Tor des Geants (The TOR)

I hardly know where to start with this- it was part of an action filled summer both before and after the race. I knew I wanted a new challenge and I have never done a stage race as even on the Northern Traverse I barely slept. The TOR is not a stage race as such but the only way to get my head round almost 340km and what would prove to be almost 30,000m of climb was to break it into stages at each Life Base. I didn't necessarily plan to sleep at each one or even to be at each one at night but it gave me manageable chunks. I had looked at others times - Matt Neale and Jenn Gaskell especially and so came up with my 3 targets. Bronze to finish and to have had fun most of the time; Silver to beat 130 hrs and Gold to beat 120 hours.

Just follow the yellow line

We spent the month before the race driving round France from crag to crag and climbing as hard as we could. It was hot but we scaled rock in Vergison, Remigny, Orpierre, the Dentelles and more. My legs got one short run near Autun but my core strength should be good! We trusted the sat nav to navigate to Courmayeur and it did a great job even if it didn't understand we were in a big van. A memorable day driving out of our special single night on a camp site with a pool, showers and real toilets in Briancon. It was only a 210km drive, but took most of the day and I was going to run more than half as far again.

 From Briancon over the pass to Sestrierre and Susa before turning north over the Cenis area

 and down to the far eastern end of the Maurienne valley, turn east up the Bonneval valley, over the Col d' Iseran,

down almost to Bourg St Maurice and then over the Petit St Bernard to Cormayeur.

So many amazing views and so many memories - family holidays in Briancon, Skiing and walking through deep snow drifts at Cenis, nordic skiing in a blizzard at Bessans, Via Feratta with the boys in Val d'Isere, so many ski holidays in Bourg and cycling down a piste on the Petit St Bernard before the boys were even born. It took all day, not the 5 hours that sat nav suggested.

A chilly Courmayeur when we arrived

We wanted to arrive early and make sure we got a space on the car park at the sports centre which was the event base. As it happens we could have waited 24 hrs but never mind. We explored, tried to get used to the cold (it was almost 15C cooler than we had been used to) and met Keri and Rob. I got itchy feet and explored the first section of the route to Col Arp 2571m and it snowed on me!

 Most of the rest of the time was spent faffing and getting more and more nervous about what I had taken on. The website said we needed GPS and so I bought one, only to find the official file was so huge I couldn't work out how to upload it.

Snow and rain arrriving

In the end the little yellow flags were enough (except where the cows had eaten them) and it never left my drop bag! By Saturday I was registered and my drop bag packed and deposited. At least having one bag that would follow me round meant I didn't have to worry about what to put in each bag like at the GRP.

Glad I wore tights given the snow and cold nights

Race day was cool and sunny, but warmer than previous days. I met up with Matt N and another Matt, plus Andy H and a few more. I had seen Nicky, Jenn, Lee Kemp, Zoe and others earlier too.

Nervous before the start pen

We seemed to be in the pen for ages before the count down and cheering began. It was a slow start through the restricted streets of the old town and then after crossing the river a gradual climb to the forest path.  As we neared the edge of town the rain started and what was a few drops quickly became heavy. Time to dive into shelter and dig out a waterproof. Up through the forest was slow and with very limited chance to overtake but with over 330km what was the hurry at this stage.

Col Arp to La Thuile (from Andy H)

Once we left the forest the snow started, just as it had when I explored a few days earlier. By the Col Arp the snow was quite heavy and the trail looked like a scene from the Tour de Helvellyn back home.

Climbing to Col Arp (from Andy H)

