Trail Running Mecca at the Ultra Tour de Mont Blanc

Feel the rain on your skin,

No one else can feel it for you, only you can let it in...

Drench your self in words unspoken

Live your life with arms wide open

- Natasha Bedingfield, Unwritten

Natasha’s timely lyrics lifted me into Chamonix, France, last Wednesday to take part in the 10^th Annual Ultra Tour de Mont Blanc (UTMB), a race that is likely the closest thing ultrarunners have to their own Olympics. Over 2,700 coureurs (runners) from 35 countries would attempt this 168k/30,000’ vertical climb monster that circles through France, Italy, and Switzerland, with another 4,000 runners attempting distances from 112k (the TDS), 100k (the CCC), or the staggering 290k/70,000’ vertical 5+ day PTL. Although Mother Nature threw us a curve ball that required some course modifications, I can easily say this was one of my all-time grand adventures and a “bucket list” worthy event. C’est formidable!

(View of Chamonix from a parasail, photo courtesy of Keith Knipling)

(Trails with a view!)

Rain and snow had settled into the Chamonix valley by the time I arrived (without baggage, thank you United) so I wasn’t able to see much of the course prior to the race. In fact, we couldn’t see much of anything. The clouds settled low in the valley like a thick San Francisco fog, occasionally reaching enough density for rain or snow. Even if you were just jogging two blocks to get some lunch, you better bring layers. One thing for sure about UTMB – the right gear was going to be critical. My sorta-paid-attention-in-college-20-years-ago broken French was enough to get me into town, make a few friends, and soon eating enough cheese and croissants to make up for a year of good eating habits. But it’s sooooo good. Ah, c’est la vie!

(Slice of Brie under a heat lamp, anyone? Soooo goooood)

(A color wheel of goodies)

I caught up with Bryon Powell and some runners at an iRunFar mixer, and Meghan Hicks mentioned that just three days ago it had actually been too hot to go on long runs (and she had the tan to prove it!). Lots of elite runners at the shindig were ready to go regardless, including phenom Dakota Jones, Montana mountain goat Mike Foote (11^th last year), Portland speedster Amy Sproston, Canadian-but-we-won't-hold-it-against-him Gary Robbins, Patagonia star Luke Nelson, ultra optimists Keith and Gary Kipling, super star Anna Frost and her Salomon compatriots, and more. I guess this is part of the adventure – be ready for anything!

(Me hanging with Mike Foote, who would go on to get 3rd place, photo courtesy of Bryon Powell)

(Enjoying trails on a sunny day, photo courtesy of Meghan Hicks)

(Views galore, photo courtesy of Meghan Hicks)

I swung by a Salomon event and was stunned at the number of people asking for autographs from their top runners. Even with uber-runner Kilian Jornet not in the running this year, the hero worship by this crowd was reaching near-Olympic levels. Trail running is VERY big in this area! It presents a glorious preview of what this sport could become.

(Anna Frost and the Salomon Team are busy with autographs)

The day before the race, I was still without luggage and feeling very Euro with my five o’clock shadow and parfume-au-naturel oozing from the clothes I hadn’t changed in three days. A text arrived saying it was snowing above 2,000 meters (many of the UTMB climbs exceed 3,000m), and four layers of clothes would now be required in our (already heavy) packs. I did not bring the gear for this magnitude of weather, but luckily Chamonix is mecca for alpinists with a credit card. I only had to venture a few blocks to upgrade everything, and took advantage of the opportunity to get a larger Salomon pack, a mid-weight Ice Breaker wool shirt, and some sturdy Black Diamond carbon poles. My luggage showed up just in time to get my gear checked in, and I nervously await the evening start on Friday.

There was good reason to be nervous, the course not withstanding.  A broken toe derailed my summer training, and just as soon as it healed, my neighbor’s semi-crazy Great Dane attacked me and tore into my left hip. That bitch! (ha, ha) Luckily bad karma tends to flow in three’s, so I just assumed the lost luggage closed that door for good. I was just going to have to be careful to pace myself well, be very realistic about finish times, and take a few extra days off to recover.

