountain passes and these words came to me, through the breeze that whispered past my ears and into the muffled rushing of water in the river below:
“This corner of the earth is like me in many ways I can sit for hours here and watch the emerald feathers play, on the face of this I’m blessed when the sunshine comes for free; I know this corner of the earth it smiles at me. So inspired that there is nothing left to do or say, I’ll think I’ll dream until the stars shine” Jamiroquai, Corner of the Earth And you thought I didn’t have a spiritual side? Nature’s sounds and musical lyrics make me both emotionally deep and a pop princess with a touch of Broadway! That’s something we don’t control. We would all like to think we were perhaps tougher than this leaning on rap lines such as:
“That, that don’t kill me, can only make me stronger” - Kanye West or perhaps Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’. But the real you gets to come out when turning the legs over through the beauty of the outdoors, and that’s likely the appeal. The longer we run for, the more we experience in so many ways; we notice the small details and tiniest of sounds. Bring that all together and trail running’s a work of art, a Picasso or a Banksy, a 100 piece orchestra or an AC/DC. The real world and the constructed world collide here. Many a famous artist wrote their lyrics out of their minds on drugs and booze. In a much healthier way running takes us out of our minds. I don’t know your running theme tune, but get out there and create one on that ever calling single track…and do me a favour leave Eye of the Tiger (Survivor) in your tape deck!
Storm
“I like Aeroplane Jelly, Aeroplane Jelly for me” I don’t even do jelly! But, if it’s Qantas’s “I still call Australia home” it has a far more powerful meaning in being patriotic and loving what we have to run amongst here. I reckon the earphones should stay at home, as runners of dirt we can be far more spurred on through nature’s own bass line. You can feel its riff, you can be part of you very own private concert, while putting one foot in front of the other, and She gives it to you in abundance. Just listen out there on the trail, you hear that? That’s life in musical terms, that’s powerful, that has energy, movement and some of the best lyrics. It always has a positive effect on your state of mind, hell, you can change the world on your gut-busting pursuit through the bush
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“Heal the World, make it a better pace”
BETWEEN FULL AND DIMMED POWER ON THE TOUCH SENSITIVE HOUSING PAD.
MJ’s now gone, but those words and the pitter-patter of rain makes you want to moonwalk the ridgeline
“Who’s bad?” It’s real powerful stuff. My deepest natural musical connection
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Agree with Rich? Or want to tell him to step down from the soapbox? Have your say on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/trailrunmag. Richard Bowles is an adventure runner extraordinaire – rather shy and retiring as you can tell. Check out his ongoing global adventure runs at www.richardbowles.com.au.
enquiries@seatosummit.com.au 08 9221 6617 seatosummitdistribution.com.au
• SLEEK, LOW PROFILE DESIGN USES 4 AAA BATTERIES THAT PROVIDE UP TO 200 HOURS BURN TIME (MAX ON LOWEST SETTING). • SETTINGS INCLUDE FULL STRENGTH IN PROXIMITY AND DISTANCE MODES, DIMMING, STROBE, RED NIGHT VISION AND LOCK MODE. • THREE-LEVEL POWER METER SHOWS REMAINING BATTERY LIFE FOR 3 SECONDS AFTER SWITCHING ON HEADLAMP. • BATTERY SAVING LOCK-OUT MODE. • PROTECTED AGAINST WATER IMMERSION DOWN TO 1 M (3.3 FT) FOR 30 MINUTES (IPX 7).
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REVIEW take outs BROOKS CASCADIA 9
Great for: anything. Seriously, anything.
Not-so-great for: uber minimalists and those looking for low heel-toe drop.
Test Conditions: mostly technical single track with some beefy in-the-wet sessions
Tester: Chris Ord, editor, Trail Run Mag
Tester Mechanics: mid-foot striker whose form diminishes in proportion to time on trail, slight pronator.