The descent to La Thuile was brilliant and the fell side off the path was very runnable. We were soon out of the snow but my mind was in a panic - the next col was even higher and I had put my micro spikes in my drop bag. What if I couldn't get over the col and complete the route to the first Life Base? It messed with my head and so by the CP in La Thuile I was convinced I needed spikes to carry. I spoke to the only fireman in the town who had a broad Yorkshire accent and discovered where I could buy some. It was a 30 min detour but my mind was put to rest. I got some strange looks as I ran through the town and back searching for the shop. I knew to eat little and often and early but somehow in the snow, the fast descent and then the worry I had not done so. I tried to eat now and managed some pasta, bread, chocolate and coke.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. I can remember passing and chatting to Jenn. I think she was struggling with a knee problem. I knew my race plan had to be flexible and so when I got to Valgrisenche in the dark and not having eaten enough I knew I should rest. In the dark over the col with the fixed ropes I had escaped a close call with a big falling rock and then at the perspex box CP at the top had thrown up after a small amount of food and drink. The three cols of 2571m, 2875m and 2829m plus 50km had taken their toll at several hours a piece. The beds were great and the dorm quiet but I barely slept. I did though have chance to take stock, use the loo, drink chocolate milk and then go into the very crowded food hall. It was packed and I was not feeling like what they had on offer. I craved milk based stuff and did manage two yogurts plus a few other bits and pieces. I set off out again alone at about 00.30am.
Somewhere in the next section I hooked up with Matt N - we had a greed in advance no pact but company would be good and we knew we could run together after hours on the NT. It was a good day, not too hot and with some amazing scenery. There were three enormous climbs with cols at 2840m,3002m and 3279m. Each climb took well over two hours and closer to three. My memories are muddled but I remember big climbs for hours, big drops for hours and it being warm once the sun was up. On the way to the third col, Loson,  I was suffering a little and let Matt go on. We had already seen the other Matthew but he was struggling badly with heat, altitude and more. Up and up I climbed until I could see lots of compacted snow. I escaped without the need for spikes but those coming later once the sun dropped would struggle. After the perspex box CP at the top I got second wind and loved the narrow descent path. I ran down to Sella enjoying myself to find Matt had been cat-napping. It was good to see him again and after refuelling we set off together. Once we hit the valley I thought we were almost there but no, the trail continued along the valley and then across the spur and into another valley before at least another km into the village. We arrived at Cogne in the late afternoon with a plan for a couple of hours sleep or so. I envied Matt. He seemed to be able to arrive, eat, sleep and then after a few hours be ready to go. I arrived and struggled with food, got a doctor to inject me for nausea, had my feet taped and under my ribs where the pain on the left was becoming an issue and then tossed on my bed for 90 mins or so. I did feel the benefits of the injection and was able to manage a serious refuel before waiting for Matt to leave with me. We had been there almost 5 hours in all. I only really register this now and am appalled at how long everything seemed to take. Perhaps I should have let Bob support me after all. If I taped my own feet, let somebody else worry about recharging my torch and phone and refilling water bottles and snacks to carry it must be possible to cut that time? We set off into the dark hoping to reach Donnas for breakfast. As we left the village a cafe was doing free coffee and biscuits which was nice. Despite the dark there were beautiful sections and I loved the rocky area where we met the Tor des Glaciers route and then the  lovely alpine pasture paths. There was also a section of forest which had been damaged by a storm and the path and wooden railings were in a bad state. This section also had an amazing gorge with huge pools, massive rocks and some bouncy bridges. On the spreadsheet of altitudes it seemed we would be going downhill- the reality was the path crossed the gorge a couple of times and had some serious climbs. OK, not serious as in several hours up but bad enough when you expected downhill. Again I thought we were nearly there only to find the village with the level crossing was not quite Bard - and we had to wait for two trains! Then there was the picturesque Bard with narrow streets and fort but even this was not quite Donnas until we had run along the old cobbled/rock Roman road and then through the town. At 8.43am we arrived, so not quite breakfast. Time for a serious refuel. Matt then went off to sleep but I did not feel tired and knew I would struggle to sleep in sunshine and heat. I left a note on his blanket and hoped he would catch me later. I set off as luck would have it with Andy H, a new friend made on the Tor. At Perloz we had the treat of home baked sugared cakes/donuts before the photographer at Tour d'Hereraz.  The climb was through interesting vineyards trained on roof like trellises and then more pastures. As we climbed the clouds thickened and the rain appeared. We waited but it was soon heavy enough to demand waterproofs. The next CP was in a tiny gazebo so no real shelter. Luckily the chalet had also put up a dome tent with real beds in it. We claimed one each and voted for two hours sleep. When we were woken the rain had just stopped - superb. We should have stopped to eat more. I felt good initially and even by Coda with the lovely mountain ridges and views down to the Turin Plain I was moving well. This little refuge had our food in the cramped basement. We ate but not much and thin soup with a few tiny bits of pasta was not really hitting the mark. In the next section I felt ill and started to lack energy. We did pass a tiny unofficial food station and it had the best spread of the lot! Melon, home baked apricot tart and so much more. By Barma I was suffering and struggling to eat again. I was made a double shot of coffee here which I thought would help but on an empty stomach it seemed to have a very odd effect. The next section from Barma to Col Marmontana  and Col Vecchia was in the dark with some big ups and downs, even some short bits of iron work. I felt very wobbly and almost not in my body. Each zig zag turn on the descent seemed to take me longer to adjust and sort my balance. Andy was clearly worried. I did try to eat and the marshalls were roasting meat with melted cheese but after a few nibbles I was sick. We grabbed an hours sleep in an overheated porta-cabin and it helped a little. We hoped that when we got to Niel Refufio we could have a proper rest and even sleep. Sadly we arrived to find only one bed which I let Andy take. I tried to sleep on the floor but failed. I moved into the dining room and found Matt also struggling and wanting to sleep. I managed a big bowl of what seemed like cottage pie and fell asleep at the table. We left Niel as the sun was coming up and after one big climb and yes, another big drop we were in Gressoney. I think it was en route to here that we had the best CP food at a little chalet in the sun- ravioli, cheeses and even the offer of wine. Matt stuck to his routine in the Life Base and I managed to eat more, sleep a bit more ( I think the glass of beer helped), eat again and also get my feet taped. It seemed a shame to waste daylight but it just had to be. We left together refuelled and in good spirits. Leaving the village we got an ice lolly which lifted our spirits further. The weather was now sunny and so much warmer hence the 3/4 tights, T Shirt and all the photos. A bit of a shame I took none in the first 200km.
The climb to Col Pinter was well over 1500m but seemed to pass quickly and we were treated to a herd of Ibex on the ridge as we arrived.