(Race morning was looking a little grey)

On Friday (race day) morning, we got the text that it was still snowing at 2,000 meters and the original course would have to be abandoned to forgo the three 3,000m+ peaks. The start was pushed to 7pm, and a new course of at least 100km/20,000’ of climbing would be published soon. I gave myself five minutes of pity party with a tasty glass of local Sancerre, then set my mind to the task at hand. I wasn’t the only one going with the flow – in an impressive display of flexibility, less than 20 of the original runners bowed out of the new course. It was on!

(Racers fill the square, photo courtesy of Maindruphoto.com)

(Thousands fill the start line, as the clouds give us a break)

(And we're off! Photo courtesy of Bryon Powell)

The start line was a mad house, with spectators filling every window and rooftop while thousands lined up in the square. Everyone was geared up and thankful that we had a slight reprieve from the rain for the big start. As the elites came up front and the group countdown was completed, we were off and running! Well, off and walking actually…turns out it would take 10-15 minutes just to get the masses onto the crowd-filled streets. Perhaps starting in 1800^th place wasn’t the best idea, but I sure met a lot of interesting people! Brits, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Australian, Italian, Chinese, Spanish, South African, Canadian, Brazilian…mountain people from all over the world. It was fun just to listen to all the chatter.

(This guy started the race by slamming a beer...nice!)

(The UK's Digby Ellis-Brecknell enjoys taking a moment to cheer with the fans)

(Making new friends as we hit the road)

(The streets are filled with runners and loud cheering)

(Ahhh...found some trails!)

As we found our way onto some wide trails, it was clear this was a BIG RACE. We were ten people wide on the trail, and could easily take up more than one lane of traffic as we made our way to Le Delevret (mile 8). I did my best to move up in the crowd, but found that many people here run the way they drive, taking every inch of passing space. Best to just kick back and enjoy! I did run into a few familiar faces – Bob Weinhold from Pennsylvania here celebrating his 15^th wedding anniversary with his wife Kimberly, CA’s Bill Geist in his first UTMB, no-stranger-to-snow-racing Jill Homer, Stanford alum friends Eric Edelson, Gavin Woody, and Kermit Cook, Bay Area ultrarunners Nattu Narraj and Karen Bonnett back for their second UTMB, and more. Even in this global sample of runners from all over the world, our friends were everywhere.

(And on your left, a 1,000 year old church)

(Staying hydrated)

(Bob Weinhold chatting with Joe Carrera in the early miles)

Night and rain both settled in as we charged up and down the hill to Saint Gervais (mile 13). It’s such a strange feeling to begin the race at night, but it didn’t seem to reduce the support crowds at all. There were dozens of locals at every corner yelling “Allez! Allez!”, and chanting the theme to the White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army was particularly popular. They were great! The runners, on the other hand, got very quiet. I’m not sure if it was intense focus, language barriers or what, but when you run the UTMB, you here little more than footsteps and the clicking of poles. I still did my best to be social, asking how to say worlds in French like slush (“neige fondante”), mud (“boue”), and I don’t give a fuck (“je m’en fou”). So classy. ;-)

(Cruising through town before night falls)

Saint Gervais (mile 13) was a party in motion, and I got through it quickly to head to Les Contamines (mile 18). Both aid stations had yummy local fare, including cheese, sausage, baguette bread, hot tea and soup, and a wide array of cookies, crackers, and dried fruit. It seemed strange to see big chunks of brie at the aid station, but it sure tasted good! I pulled off the course to swap out my soaked short sleeve shirt and wind breaker jacket for the heavy armor – the IceBreaker long sleeve and my Columbia Triple Trail II Jacket – in preparation for our first climb into the snow. I instantly felt warmer, and used the vents in the jacket to dial in the right temperature.

(Gearing up for the cold and wet, photo courtesy of Maindruphoto.com)

(The headlights go on and the snow starts to fall)

(I never thought I would say it, but thank god for rain pants)

La Balme (mile 21) already had a few inches of snow on the ground and more on the way when we arrived. The combo of the poles and Hoka One-One’s were great for getting through the sludge quickly, and I was able to pick up about 50 places before we got to the top and navigated some treacherous single track along the ridge. The organizers definitely made the right call to not hit the big peaks – if these rocks were frozen, it would be near impossible to get through this without losing a runner off the side of the hill. One runner we passed had lost his wool hat, and his race was basically over. I saw another warming his hand in hot water at an aid station after losing a glove. Margin for error on clothing was near zero. That definitely explains why I ran into so many product designers from The North Face, Salomon, and Patagonia during the week – it’s a good place to see their products tested to extremes.