VITALS
$239.95 Information online at: www.brooksrunning.com.au
CASCADE OF DREAMS CAN ANYONE THINK OF A MOVIE SEQUEL BEYOND SAY VERSION TWO THAT OUTSTRIPS ITS ORIGINAL (PORN FLICKS NON ADMISSIBLE)? IF ANYONE SAYS POLICE ACADEMY 3, 4, 5, 6 OR 7, I’LL KILL YOU (TANGENTIAL NOTE: THERE’S A NEW SEQUEL BEING PRODUCED IN 2014). THE MESSAGE BEING THAT RARELY ARE FRANCHISE FILMS ANY GOOD AND EQUALLY, IT’S HARD TO TRULY UPDATE A SHOE MORE THAN A FEW TIMES AND STILL MAKE ANY SIGNIFICANT GAINS, UNLESS YOU CREATE AN ENTIRELY NEW SHOE, WITH LITTLE GENEALOGY, IN WHICH CASE, CALL IT SOMETHING ELSE. I
MEAN, HOW MANY TIMES CAN YOU HAVE PLASTIC SURGERY BEFORE EVERYTHING JUST FALLS OFF? Well, there’s always a rule breaker and the latest Cascadia 9s are it. I’ve run a most of the iterations of this model. Rarely have I been disappointed, mind you, like I was with Police Academy: Back In Training. The Cascadia 3s were actually my first trail shoe, and I loved them straight out of the box after they saw me through my first ever bush marathon. Subsequent versions have performed well, too, although I wasn’t a fan of them putting on the beef with each subsequent edition. But with the 9s, they’ve got me as excited 110
Brooks Cascadia 9
as a movie buff that has heard the director of Breaking Bad is making the next instalment of The Godfather. True story: when I got these shoes, and felt them in my hand, there was something about them that had me whacking them on there and then, mid conversation (sorry wife), out my front door and running on my back door trails. I was still in jeans. I just needed to try them out. They had a power over me like the Ring had over Gollum. And I seriously let out a holler as I ran in them on a rainy day. I just knew they were good. Better than their earlier iterations. Can you imagine the surprise you’d be in if Police Academy 8 was better than 1? Or
they’ve got me as excited as a movie buff that has heard the director of Breaking Bad is making the next instalment of The Godfather.
even 3? That was me. They are still pretty bulldozer-like in appearance (but they deliver on that visual promise) and bolder than ever - their bright orange and yellow dress sense shrieks at you louder than Zed’s wail (Bobcat Goldthwaite in PA2). Their grip is as aggressive as ever, but lower profile than you’d imagine given what they deliver in earth cling. That is, whereas many shoes seeking grip rely on longer lugs to bite in, which then becomes annoying and cumbersome when the trail smooths out (not to mention detracts from trail feel), the Cascadia’s lugs are low but there are many of them. The secret is in an alternating forward/ back facing ‘V’ design to give grip in both directions, as well as laterally. Also, they tend not to hold mud and clog, shedding it quickly. I rate these perhaps the best grip on market. The mesh and felt upper wicks well – even the more padded tongue and heel couch dry out quickly after a drenching. The upper construction of a felt cage exo-skeleton gives excellent upper support, holding the foot perfectly in place, with a reinforced heel cup keeping things firm up back. The 10mm offset change from heel to toe
may deter some who err on minimalism, as I do. However, I still found the higher platform did not detract from the running experience. With a decent cushioning, these shoes offer excellent protection underfoot, but lose a smidge of trail feel, although the balance between the two factors has been struck well. I have heard it said that the 9s are merely a fashionable update, nevertheless whatever changes have been made, they work for me, as I prefer these to the 8s. In fact I probably prefer them to my beloved 3s. They are the perfect hardcore trail runner, to be used where grip and protection is needed, the trade off a slightly bulkier shoe on the foot if you are used to minimal racers. But they remain lightweight, meaning you still feel fast in them, and the upside of feeling as though you can step anywhere means you invariably have more confidence on the trail. This does two things: allows you to concentrate on improving your landing skill and technique more, and over time it increases your speed as you learn to tap dance more furiously, unafraid of the terrain tripping, poking or prodding you to fall. A Cascade of dreams indeed. 111
REVIEW take outs THE NORTH FACE SINGLE TRACK HAYASA 2
Great for: groomed, dry singletrack, fast trail, racing, everyday training trails Not-so-great for: wet, muddy or super technical conditions.
Test Conditions: technical single track that was both wet and dry (ah, Spring), some fire (dirt) road
Tester: Chris Ord, editor, Trail Run Mag
Tester Mechanics: mid-foot striker whose form diminishes in proportion to time on trail, slight pronator.