 The drop to Champouluc was just as great but what a lovely little ski town. We left town at dusk and made our way through a wooded area of trails, BBQ pits and stunning views on Monta Rosa.

Had to keep remembering to turn and check the views behind too

The biggest climb was in the dark over the Cols of Di Nana 2770m and Des Fontaines 2695m plus the height lost in between and then regained. Then it was mostly down and down some more to Valtourmenche. We ran lots of it but by the last path in the forest our brains were fried even if the legs were willing.

Big views to Mnt Blanc and others- a huge descent again on leg 6

I let Matt pull ahead knowing I would seem him soon in the Life Base. By now we were in a pattern and each stuck to our rituals including a couple of hours sleep. I was so pleased that I had packed chocolate milk and boxes of custard as when all else failed these slid down OK. As did a few MF jellies. Giving back my drop bag I almost got 'retired' here when a guy misunderstood my ' finished with my Tor bag' for finished/ stopping/out of race. I set off before Matt but guessed he would catch me later. At 3am I was on my own as I circled the town and climbed near what looked to be really interesting rock walls and then up to a huge reservoir dam. My stops at the next two Refugios were just long enough to sit, drink and eat and then as the sun was up and I was on my way to Fenetre Tzan Matt appeared again.

Spotting where we were heading was daunting

We stayed together all day and although at times I was tempted to push on I quite liked his laid back 'lets enjoy this' approach. We had an ice cream at one CP in a lovely chalet,

 waited patiently behind a herd of cows being brought off the mountain

 and had a lie in the shade at a tiny Refugio.

The scenery was stunning in all directions.

We had seen the whole Monta Rosa range, the Matterhorn, the Mont Blanc range and others that I could not name.

Descents were enormous and what you thought was the bottom wasn't

The drop to Oyace seemed to go on forever and we were so pleased to see the village that we made a silly mistake and ran straight past the ice cream shop.

Cracked lips- take lipsalve next time

It was now boiling hot and the CP although large just had more thin soup, plain pasta and nothing remotely chilled. We tried to rest but after a short time gave up and headed up to the last big climb of the day in the heat of the afternoon.