(Nick Yardley gets some soup and demonstrates the full attire, photo courtesy of Bryon Powell)

We circled back through Les Contamines (mile 31), which marked the halfway point on the modified course. I looked at my watch and it had taken nearly nine hours to get here. Yikes! I was only three hours ahead of the cut-off time, and we still had to get through five more climbs. I cranked up the tunes (Fitz and the Tantrums, Alex Clare, Maroon 5, and Bob Marley) and powered through the next section as quickly as I could. Visibility was still 10-20’ at best, but I found that putting a little faith in your downhill (and Hokas) could make up a lot of time. There was some risk to stepping off the side of the trail, which I did a couple of times, but usually you could use the headlights in front of you to navigate through the fog.

(Aid stations were busy places!)

The surge up to Bellevue (mile 40) was incredibly steep, and I was lucky enough to find myself with a dozen strong climbers to snake our way up through the roads and single track to the snowy peak. In fact, nearly everyone racing today had amazing climbing skills – they could power up these 2000m peaks without taking a single break, all at a near anaerobic pace. It was impressive! You could definitely pick out the runners who had grown up with the Alps.

(Heading down the mud, photo courtesy of Jill Homer)

The descent from Bellevue was two miles of the craziest mud I have ever experienced. It was thick enough that when I did my first of many ass plants, the 3-6” of thick and slimy mud ensured my bum never hit solid ground. The local runners got through it quickly with a telemark-like stride, while the rest of us just flailed and cursed our way to the bottom. I had mud EVERYWHERE – on my face, in my hair, in my gloves, all over my camera…oh Good Lord. The volunteers at Les Houches (mile 43) got me cleaned up quickly, and with some hot tea and marmalade bread for breakfast, we turned off our headlamps and headed back up the Chamonix valley.

(Morning breaks as we traverse Chamonix valley)

(Traversing the terra-not-so-firma)

Bob Weingold caught up to me again on the long road climb up Merlet (mile 51), and we were already laughing off the crazy mud section. It’s so funny that the same section of trail that caused us me swear I would never return quickly (je m'en fou!) becomes the centerpiece of the story. The clouds were clearing enough to get a few views in, and it indeed was beautiful country. One advantage to being mid- to back-of the pack!

(Oliver, a German ultrarunner, is stoked to be heading out of Argentiere)

(Cruising over Chamonix, photo courtesy of Jill Homer)

(Nattu Narraj and Karen Bonnett bringing it home, photo courtesy of Bryon Powell)

We could hear the finish line cheering at full volume as we passed up Chamonix in the hills above, making our way to Les Tienes (mile 53) and a brutal climb before Argentiere (mile 57). This was the only time I had to take a full-stop rest, no thanks to always looking up and seeing more dot-sized runners way up on the hill. But we got through it, and I kept enough energy to sail through the last few aid stations and finish in 18:59 for 686^th place. I felt good at the finish, and somehow picked up ~1100 places along the crazy course. Bob had finished just a few seconds ahead of me, and we made plans for beers once we got a quick shower in.

(Coming into town...)

(...where the crowds give a warm welcome)

(Poles in one hand, camera in the other! Photo courtesy of Maindruphoto.com)

(The finish! Funny how the church is framed, with the finish banner where the cross would go...higher power, indeed!)

(Bob finished seconds ahead of me, and we immediately spoke of beer)

(Whoops...guess I should have wiped my feet before entering the hotel)

Could I have finished the full 168k? Probably so, although it would easily have taken me twice as long with all those high altitude peaks. I was glad the race organizers kept our safety first. The post-race damage wasn’t too bad – a few new chafing spots on my waistline from the rain pants, a couple of doomed toenails, and quads that went on strike and refused to cooperate soon after the finish. I got in a quick nap and shower after the race, then returned to the finish to cheer on UTMB runners and PTL finishers who would be coming in all night long.