VITALS
$170 AU Information online at: www.thenorthface.com.au
TRACKING WELL
The North Face Single Track Hayasa 2
SOMEONE SAID TO ME THE OTHER DAY: “I DON’T REALLY SEE THE NORTH FACE SHOES ON MANY TRAIL RUNNERS, WHY IS THAT?” It’s a vexed question – especially as the sport booms – because of all the shoe brands in the trail market, The North Face has perhaps one of the best ranges to suit middle market purpose. They lack the niche specialist models (truly minimalist and zero drop; super racers; terrain enforcers), but The North Face range would in my opinion suit the broadest spectrum of runners hitting dirt. Even then, I’ve run a pair of Double Tracks in Kashmir and Single Tracks in the Himalayas and they performed 112
admirably on both occasions. The North Face has shoes that crossover for the so-called door-to-trail run (Hyper Guide), the more knarly yet still traditional techy trail shoe (Ultra Guide), the as-traditional-as-they-come, built-solid trail shoe (Single Track and Double Track). And then there’s the go-fast lightweight racer, which was the Single Track Hayasa 1. It was a good model. Not great. But good. It lacked durability and most noticeably, grip, so it faltered on anything extending beyond groomed trails. Here we have its offspring, the Hayasa 2. Has anything changed? Yes. Durability has been improved by a strengthening of the construction – better stitching, better materials – including a
The hexagonal forefoot lugs are deeper and the heel grip is excellent. But the forefoot still lets down a front-of-foot striker when the going gets wet or muddy.
more robust mesh upper and leather toe guards. Even so, the upper remains supple, and silky comfortable, not rigid at all. The toe box is a little roomier, allowing for foot swell on longer runs, but perhaps giving a little too much forefoot movement across its pad until your foot gets all juiced up. The slim-line tongue combined with The North Face’s great stretch laces allows your foot to snuggle into the upper without restriction or developing tenderness. Designers have also incorporated some of their whiz-bang developments in apparel, specifically the popular Flashdry technology, into the collar lining to wick sweat and keep at bay blisters. Again, overall comfort here is up there with the best of them. But what about performace outside the shoe? Grip. It’s improved over the predecessor, no doubt. The hexagonal forefoot lugs are deeper and the heel grip is excellent. But the forefoot still lets down a front-of-foot striker when the going gets wet or muddy. It seems to track well on gravel or loose surfaces, as much as any shoe. But dampness is its Achilles. The sole houses the Cradle Guide, which purports to keep the heel aligned and provide better stability. Putting the shoe on, you can
feel it cup your heel – a little strange at first but it does indeed seem to keep your feet on the straight and narrow singletrack. What I do love about these shoes is the balance between cushioning and trail feel – it seems to have struck the perfect blend (for this mid to forefoot striker, so talking more about forefoot sole here). Sticking with the sweet spot theme of this shoe being able to cover the majority of trail running bar extremes, the heel-toe goes from 15mm to 7mm, an 8mm drop that isn’t quite minimalist, but is no high heel dancer either. For those liable to lax back to a heeldrop there is a noticeable spongy cushion, too, with Pebax foam insert in heel and forefoot, Pebax being 25% lighter than its equivalent EVA foam and not temperature sensitive, so it maintains the same integrity whether cold or hot. Overall these are an improvement on the original Hayasas, feeling more durable yet still retain that lightweight racer feel on the foot. A perfect go to for your most regular trail training sessions and the odd race where the terrain doesn’t go too hardcore on you (most Australian trails). 113
REVIEW take outs BROOKS TRAIL DEMON
Great for Technical, wet terrain where good grip is needed. Not so great for Flat fast clean trail.
Test conditions Technical single track: steep, rocks, roots, mud. Tester Vicki Woolley, off-road ultra-marathon runner. Tester mechanics Neutral runner, mild heel-striker, lightweight (53kg).
VITALS
$135 /AU Further information at: www.brooksrunning.com.au
DEVIL’S ADVOCATE I HAD BEEN FAITHFUL FOR 20 YEARS. WELL, EXCEPT FOR A BRIEF FLING WITH MINIMALIST – MORE OF A HOLIDAY ROMANCE, REALLY. BUT THE RELATIONSHIP GREW STALE: THE SHOE IN QUESTION CHANGED, I DIDN’T – SUDDENLY WE DIDN’T ‘FIT’ ANYMORE. THEN I WAS INTRODUCED TO THE TRAIL DEMONS... IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST LEAP. Stepping into these babies is a bit like being held in the arms of a rugby player (you girls will understand), with a perfectly placed and structured heel counter and 114
Brooks Trail Demon
superb outer protection. Brooks retain their tradition of generous shoeboxes and I had more room here than I would have liked – these shoes are perfect for runners with a wide forefoot, but are able to be snugged down firmly over the arch. There is nothing namby-pamby about the construction with sturdy uppers and decent solid laces adding to the durable feel. The shoe is competitive in the classic market at 280gms and BioS-257 cushioning tips its hat to the environmentalists. Nothing gentle and tender about the ride, either – I felt the earth move under the
There is nothing namby-pamby about the construction with sturdy uppers and decent solid laces adding to the durable feel.
