Rialp Matxicots Extrem - 82k

 Part two my Ultra Trail Trilogy. Rialp Matxicots Extrem. 82km and 6000m of positive meters. After getting up very early again, but this time at walking distance from the start area, together with Andrés and Silvia, I walk to the point where we can drop off our "life bag". After the rainy experience two weeks ago, having the possibility to change to dry clothes if necessary is an interesting detail. It is windy this morning and a bit cold and since we were early and the hotel was really nearby we went back there. After a while we returned to the start area and figure out we have to enter the box from the opposite side and walk around a block of houses and pass the material check. Soon we have fireworks, the countdown and at 5:30 am it is time to get moving. According to the speaker, about 1000 runners of the Trail and Extrem get underway through a narrow street. Coming out of there, Montse and Jordi are waiting for me and then quickly run to the second crossing of the main street where they shoot some fotos.

And then I am really underway.

As always the first part is crowded and I am not at all going at my own pace. I try to pass other runners, but the narrow path only from time to time allows for doing that. After a first few climbs pretty steep up, climbs and flat or even slightly downhill start to alternate and the path is wider and allows me to quickly find my pace and soon I arrive at the first aidstation in Saurí. From there the real climb starts. Soon we can switch of our headlamps eventhough the sun is still hiding. After a typical long climb up through a sloping meadow I reach Checkpoint 1 Coll del Triador in about 3 hours, ahead of schedule. There is a strong wind blowing here and it is all of a sudden freezing cold. While eating and drinking I put on my rainjacket and gloves and quickly get underway again. For a while I have really cold hands in spite of the gloves, but slowly I get warmed up again and push my way up. From time to time it is snowing really tiny flocks of snow. This part is really really steep, and also very beautiful, but the cold stops me from making pictures until a more shielded part really near the top where we enter a channel. In the channel volunteers guide us, since this is a slightly more tricky part where we scramble up. The top of Montsent the Pallar is only minutes away after that.

Going up to the channel of Montsent de Pallars

Looking down to Check Point 1 Coll del Triador

I make it in good time to Checkpoint 2 at the top of the Montsent del Pallars at 2883m. The views are absolutely spectacular and in spite the cold I quickly take some pictures and then start the rather tricky downhill.

The National Park Aïgues Tortes is know for its many, many lakes

Montsent de Pallars 2883m

Next up is the climb to the second highest peak of the course, the Montorroio, 2863m. Though steep it is not as hard as the first climb and soon I make it to the top, shoot some more pictures and then start the first long downhill. The first part once again is really tricky zig-zagging down very very steep on a stony path, where sometimes it feels more like skiing down than walking down. It is still snowing from time to time so the surface is wet and more slippery. As soon as the path eases in incline I start to run again.

View from Montorroio 2863m at Estanys de la Mainera

I arrive at Checkpoint 3 Pas de la Mainera still with a good margin on my schedule. I take some time to eat and drink. The warm soup is great here!! I decide to take of my raincoat and gloves and then get underway again for another long and pretty steep climb. In the beginning it is still quite cold and from time to time some flocks of snow fall down in small bursts, but it looks like soon the sun will come out. The last part of this climb, hardly following any path anymore, just straight up the mountain is tough, but I have strength enough to keep pushing step after step until we make it to the Coll de Muntanyó at 2748m, after once again a short stretch of steep downhill the path soon becomes much more easy and I can run almost all the way down to the next Checkpoint Espot Esqui that we can see way down which at this point helps greatly to advance. And indeed the clouds slowly open up and though still windy at this altitude it is no longer cold.

At Checkpoint 4 Espot Esqui I spent more time eating. I am starting to feel tired now but in general still pretty much ok. I am still somewhat ahead of my schedule. The next part is the longest stretch without aid stations. And it is also the part that felt like eternal. After a first once again steep climb a long downhill through the forest follows and here many other runners pass me since they simply have better training and technique running the trail down.

It felt like forever to arrive at Checkpoint 5 in a small village called Caregue. I meet up with Montse, Jordi and Silvia here. Since we will meet again at the next checkpoint I don't stay too long here.