There was always a view, even at night

The climb soon passed and the descent the other side was technical and interesting - for a while. We shot past a Chinese couple that were very timid and were amazed to find them in long tights, long sleeves, gloves etc. But then the descent went on and on and the track became a stony farm track that was not pleasant.

The Matterhorn looking majestic

Worse still it dropped us down the valley and we then had to climb slowly back up along the road to the Life Base at Ollamont. We arrived at 8pm in the dark and I needed my bed. I was abrupt or rude to the poor marshall as he showed us to the changing room when all I wanted was a bed! I did apologise. Then as I was setting my torch to charge Keri appeared. She was upset, injured and retiring but wanted to chat. I just wanted to sleep. This was the worst sleeping at a Life Base. It was freezing in the big tent, noisy from the changing room and after a couple of hours I woke frozen. Matt sat up and spoke but has no recollection of this. I explained I was going and hoped he would catch me.

Taking a moment to check the legs before the climb to Col Pinter

I ate a bit before leaving and chatted to the lady who would become 1stV60 - we had seen quite a bit of each other over the hours. The last leg started with you guessed it- a big climb to 2707m.

Not looking too bad considering this was almost 100 hours in

The views at the col were amazing as I looked down on the fairy lights of towns and then began another lovely descent. I even overtook a couple of guys. The second food station was tiny but three guys were comatose on the floor. I was feeling great and had some 'real' soup and then beef and potatoes cooked in red wine! It was awesome and fuelled me along the next boring flat section. This went on and on until I dreamt I was on an Escher painting working hard but getting nowhere. Eventually Bosses and the St Bernard tunnel came into view. I ate but didn't stop long although a request for the toilet took me on an escorted tour of the town hall nearby.

Easy ground to Rifugio Frassati

 The sun was up and it helped. True I sat on a rock and fell asleep for a brief time but mostly I was moving well. A few other runners appeared and I used this to help pull me along. I promised myself an ice cream at the Rifugio Frassati but when I got there they had none. Disappointed I grabbed a few bites to eat and set off the Malatra at a fast pace.

can you spot the path to the top?

This bit was stunning and I now wish I had stopped to take more photos,

Malatra window- the iconic shot

especially of me in the gap (the iconic race photo shot) and of Mont Blanc.

 I was on a mission now and the end was in sight. I raced down from the col and then found at Aminaz we still had almost 14km to go.

Great running down from Malatra

I slowed a bit but then got excited when I misunderstood a tourist. I asked how far to Bertone and thought he said 4-5 minutes. It was 45 which made more sense but I was tired and had now been on the go for almost 120 hours.

Apparently one of the glaciers is about to collapse now (Oct)

 Eventually Bertone appeared and there was support from more and more tourists and runner's families.

Only 6km or so to go. Some was the sort of track it's easy to trip on and I slowed here just in case. Bob had been texting me to make sure he was at the finish line and I was just so happy I was going to finish. I raced the last section down hill and all through the town.

The support really gave me a lift and then there was the finish ramp and gantry. 121 hrs 21 mins, 20th female, 151st overall and 4th FV50.

About 25 hours were part of major stops to sleep, eat and rest, it seems a huge amount in retrospect and I wonder how much I could shave off this if I was more efficient- and yet still enjoy it/ not be too sleep deprived.

We took the finish photos, signed the boards and then sat under the tented finish area in the main square.

Matt wasn't far behind and we cheered him in.

 My feet were a bit mashed and sore but I only had one tiny blister that I should have stopped to deal with in the last hour.

My legs felt strangely fine, far better than after the H200 or NT. I was no where near as trashed. Perhaps this means I did not race hard enough? Who knows.It was an interesting challenge and a real effort keeping it together over so many hours- thinking, following flags, deciding what to eat, where to sleep, recharging phones and torches, repacking after a Life Base, restocking snack food and water, taping feet, changing socks .... Support would be good (Bob had offered, so that is my fault entirely). Would I do it again? Yes. I learnt a great deal and would love to do it as a V60 in two years time if I can get a place and am still running OK.

The next days were mostly spent drinking beer and eating ice cream. We had a lovely celebration meal with Matt the next evening having watched the last people run in before the final cut off and those doing the 30km race from Malatra sprint in.