hydraFlow® viscous midsole as we took that first step together, and the Demons were all business as we started up the first hill of the day. Aggressive lugs bit deep into the slippery clay providing rock-solid foot placement and prime leverage for the climb. Along the top of the ridge, Brooks’ enthusiastic pronation control caused a wee tussle with my neutral running inclination, as a thermoplastic DRB® Accel medial post forced me firmly to the outside of the shoe. Absolutely spectacular trail grip meant we quickly ‘made up’ on some sweet
technical downhill: I had good control and reasonable trail-feel for a shoe with 12mm drop, although I did catch a couple of roots where the lugs splay out from the slightly oversized forefoot. Splashing through a couple of streams and mud baths on the way home, the Air Mesh drained well and quickly, snug uppers kept out the worst of the debris and comfortable inners weren’t compromised. After an exhilarating couple of hours of hardcore trail I was spent... but I swear the Demons winked at me as they lay drying in the sun. 115
TRAILPORN
TRAIL PORN PRESENTED BY
RUNNING THE FINAL ASCENT ON THE WEST RIDGE, MOUNT BULLER, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. LYNDON MARCEAU MARCEAUPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
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PRESENTED BY
A MOMENT TO REFLECT, RUNNING THE SUR LES TRACES DES DUCS DE SAVOIE - USUALLY KNOWN AS THE TDS, THE 119KM ‘LITTLE BROTHER’ OF THE ULTRA TRAIL DU MONT BLANC (UTMB). THE ROUTE RACES IN OPEN COUNTRY ALONG THE ‘GRANDE RANDONNÉE’ PATHS CROSSING THOUGH THE MONT-BLANC, BEAUFORT, TARENTAISE AND AOSTA VALLEY COUNTRYSIDE. ULTRATRAILMB.COM
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PRESENTED BY
THIS IMAGE: 17 YEAR OLD LUCY BARTHOLOMEW (DISTANT RUNNER ) DEPARTING MT. FEATHERTOP IN THE 68KM EVENT AT THE RAZORBACK. STEWART AICKIN MOUNTAINRUNNING.COM.AU
STRIDING HARD IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE TRAIL ACT SERIES. KIRILL TALANINE MY-VISUAL-LIFE.COM TRAILACT.COM.AU
SADDLING UP NEAR MT. FEATHERTOP. STEWART AICKIN MOUNTAINRUNNING.COM.AU
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PRESENTED BY
BOMBING THE DOWN DURING THE LT 70, ON LANTAU ISLAND, HONG KONG. EDDIE CHIU @ A PHOTOGRAPHY EVENTS.LANTAUBASECAMP.COM/
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PRESENTED BY
DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN: GETTING IN MORE THAN A SUNSET STROLL ON THE PEAK OF MOUNT BULLER, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. LYNDON MARCEA MARCEAUPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
ON THE COURSE OF MT. JOSHU-HOTAKA SKYVIEW TRAIL 50K IN GUNMA, JAPAN. THIS RACE IS ALSO KNOWN AS YAMADA NOBORU CUP, ONE OF THE OLDEST TRAIL RACES IN JAPAN. KOICHI IWASA DOGSORCARAVAN.COM
DAMON DE BOOR AVOIDS WET SHOES ON ONE OF THE MANY RIVER CROSSING AT THE LESOTHO ULTRA TRAIL ANTHONY GROTE, ANTHONYGROTE.COM
LESOTHOULTRATRAIL.COM
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PRESENTED BY
JOSH GALE ON OMANAWANUI, HILLARY TRAIL, NEW ZEALAND. SHAUN COLLINS HTTP://CABBAGETREEPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.NZ/
ONE OF THE AMAZING TRAILS ON THE MUSTANG TRAIL RACE, NEPAL,AT 4200M (13,000FT) WITH VIEWS OF 8000M ANNAPURNA AND DHAULAGIRI ON THE HORIZON. RICHARD BULL MUSTANGTRAILRACE.COM
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TRAILGUIDE
SUMMER TIME 130
You know they’re there: those pristine trails.Close.Not far from your doorstep. You can smell them…
Mt buller 128
Or maybe that’s just the sweet waft of dirt not-long ground into the lugs of your trail shoes, which sit by the front door — a welcome reminder of the weekend’s mountain jaunt. But the blood screams for more. The legs are sore, yet they pine for a warm down. A warm up. A flat out blast along some winding, wet, wonderful singletrack. But where to go? Only got an hour (which you know can stretch to three). Trail Mag has the answer(s). Here. In this guide. Each edition we’ll bring you step by step trail run guides, all within an hour of a major city or town in Australia, New Zealand or Asia, all between 5km and 30km, all worth zipping out to for a trail fix. We’ve also included some post-trail goodness ‘cause we’re human; we’re caffeine freaks too (strong latte – sometimes double espresso, but only on race days), and we love the smell of fresh eggs and bacon after pounding the paths. Welcome to the goodness guide.