After a short downhill and a not too long uphill we can see Rialp down in the valley. Before that we first go to another small village Surp and from there it is straight down to Rialp, where just outside the village a bigger checkpoint and aid station is set up and where I can pick up my life bag.

Checkpoint 6 Baraca dels Caçadors

The main river of the valley of Rialp the Noguera Palleresa from near CP6

I still am on schedule when arriving here. To enjoy the daylight as much as possible, since it makes moving a lot more easy, I leave here at 18h00, after changing some clothes and eating and drinking as always.

Just after leaving we have to cross the main road of the valley and just before that we have to go 10 meters down a slope of the type I really don't like, very very steep and full of little stones and hardly any footholds. I guess that is something I will have to work on and learn how to deal with such tricky parts and not loose time there. I make it down without slipping and after crossing the road I guess for the first time I walk where I could have run, since I feel tired and next up is a long uphill with Checkpoint 7 in the village Beraní in the middle. The approach to the village is also flat and I run that part and still am on schedule arriving there. It is time to take out my headlamp again and then I continue the climb up to the before last highest point of the course. This part mainly winds through the forest and quite often we have to jump little creeks. Soon it gets dark and I switch on my headlamp and keep pushing up and up and up. I knew this part would take quite some time and eventhough we no longer had any visual reference I was not really having the "this is taking forever" feeling. Eventually we hit a bigger path and since I studied the map of the the last part I knew that from there it was not too long untill the next
Checkpoint 8 Penyes de Auló set up in the middle of the forest. Quite a few now known faces are gathered here and most of us are quite ok and smiling and joking, knowing that changes are high of finishing on time now. Soon I start the long downhill to the next village Roni. The first part is tricky straight downhill through the forest and a few times I allmost trip over a branch or loose stone, but I manage to stay on my two feet. Then we enter a more easy part of a long zig-zag down. Though not too fast I run here also to just advance as quick as possible in spite of being really tired. When I receive the message of Montse I can reply that I will arrive at the village pretty soon. Jordi is waiting on the edge and like in the other checkpoints me meet with a good high five and a big smile.

I arrive at the actual Checkpoint 9 in Roní some 20 minutes behind schedule now, confirming that going down is not my strongest point and also that I should not rest too long here. So soon I am on my way again.

Simulating to be running for the photo :D

The next Checkpoint 10 Gulleri is not very far away and is mainly set up as cutting point, but arrive here way before 0h15 and on it goes. Uphill, for the last time. And what an uphill!!! Steep and mainly like a stairs of irregular stones alternating with more path-like stretches and no reference at all about when I get to the highest point. Supposedly we will arrive at an abandoned village and at some point against the sky I can see the silouttes of something else the trees and rocks. Now it is only a flatter part and a downhill to the finish. The flatter part is however not at all easy, most of the time the path is narrow with a risk of sliding down and loose stones everywhere, so I take it easy. Once again it takes quite a while untill I see indications of civilization what probable will be the village we are going to, Rodés.

Checkpoint 11 Rodés is just that, a checkpoint. It is here that another runner, an italian called Giulio, catches up with me again, since he is faster in downhills. We cross the little village and head down into the night again. Not the easiest path, but now so close to the finish I am ok with it. Soon I am back at checkpoint Checkpoint 6 Baraca dels Caçadors. And a few minutes later I meet up with Montse, Jordi and Silvia again and we walk the last few hundred meters to the finish.

Finisher!!!! In 20h52m32s!!!

Thanks Jordi!!! For waking up early and holding out till so late and cheer me on all day!!!!

Thanks Montse for cheering me on and making pictures all day :D !!!

Soon after me Andrés finished as well!!!

Finisher in 20h52m32!! Matxicots Extrem is quite an experience!!! Very well organized, great ambience in the aid stations and I never had any doubts of where to go. Thanks a lot to the organization and all the volunteers!!! Thanks a lot to Montse and Jordi for cheering me on and for all the pictures!! Thanks Silvia for driving and cheering me on as well. And thanks Andrés for giving me chase :D !!! Soon the third chapter!!!