Running with Matt again was great and I now have a new friend in Andy. He took lots of video and has made a great post race video that he has shared on Youtube- fantastic scenery and memories.

The Beacons 100 (Up Hill Down Dale)

Race report for UpHillDownDale Beacons 100 (and 50)

What a difference a day or two makes. 

Black Mountain, love it

Wednesday 18 mile was a recee of CP5-7 in gorgeous weather. The views along the edges were superb and from midday the sun came out. I saw very few people on this western edge of the Beacons area – The Black Mountain.

Bad hair but what a view

The paths were good and despite a massive descent and re-ascent at CP6 I really enjoyed my day out. It was varied terrain with some relatively pathless sheep trod moorland, the big edges and then the limestone of Dan yr Ogof. 

I ran slowly to conserve my energy and thought it would be a section of the race to look forward to.

Thursday I did CP7-8 plus a bit more before deciding it was too hot to run. 

Again the route seemed fairly straight forward but I was happy to know what was coming up. It was a section I had run a few years ago but in reverse and in the company of others so taking less notice. 

Blue sky, shame it didn't last

There seemed little point going down to the river crossing and then up the impossibly steep slope. There were no paths and I could see what had to be done. Instead I lay in the sun.

Straight down from where I was sat , cross the river and up the other side. Ouch.

 It was going to be a tough route. I had recently looked at the results for the previous two years and been alarmed at the number of DNFs and the slow times for 100 miles (31 hours plus).

 Race day. Ah well. Wind and rain for much of the day but it was on off and certainly wouldn’t be much of an issue for the race. After hours of reading in the van and reminiscing about Might Contain Nuts races from the Outdoor Ed Centre we moved to Crickhowell and got all the Runfurther gear sorted- flags and banners up, display boards and spot prizes out in the hall, a few prizes for the RO and then time to chat. I didn’t know many of the other runners but Steve Jones was there with plenty of time to spare too. I was dressed to run, my drop bag handed in and I just wanted to get going. It was going to be a tough course with the night coming early with all the low cloud. Perhaps I should have done a recee of this first 20 mile loop but I guessed that near the start there would be other runners around me.