PRESENTED BY
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You Yangs
Dome vally
Win Salomon gear! We need trail correspondents! If you think there’s a cracking trail the world needs to know about, go research it, write it up, shoot a photo and send it in. We do have a bit of a style going, so be sure to check out the guidelines and download the pro forma before you do at www.trailrunmag.com/contribute If your guide is chosen as the ‘Editor’s Pick’ of the issue, you’ll win some great Salomon Trail Gear. The best guide submitted to be published in Edition #12 (out March 2014) will receive an Agile 17 Hydro Pack (RRP $119), a stretch fit 17L beauty perfect for longer missions, plus a 1.5L Salomon bladder (RRP$59.99) and a 237mL Salomon soft flask (RRP$24.99). So go running, get writing and start window shopping at www.salomon.com/au
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TRAILGUIDE
PRESENTED BY
IMAGES: Lyndon Marceau / www.marceaphotograpy.com
STIRLING STUFF
3.5-4.5 hours
Your Guide // Chris Ord Mountain bike trails make for awesome trail running. So it’s only natural that you’d want to head to some of Australia’s most heralded fat tyre flier singletrack to give it a crack on the hoof and get a feel for flow on the berms. And the best is found at Mount Buller, in the Victorian Alps. As part of the broader Seven Peaks trail running campaign (www.7peaksrun.com.au, soon to be launched across all seven Victorian alpine resorts), Mount Buller is looking to attract more trailites to its flanks and recently employed the services of Trail Run Mag and Adventure Types to sort out a full suite of set routes. This is the highlight ‘epic’ run. A big banger from Buller to sister mountain Stirling and back via iconic mountain bike trails the likes of Stonefly and Corn Hill. Fast, flowing, some grunty climbs, some zinging drops and some big views out over the Victorian Alps: this run’s got the lot.
RUN IT:
1. Starting underneath the Mount Buller village clocktower, exit the square to the south (between Cow Camp Plaza and Kooroora Hotel), cut over road and pick up the Village Family trail, on which you turn left. 2. You’re looking for the MTB trail sign ‘Gang
Gangs (Trail No. 6)’ veering off to your left. Take it and follow the Gang Gangs trail, a fun, slightly technical which winds its way through beautiful snowgums on the periphery of the village, eventually doubling back and running a sweet contour below. You will come to a ‘V’ intersection, with Gang Gangs to the right/upper and Split Rock trail to the left/lower. Take the left fork. This drops you down to the Corn Hill Road crossing. Pick up the Picnic Trail on the flip side of the road.
3. At approx. 3km, you come to an intersection with numerous trail outputs: this is the turn around for Picnic Trail. Head straight across following the trail marked Corn Hill (you should be running dead on, don’t turn left down the hill nor take anything to your right). Corn Hill trail will throw a few short switchback climbs at you before dumping you out onto a rough fire trail, funnily enough called Silk Lane.
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Mt Buller, Victoria, australia
4. Enjoy the drop down Silk Lane, which ejects you into Howqua Gap Junction. Cross the road to find Howqua Gap hut, a good snack break spot. Just behind the hut, you’ll see to the left the beginning of Stonefly, one of the most famous MTB trails in Australia.
5. Mountain bikers aren’t mad for the first half, given it’s a climb, but running up Stonefly is an absolute joy (runners get up it faster than riders). The gradient is extremely runnable and there’s plenty of flow and undulation through snowgum groves. There’s the odd rock feature, bridges, and a creek or two. It is pristine.