(PTL finishers ending their multi-day journey)

(This PTL duo celebrates their finish with champagne...)

(...and like a good partner, offers it first to his teammate)

The day after the race brought sunshine and smiles for the awards ceremony, where Salomon’s Francois d’Haene (10:32:36) won overall, and The North Face’s Lizzy Hawker (12:32:13) won her 5^th title. Seven countries were represented in the Top 10, proving again this is a world-class race. Team USA represented well with Mike Foote getting 3rd (11:19:00), Rory Bosio as the 4th Woman (13:43), Amy Sproston in 8th (14:13), Meghan Arboghast in 12th (15:14), and course-record-holder Krissy Moehl in 14th (15:25). Check out iRunFar’s coverage for more about the top contenders and the blow-by-blow on the elite race.

(The crowd cheers a stage full of volunteers)

(Lizzy Hawker, Francesca Canepa, Emma Roca, Rory Bosio, and Katia Fori make the Top 5 Women)

(Francois d'Haene, Jonas Buud, Mike Foote, Carlos Sa, Csaba Nemeth, Jean-Yves Rey, Francois Faivre, Arnaud Lejeune, Sebastien Buffard, and Tsuyoshi Kaburaki are the Top 10)

My last 24 hours in Chamonix were an amazing unstructured folly of meeting locals, congratulating fellow runners, sharing a meal or two with Bob and Kimberly Weinhold, playing strange board games with Spanish kids, imbibing in local food and drinks, strolling the stores, petting the many dogs, and soaking up the sun. I think Chamonix may be as close to mountain running heaven as it gets, especially on UTMB weekend, and I felt a great kinship with the people here. It is truly a special place, and welcomes runners and families alike.

(Joe Carrara, Mike Wiegand, and Gary Knipling sport their finisher vests while sharing some beers with Kimberly Wiengold at the Poco Loco)

(I love this picture - a 60+ runner gets some support from his spouse as they enjoy a day in Chamonix; each fleck of blue is another finisher vest)

(Luke Nelson, who finished 31st, shows me what a real beard looks like)

I escaped early on my last day to catch the sunrise, and two Italian men dressed in alpine gear asked if I wanted to come watch them climb from L’Aguille de Midi towards Mont Blanc for breakfast. We took the tram up, hiked out through a snow tunnel, and I watched them casually traverse down a snow ridge that fell a mile on either side. Ah, the mountain people and their crazy ideas of fun!

(Heading out through the snow tunnel)

(Les Italiens making their way down the crest)

(Those two dots on the right ridge are them!)

My thanks to the UTMB organizers and the thousands of volunteers who helped make this such a great race, and to Topher and Kim Gaylord for all their pre-race tips. I have a whole new water mark for what makes a “tough ultra”, and what a trail running vacation can be. Thanks for inviting us to share your special slice of heaven!

- SD

Tips for first-time UTMB runners:

•       Fly into Geneva, and take the shared shuttle (like Mountain Drop-offs) from Geneva to Chamonix, so you can ask other runners for tips. Avoid United - SwissAir seems to be the most reliable.
• ·      Train with a full pack so you know what that is like. If your pack is bouncing around, try repacking it a few times in different ways. Once I loaded everything low in the pack around my waist, there was almost no movement.
• ·      Be sure to come early enough to try some of the climbs so you know what you’re in for. They are steep and relentless compared to what most of us train on. I used poles and was very happy with them.
• ·      The weather can change quickly here, so be sure to bring layers that give you many options, and know your susceptibility to cold at walking, hiking, and running speeds. In speaking with runners afterwards, there was a wide range of clothing usage. Luke Morgan, for example, never used gloves while I would have lost fingers for sure. Amy Sproston (8^th) was fine with a long sleeve shirt for the whole race, while Meghan Arboghast (12^th) had on full Gore-Tex shell and pants and was still cold.
• ·      If you can, take a full week so you can spend some time checking out trails and towns before or after the race. The Telegraph de Midi tram is a must, and the train tour, paragliding, and various hiking museums are a lot of fun.
• ·      Eat out – it’s amazing! My favorites were burgers at Poco Loco, panini’s at Extreme Café, sushi fusion at Munchie’s, and traditional French at La Caleche.