MR believed the weather forecast ie.that the worst of the rain had passed and we would just have strong winds. Not true. At 8pm on our start line the rain started. I opted to put on my big heavy weight cag there and then. Correct decision. An hour later it was torrential bringing early dark and very very low vis. At this stage the wind was on our backs. I made my first mistake of allowing others to use their GPS and rely on them, first error. We were off line and lost some time to the amusement of those I later ran past. The last section to CP1 went well and even though I was on my own and no real idea of where I was heading the GPS seemed to say all was OK. Soon a couple of glow sticks confirmed I was close to the CP. The volunteers there made me feel good about myself and after a bite to eat I set off after Fiona who was about 20 minutes ahead they said. Despite the wind and rain I enjoyed CP1-2 and was making good time. It was a shame not to get the views but at least the nav here seemed easy as I ran along the ridge, picked up the Beacons Way and was on a nice wide grassy path with deep bracken on each side. I made a silly error entering the village at CP2 but soon put it right and found the guys waiting on the canal tow path. More food and the realisation that in 20 miles I had not had a drink. The tow path was easy; flat, no nav and just a bit overgrown and puddle. Bob and the van were waiting at the tunnel where he knew I would leave the tow path and meet the road. A swift cup of tea and I was off. The rain seemed to get worse but low down I was sheltered from the wind. I knew to leave the CP at the White Hart in Tal y bont but think I made a slight error on a parallel path next to the Taff Trail. I arrived at the dam OK and sort of knew where I was going on the next bit. I saw two torches behind me and now wished I had waited and grouped with them. The hillside was running with water and obscuring paths. By Waun Rydd I was getting blown all over and a bit scared. The path kept vanishing and I couldn’t stand up properly. Making forward progress was difficult. From then on the rain just got worse, torrential and non-stop. The wind became gales. I lost the path on the way down having taken my eye of the garmin to try to keep my balance. Even that failed and a strong gust blew me face first into a huge pond or puddle. More swearing and now I was soaked. I lost the path but decided to just keep heading down. It meant some bracken bashing and the two torches over took me during all this. I have only had my eTrex a short while and not used it much. It kept turning off when I wanted it. I climbed gates and headed down to the lane and the village. I had given no thought to eating or drinking yet again. I was scared getting off the hill down to CP3 but then proud to have done so and so continued. The CP was a van and I sheltered inside with a brew and stuffed down a huge pile of sweet potato I had been carrying. I was shivering but knew Bob and the van would be down in Brecon; not far and on lanes and tow path. Initially I struggled to get going on the lane as my cold muscles had seized up but by the tow path I was moving better and dawn was cheering me up. I found Bob and had yet another brew plus a marmite sandwich. Time to crack on and make use of the day light. The Usk was looking impressive as I crossed the bridge and started the climb towards the hills. I wasn’t moving very fast but I was at least moving forward. I had seen no runners close enough to speak to for hours and hours. The lanes seemed cruel as they headed down to streams when I knew really we needed to be going up and up onto the Beacons. The rain had washed out the hedges and the road was littered with debris from the water and huge branches brought down by the gales. As I left the relative shelter of the lanes the real force of the storm struck me. I did think about turning back on the first big wide low ridge but thought it would be soft. Higher up it just got worse and worse. I could barely stand up, moving forward was exhausting and I was worried about the tops. I nearly turned round and perhaps should have done. On the way up face into the wind I was drenched, blown all over the place and getting chilled due to my slow progress. By the top I was scared. Contouring away from Pen y Fan helped but not enough. I was blown over into the grass well over 100 times, I stopped counting.. After 45 mins on the top I knew I just had to get off and I didn’t really car which way. I put GPS and maps away and headed downhill on the least bouldery land I could find. I was blown over onto a rock which kindly gave me a dead thigh for a while. Should I have stopped, concentrated and tried to make it down the correct way? I will never know but I did know I wanted to avoid the rock path at all costs at least until I dropped out the worst of the wind. I soon realised I was heading down towards CP8 instead. I didn’t care. I was safer and the wind was less fierce. I hit the road at CP8 just as Jonny the RO drove by. This gave me a short ride up the road to CP4. If I had run up the road could I have continued? Probably but I am not sure it would have been sensible. I piled into Otto’s van and found Fiona who had been 1^st lady changing into dry clothes. She like me had been blown all over, got scared and was too cold to continue. As the gas heater roared we were shivering badly. We agreed that it was SMJ and tried to make each other feel better. I never reached the part I had receed and never got to make the most of the day light and decent paths that I knew. Bob had been waiting in the van over the hill at CP5. In fact he had been trying to get some much needed sleep when he spotted the tracker and asked the CP staff what was going on. He came to my rescue and we drove a short way to a quiet layby and fell into bed. Thank god for the van.

By the time we woke the rain had eased to the extent there were some gaps in the heavy showers but the wind seemed just as bad. All the rain had of course swollen the streams and rivers.  David had made it over to CP6 but it had taken him a long time and he had been confused by the diversion. He was at CP7 when he was stopped. Almost a dozen left CP4 and made it to CP5 before they were stopped. The Mountain Rescue pulled the plug. It is likely if the weather forecast had actually been accurate that we may never have started, certainly not on our planned route.

Not much path and a river to cross. memories of the OMM

The 50 miler set off on Saturday morning and so with more knowledge of the conditions they were serious rerouted away from the tops and any river crossings. I believe they went through the col to the east of Cribyn and the down the valley to the south rather than along the ridge south. They missed out Tor y Foel hill and went down the Taff trail to Tal-y-bont and back along the canal. They still got a long race but not those tops. Many finished at it must still have been a tough day out.

So another DNF. 2019 is proving to be a tough year despite some good runs as well. It seems whenever I take on a race that makes us change our holiday plans it goes a bit wrong. In NZ my race meant a big detour back across the South Island. This time it meant we stayed in the UK instead of heading off to the sun in the van. I just hope diverting from France and the Pyrenees to go to the Tor des Geants goes better. (Yes, feeling a bit low and fragile).