POST RUN GOODNESS: Options in the Village in summer aren’t as varied as in the winter rush, but try Powder Bar (FriSun), Apres Bar & Café, or the new Corner Store offering hearty fare and good coffee. Or wander up the hill to the Arlberg for a view and a beer. www.mtbuller.com.au
6. You’ll punch out at the top of Stonefly,
trail tips
turning right to Bluff Spur Memorial Hut, an ideal place for lunch. Re-energised, take the West Summit Trail around the flanks of Mt Stirling, making your way to Geelong Grammar Hut. You will poke out onto a rough 4WD trail. Turn right and make a short climb to the saddle just below Mt Stirling Summit. The short burst to the trig point is worth the big 360-degree views, including back across to Mt Buller Village. And note the solitary 500 year-old snowgum across the saddle – amazing it survives the harsh weather up here.
NAME OF TRAIL RUN BullerStirling Epic Run
NEARBY CITY Mansfield, 42km; Melbourne 230km
EXACT LOCATION Start from Mt Buller Village, underneath the clocktower in the main square. TOTAL ROUTE DISTANCE 27km
7. Drop back west off Stirling, taking a double
TOTAL ASCENT/DESCENT 1020m
back trail down to Bluff Spur Memorial Hut where you can pick up Stonefly again, which scoots off to the south (on your left as you come into the open area in front of the hut). Enjoy the switchbacks on descent, with awesome running all the way back to Howqua Hut.
TIME TO RUN 3.5-4.5 hours TYPE OF TRAIL RUN Loop with several cross cut ‘get-outs’
DIFFICULTY Moderate
8. Cross back over the road and look for a MTB
DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS fun
trail to your left, the return leg of Silk Lane. And get your diesel on, as you slowly grind your way up the switchbacks, nothing too steep, just ongoing – until you reach a fabulous lookout back towards Stirling, Howitt, Buggery and the Crosscut Saw – Victorian high country icons.
flowing singletrack running, some technical underfoot, gradual climbs courtesy of switchbacks, stunning eucalypt forest
FEATURES OF INTEREST mountain
9. Silk lane will eventually turn into Corn Hill
huts, big views from Stirling summit and Corn Hill
Summit trail. Reaching an intersection at approx. 20km, you can decide to go straight on if tired, or go the whole hog and take in Misty Twist, a flowing piece of trail that drops down left and then climbs back up – good for berm running. It picks up Corn Hill again, which runs you back into Picnic Trail, linking to Split Rock and onto Village Family trail. You’re home. Out of breath, mind blown, happy.
ONLINE MAP NOTE: Mount Buller will be launching a custom map specifically tailored for trail runners in the near future. Stay tuned.
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TRAILGUIDE
PRESENTED BY
MT PIRONGIA
3-5hrs LOOP
Your Guide // Vicki Woolley Mt. Pirongia – the ‘fragrant presence of Kahu’ – towers dramatically over the Waikato plains. A myriad of trails offer many distance options to explore the rare plants and volcanic landscape. One thing is sure: you will have to work hard for the unique rewards this fascinating environment offers…
RUN IT:
1. From the Grey Road car park, head north
along the deceptively benign Mangakara Nature Walk: follows the signs to Ruapane Track and Viewpoint.
2. Ruapane Track begins to climb
immediately through a slippery gully dotted with glades of tree-fern and tawa, and unusual limestone formations.
3. The track steepens along a ridge where
it joins Tirohanga Track, and native bush gives way to hardy horipito, mountain flax and grasses. Continue up Tirohanga Track towards Pirongia Summit.
4. The Ruapane Lookout Trig is situated on a rocky outcrop shortly past the junction, and offers fabulous views over the Waikato plains and towards the Kaimai ranges. Take care here; winds can be strong and gusty! 5. Tirohanga Track undulates along the main Pirongia Ridge past the Trig: the track is rocky and uneven. Tirohanga Bluff – a lava ‘finger’ – looms dramatically on your right as the track descends into a sharp left turn. A detour to climb the Bluff is almost irresistible – but take EXTREME CAUTION over slippery wet rocks and sheer drops.
North Island, New Zealand
towards the Summit. At the junction with Mahaukura Track you have options. Continue PAST the junction for 10mins to reach the Summit: a further 15mins will bring you to the rustic Pahautea Hut. Keep an eye out for the rare parasite Dactylanthus taylorii and 700-year-old pahautea trees as you traverse the ridge.
trail tips NAME Mt Pirongia: Tirohanga-Mahaukura Loop
NEARBY CITY Hamilton, 30km (30mins)
7. Return down the Mahaukura Track.
EXACT LOCATION
Caution: the first 5km undulates wildly down the ridgeline, and is extremely steep and technical. Loamy stands of tawa, rimu and totara oscillate wildly with exposed rocky outcrops that you will cling to like their hardy flax and grass inhabitants... the 360o views are sublime.
