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!!!

Ultra de la Cerdanya - Classic 85k

After months of health problems and injuries and some "shaky" last two weeks it is time for the first volume in a trilogy.  After an almost sleepless night and being awake well before the time I had set my alarm I eat breakfast and get prepared to walk to Plaça Barcelona in Puigcerda from where a bus will take us to Bellver de Cerdanya where the Ultra will start. Both Montse and Jordi are also awake and shortly after 4 o`clock in the morning I say goodbye to start today's adventure.

The busride is quick and after a short walk up to the centre square of Bellver de Cerdanya we wait untill it is 6 o'clock and can start to move. This time I did not carry the GoPro, since I wanted to concentrate on running and finishing. I was not at all sure whether I would be able to do so and shooting pictures takes time.
I only took a few with my mobile phone, though they are coming short in many aspects to show the beauty of the route and also the different aspects of the race.

When the church bells chant their 6 count we set off. It is still dark and have to use headlamps. After a short tour of the village we run down to the bridge that crosses the main river of the valley and then start the long climb with a first aidstation somewhere halfway. I try to take it easy, but still pass other runners in the first kilometers so I can move at my own pace. When we reach the first aidstation in a small village called Ordén I am well ahead of my schedule and eat something and fill up my waterbottle. We pass through a second small village, Talltendre, and then start a more inclined part up to the first summit of the course. Soon after the sun is making his slow but sure appearance.

It was hard to not make pictures all the time...

and on we go.. higher and higher.. to some 2500m and then back down

The uphill part went quite well, the downhill however was harder for me. With both achilles tendons and my left hip sensitive it takes a while to get into a rhythm for running downhill. When we are back on a trail this quickly improves and soon I arrive at the second aid station set up in the middle of a big field, Pla de Matons. Almost 2h30 for 15km and ahead of schedule. Yesterday during the briefing an expert in nutrition explained that eating solid food is very important. So far I would only drink a lot and eat fruit, but I wanted to try and follow the advice, so I ate a second piece of bread with peanut butter and some ham and toasted hazelnuts, along with banana and melon. I refilled my water and Powerade bottles and off we went to reach the highest point of the course.

after some more downhill and some creek-crossings we reach a bigger creek which we will follow upstream just about all the way.

for quite a while we follow a smaller branch of the creek really walking it as a path

soon we reach the tree limit and the aspect of the mountains changes, far away we can see Refugi J. Folch, where we will turn left for the steepest part.

past the mountain hut we pass a more shallow plane with a few mountain lakes, certainly a place to go back to some day hiking!!!

finally the highest point of the course is in sight, Portella d'Engorgs, 2691m, tough, but also very beautiful.

Once reaching the pass it is steep down again. Though I am not going as fast as quite a few other runners I am happy with the pace I can run down. I still feel a bit clumsy with the running poles and at some point almost trip myselft, but also they helped enormously when I slipped one time and almost completely could brake the fall as well as helping at points with bigger jump downs between rocks. Soon I arrive at the next aid station and I take some time to eat and drink and refill. I continued and then, luckily, after a minute or so discover I forgot my running poles that I had left on the ground when refilling, so I turned back and a friendly runner came up to me to hand them to me, saving me some 50 meters, and then it was downhill time again, for quite a while untill we would start a very steep though not too long uphill. I struggle a bit during that uphill. I was not completely recovered yet from the long uphill before and stopped for a few seconds from time to time to catch my breath. Once finished the uphill we run through the forests near a very well known mountain hut, Refugi de Cap del Rec. This part is almost flat and once again, I don't run fast, but at least I run. I  did not completely memorize the whole course, so this part takes longer than I expected, but finally I arrive at the aid station. I am underway for 7h12m now and on schedule for what I thought would be the fastest possible, though I thought I would not be able to run that pace while not exhausting myself too much. So I took quite some time to eat, drink and rest and talked a while with Silvia, the wife of fellow runner Andrés, who was going at more easy pace behind me. Also finally I could contact with my support crew, my wife and son, since in the high mountains there was no coverage. And then on we went, with running poles - I quickly learned to double check that - mostly downhill to a small village, Viliella and after passing a nice waterfall a last not too steep climb to Coborriu which is more of less half way. Just over 9 hours and well over an hour faster than I expected. I don't spend too much time here and continue. Far away above the mountains dark clouds are appearing, but meanwhile where we are, the sun is now shining down on us in full force and the heat is very noticable, though not yet unbearable. Up next is a longer stretch with two steep uphills back to the second aid station Pla de Matons. The climb is going quite ok, but once at the higher and more flat part running feels like too much effort so I walk mostly. And then it starts to rain and in soon after we are in the middle of a thunderstorm with lightning all over the place. I took shelter for a while and changed into rainclothes but after a few other runners pass I decide that staying out there alone is not a good idea either so a go as fast as I can, forcing to run, to reach the next aid station as fast as possible. It starts to rain harder and harder and also the wind picks up and then I get to the aid station, hardly stopping, only eating some pasta and drinking a bit, and then going downhill to Meranges where my family is waiting for me. The path downhill has changed into a muddy river that I try to avoid as much as possible, soon I see Meranges at the other side of the valley. The last part is uphill on a paved road, and there Montse and Jordi are waiting for me. It is raining here, but not too hard. I am really happy to make it to this aid station.