Grey Road car park, Pirongia
TOTAL ROUTE DISTANCE 15km (17km includes Pirongia Summit and Pahautea Hut)
TOTAL ASCENT/DESCENT 1086 elevation gain
8. The terrain flattens out abruptly with 2km
TIME TO RUN
to go, and your tired quads will thank you for a gorgeously soft, flowing run-out to finish.
3-5hrs
TYPE OF TRAIL RUN Loop
POST RUN GOODNESS:
DIFFICULTY Masochistic
Head over to Hamilton (‘The Tron’) and park downtown to access a plethora of decent cafes within walking distance: try Cafe 547 (529 Grey Street) for homemade pizza, Joes Garage (6 Bryce Street) for big solid fare, or the award-winning River Kitchen (237 Victoria Street) if you fancy a bit of posh!
DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS Steep ascents/descents, technical rocks/roots, exposed faces with steep drops
FEATURES OF INTEREST Spectacular views, rare plants, native forest
Caution: the first 5km undulates wildly down the ridgeline, and is extremely steep and technical.
VIEW BROCHURE MAP
6. Descend past a sheer rock face decorated with rata vines, and continue climbing
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TRAILGUIDE
PRESENTED BY
YOUIE BEAUTY
20-30min LOOP
Your guide: Chris Ord Big fun can come in little mountains. The You Yangs (affectionately called the Youies) in Victoria, seen sprouting like a granite pimple from the beginning of the volcanic flatlands barely 50km west of Melbourne’s hustle, is proof in the pudding. The parklands are only 24km east to west, and the main ridge is much shorter (9km). But damn there’s some fine, flowy, fun trail there. Enough for notable local trail event operator, Trails Plus to hang one of its majors there, including ultra distances. For this little recreational dash, however, we’re concentrating on the post-work, quick leg-it length, choosing the Flinders Peak (364m) as our highlight with its big views over the state’s second city, Geelong, and back to Melbourne’s skyscrapers. But the joy is less in the up and back ascent and more in the main loop run around the summit, which is tech running heaven among boulder gardens galore.
RUN IT:
1. Park at the Turntable car park. The trail is well signposted. Your only decision is whether you take the east side or west side first (or indeed tackle the peak first up). Both east and west feature climbing, undulating sections and some bomber downhills. 2. Best bet: do two loops, one in each
direction, broken up by a summit run in between. For this guide we’ll go east to kick things off.
3. Heading on the east trail (on your right
hand side as you leave the car park to the trails), you’ll face a steady climb, with the odd switchback, for about 1.5km. There aren’t really any cross trails, so nowhere to get lost.
4. At about 1.5km and rounding the back of the range enjoy views toward the lesser Yang (or is that the You?), which at its foot features 134
You Yangs, Vic, Australia
a geoglyph art installation made of rocks by artist Andrew Rogers in recognition of the indigenous people of the region. It depicts Bunjil, a mythical creature with a wingspan of 100 metres, which features 1500 tonnes of rock in its construction.
NAME OF TRAIL RUN You Yangs East-West Trail
5. Rounding to the west trail side, you start
NEARBY CITY Geelong, 72km; Melbourne 50km
6. Then the fun begins at about 2km:
EXACT LOCATION 10km north of the Princes Hwy via Little River or Lara. Head to the Park’s main entrance on the west side, drving up to the Turntable Car Park.
trail tips
passing through big rock gardens, sometimes running across rock faces with yet more impressive views to the north-west. weaving, winding trails with plenty of rock gardens you need to Fred Astaire (or Ginger Rogers) through and some serious descents requiring all your concentration. Pretty much, you bomb it down back to the car park, stopping only for yet another big view point at a steel platform constructed above a rock climbing area, the vista out over Geelong City and Port Phillip Bay.
TOTAL ROUTE DISTANCE 4.5km one loop, 12km two loops and summit run TOTAL ASCENT/DESCENT 507m (for two loops and the summit) TIME TO RUN 20-30 mins (one loop), 1– 1.5hr (two loops and summit)
7. Once back to the car park, you’ll have run
just over 4km. With time on your hands, take a cruisey run up to the Flinders Peak and its platform. After all, you can never get sick of the views and there are plenty more dotted up this 1.6km trail (3.2km return).
TYPE OF TRAIL RUN Loop DIFFICULTY Easy-Moderate (depends how hard you go)
8. Take the west route for a different aspect
DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS Flowing but super technical running, short inclines (bar the peak which is a bit of a steady grind) and declines, small wood groves
of the same trail (you’ll think you’ve never run there before – everything is different in reverse). Essentially it’s the same narrative: climb, rock gardens, and a bomber downhill back to the carpark as you scoot around the flanks of the You Yangs.
FEATURES OF INTEREST Big views, big rock gardens, geoglyph rock art installation
POST RUN GOODNESS:
ONLINE
There’s nothing much within coo-ee, but Geelong has a plethora of great coffee houses and cafes. Fuel Coffee + Food (Shed 2 Gore Place) is good as is Café Go (37 Bellarine St) and Cartel Coffee Roasters for caffeine freaks (soooo good). If travelling out from Melbourne, fresh (and cheap) fruit at the stalls found at the highway roadhouses are your only reprieve. It’s a brave soul who risks their coffee though.
MAP
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TRAILGUIDE
PRESENTED BY
photo: Vicki Woolley
1.5-2.5rs
DOME VALLEY TRACK YOUR GUIDE: Vicki Woolley Been lazing around at the bach this summer, over-indulging and underexercising? Getting a bit testy? Park the partner and kids at the superb Dome Valley Tearooms and hit the trail for a wee section of the Te Araroa Walkway: the Dome Valley ‘Butt Blaster’! A sure-fire way to kick-start your summer training...
RUN IT:
1. The DoC sign for the walkway is directly
opposite the Dome Valley Tearooms. Yep, the first 300m is UP the steps (well, we did promise your butt a decent workout!). The track continues to climb past the steps to a ridge and lookout point with views of Mahurangi Peninsula and the Hauraki Gulf.
2. Don’t be deceived by the gravelled start:
the fun begins after the viewing point as the track climbs steadily through lush podocarp and broadleaf forest. Forest&Bird have created a short nature trail with signs identifying local flora.
3.
The track narrows and steepens, and becomes rocky underfoot as you scramble up towards the Dome Trig. This is an ideal place to stop for a quick breather and admire the view to the north, including the Hen-andChicken Islands in the distance.
4. Descend from the Trig and continue undulating over moderately technical terrain, until a handmade sign tacked to a tree at head-height announces you have arrived at Waiwhiu Kauri Grove. Approximately 20 Kauri trees up to 4m in girth miraculously survived the logging era; walk over to the ridge (right of track) to get a glimpse of the coast, and an opportunity for creative photography on a large toppled kauri. 136
5. Continue past Waiwhiu Grove: the track
north island, NEW ZEALAND
trail tips
continues to undulate aggressively along the ridge before dropping down through pines to a gravel access road*. Take a deep breath, massage those quads and glutes, turn around and head back the way you came to the Tearooms.
NAME OF TRAIL RUN Dome Valley Track
NEARBY TOWN/CITY 74km (1hr) north of Auckland on SHI to Dome Forest Conservation Area
6.
* From the turnaround point, you have the option to continue on the Te Araroa Trail out to Govan Wilson Road – 14km one-way. Turn left and run down the access road. Turn right into Waiwhiu Valley Road: after 200m you will see a sign pointing left to the Waiwhiu Stream crossing. Cross the stream, turn right and follow the bush track along the river for 1.6km. Pass through Totara Peak Scenic Reserve and climb steeply up the ridge to the junction with Conical Peak Road. Turn fight and follow the road north to Govan Wilson Road.
EXACT LOCATION 7km North of Warkworth on SH1, Dome Valley Tearooms (on right of highway)
TOTAL ROUTE DISTANCE 12km return, 14km one-way option.
TOTAL ASCENT/DESCENT 800m
TIME TO RUN
POST RUN GOODNESS:
1.5-2.5rs
TYPE OF TRAIL RUN
Stagger across to the Dome Valley Tearooms, where the All Day Breakfast menu is served quick and hot; the coffee is good, and they have ginger beer!
Return (one-way option available, requires car shuttle)
DIFFICULTY Moderate
DEFINING CHARACTERISTICS Short, sharp ascents; rooty.
The track narrows and steepens, and becomes rocky underfoot as you scramble up towards the Dome Trig.
FEATURES OF INTEREST Views, Kauri grove, nature trail.
ONLINE REFERENCE BEST MAPS
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WWW.TRAILRUNMAG.COM