After a while the parents of Montse also arrive at the aid station and soon after it starts to rain very very hard. Some runners quit here, others are in much doubt, but not me, so when someone of the organization announces that if the rain continues much longer they might call the next aid station as being the last one I quickly get ready and say goodbye and get on my way again, just when it seems to stop to rain.
I am quite tired now. The uphill is rather steep and higher up is like a long stairs of irregular stones. At the higher part we wind through a forest with huge stones scattered all over, and also the rain has changed this flatter part into rather muddy place. Once again this part takes a long time and since I don't have any reference it only takes longer. We pass a camp site next to a lake and then the Meranges mountain hut and on we go, past a almost dried out lake and higher up again in between big stones untill we reach Estany de Malniu, sometimes called lake the Meranges, which is covered with a faint fog and all quiet.

The path follows the border of the lake. But the rain has changed the path into water puddles and I carefully make my way to the point where we start the downhill to the next aid station. Soon it is getting dark. At quite a few points I find it hard to find the route winding through the dense forest and have to try left, right and straight ahead untill finding the next marker. I know I am loosing time here and even we I come to a more open part finding the route remains difficult. Most markers are quite far apart and I am in doubt many times up to a point where I really don't know how to go on. After trying to find the next marker I call the organization and after a while trying to explain where I am and figuring out which way to go I am back on track again. Soon I arrive at the next aid station Fontanera. Silvia is waiting for Andrés here. I lost a lot of time and now I am back at the original schedule and probably I will arrive later than planned, so I do not stay too long here. The next part up to Guils is all a matter of walking as fast as possible and going on and on. I think that at day time this is a beatiful forest but for me it was a constant worry of not missing any marker and even more so after having actually missed one and having to turn back after not seeing any for too long a time. After a last uphill and a long, very steep and very tricky downhill with loose stones I finally arrive at Guils. Leaving Guild once again I cannot find markers and in the village I get lost a bit trying to find my way back to the aid station. Once back there someone offers to show me the way and he agrees with me that a few more markers would help there. And then we are on our away to Puigcerda. What should be an easy 6k and a bit more than 1 hour, takes longer and longer and though I can more or less see Puigcerda it seems like I am not really getting any closer. When we finally go down, the approach is still going in zig zags that seem completely unnecesary and also judging the time needed we are covering much more distance than 6k.
When finally thinking that I am entering Puigcerda a police officer and another runner that had already finished told me I had to do 4 more kilometers and that made me mad. I no longer had any idea of what was going on and where exactly I was so even when I actually was almost near the finish line I still had the idea of having almost an hour to go, which would be close the maximum 22 hours. I called Montse and explained  the situation. She was already waiting at "the Stairs" of Puigcerda and asked me to describe where I was, since she had stayed many summers in the city and knew it quite well. She told me I was almost there and soon we met, me still being very upset and not really able to enjoy the fact that I would finish another Ultra.
I am sorry to have spoiled that moment, though being so tired seems to make emotions less controllable. In hindsight I have learned many many lessons to do better next time and I think it was one of the best Ultras I ever ran, in spite of the lesser ending.

 The last meters in Puigcerda, forgot to switch of the headlamp

and yes.. I felt hazy :D

Many thanks to the support team Montse and Jordi, Montse's parents, Emma from home, and Silvia and Andrés. Also many thanks to all the volunteers!!! The food was great, especially the melon, and you were great support throughout the day. And ofcourse thanks to the organization. Barring the extra 4k surprise in the end and the road markers I think the course is espectacular and exceeded my expectations.

So I finished in 21h03m44s. More to come soon!!!