14 November 2017

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Everest and Lhotse, I hope to be back some day.

The final stage was definitely a downhill stage, but the distance of 30km or 18 miles still included 2,105m or 7,000ft ascent and 3,138m or 10,300ft of descent. We would run from Tengboche to Lukla, our final destination and hub to fly back to Kathmandu.

Ama Dablam in all its glory.

I decided to push hard. I still had a slight chance of moving into 8th overall and 2nd in the Master's division. There wasn't going to be another stage. In addition, we would trace back most of the previous stage 5 and some of stage 4 before turning towards Lukla, our final destination and finish line for the Everest Trail Race, so I decided the keep my "camera" (iPhone 7) holstered for this stage and focus on running only.

Some of my nutty new "family" just before the start of the final stage.

This stage started at pretty high altitude (12,500ft) and in the coldest temps, yet, at least I felt cold enough to actually use my CEP compression arm sleeves. We would immediately descent nearly 2,000ft from the start over just 1.5 miles. It was a hair raising descent to say the least as I was trying to stay upright while trying to hang on to the runners in front of me.


While I kept a couple of runners ahead in sight initially, that changed as the race progressed. My focus shifted towards running my own race pace while "dodging" porters, mules, yaks and trekkers, who continued to be extremely supportive, shouting encouraging words to us runners in any imaginable language. Foot and hoof traffic was the highest during this stage, but I had gotten used to it and figured out how to behave while passing the different obstacles to stay both safe and manage not to lose too much time in the process. 

The man that put this amazing adventure together, Jordi Abad.

At some point, the female overall lead Chhechee Sherpa Rai caught up to me, somewhere during the early stage of the 7 mile downhill descent that preceded the final 3 mile climb to the finish in Lukla. If I could stay with her on the descent, I figured I'd do pretty well. I had been climbing slightly better than her on a couple stages, so if I could repeat that today, I figured I would have a pretty good performance. I had no idea where any of my direct male competitors were on the course, so all I could do was to keep pushing and hope that I was reducing the gap between the runners ahead in the overall rankings.

Some happy finishers right there.

As expected, Chhechee set a strong pace. She runs extremely lightfooted and I just kept trying to follow in her "footsteps". I managed for the most part, only slipping and sliding around a couple of times. As we started the final climb, I decided to push past her. 
World champ and all around top notch guy Luis Alberto.

The finish line almost surprised me as I came up a steep climb and turned the corner at the entrance to Lukla. It was a glorious sight as I crossed the finish line. But I did immediately think how sad it was that this once in a lifetime adventure had come to an end. I spent the next couple of hours taking it all in, sitting in the sun, enjoying a cold Everest beer, taking pictures in the village and cheering on my new family members as they all crossed the finish line. I will never forget the friends I made during this journey and I will be forever thankful to the entire race organization around Jordi Abad and his amazing crew of 160+ volunteers and Sherpas, whom made this event a flawlessly run adventure that will stay with me for the rest of my life. It is impossible to write down in words what this event means to me.

The finish line as seen from Lukla.

Friends and colleagues have asked me questions like "so what is next for you?" and "how do you top this?". The answer is easy, I am already planning amazing adventures for the next year as I continue to look for challenging mountain adventures, but nothing will ever top the experience that is the Everest Trail Race. NAMASTE

Animal personification of "the twins", Gareth and Kieran:-) 


One last yak train crossing the finish line of the ETR.


Go USA!


View from our lodge in Lukla.






Amazing views in every direction where the norm at the ETR.




The hustle & bustle of Lukla.

Lukla airport, National Geographic's "Most dangerous Airport".

Yup, found the Irish pub in Lukla.

13 November 2017

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The view as we completed the final climb to the finish line of stage 5, Everest ad Lhotse.

The fifth stage had us running from Phakding to another monastery and probably the most scenic backdrop to any finish line in Tengboche, where Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam framed the view. We had to cover 20km or 12 miles while ascending 2,224m or 7,300ft and descending 1,022m or 3,300ft.


Just looking at the distance and overall vertical gain and loss, this stage seems "easy" on paper when compare to the other stages and indeed, it was the fastest out of all days for me. However, it wasn't easy. All of the vertical gain was spread over just 2 climbs, the first one 4 miles into the stage and the second and final stinger, an 1,800ft climb over less than 2 miles to the finish line.

Ama Dablam in all its glory.


Running a shorter stage meant pushing just a bit harder over the entire duration of the stage. I was also trying to catch Michele Petrone, a fellow competitor from Italy, who had put quite a bit of distance between him and myself over the first 3 stages and had been sitting in second place in the masters division. I had made up 15 minutes of the gap between us on stage 4, but I needed to keep pushing on the remaining 2 stages, if I wanted to make a serious attempt at catching him. I also wanted to make sure I didn't get passed for 3rd place overall in the masters division. 

Everest and Lhotse kissed by the sun.

I had been taking pictures and enjoying the amazing landscape the previous 4 stages and now I added a bit of a competitive spirit to this journey. I knew we would finish this stage at the most amazing location in Tengboche before returning to Lukla on the final stage, so one could call this the beginning of the final stretch of the Everest Trail Race.

The prettiest location I have ever been to.

I ended up running solo for most of the day, catching a glimpse of other runners here and there in the distance, either ahead or behind me. The number of trekkers, tourists and porters as well as mule and yak trains continued to increase tenfold when compared to the early stages. It is definitely part of this amazing landscape, but it added an additional challenge to the race, namely trying to pass these "obstacles" without falling off the mountain or losing too much time over fellow competitors.

Everest and Lhotse.

My energy levels stayed consistent, I made sure to drink most of my fluids and took in most of the nutrition provided at checkpoints. I didn't push too hard too early, so I felt pretty good all day. I continued to stop to take pictures along the way, views of the Himalayas around every corner. It never got old. 

Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam.

I finally started to find a rhythm, running most flats at a relaxed pace and downhills and a fast pace while trying to keep a steady fastish hiking pace on every uphill. As a result, I managed to keep my heart rate in check and was able to push the final climb to Tengboche to finish about 9 min ahead of the eventual female overall winner Chhechee Sherpa Rai after running with her for a while prior to starting the final climb.


When I crossed the finish line, I was in awe of the views all around me. I couldn't put my phone down, I just kept snapping pictures. This was also the moment when I kinda started to try to wrap my head around this adventure. With Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam right in front of me, I felt like a pretty lucky guy. I mean, I get to do this stuff, how awesome is that! 

River in the Khumbu Valley as seen from a hanging bridge.

As I sit here writing this report, I am still not quite able to process it all. I have this strange feeling of wanting to go back, yet not wanting to take away from this "once in a lifetime" experience. I'm not sure if this makes sense. Ultimately, I am certain that I will go back to Nepal. It is a place that stays with you, the vibrant culture and colors of this country, the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu, the tranquility of the early stages and the unique trail traffic with a mix of tourists, locals and animals along the latter stages make this a one of a kind experience. Words just cannot describe it, which is why I kept taking pictures.

The original Hillary Bridge as seen from the new hanging bridge above.


The stairway to heaven was created in Nepal...many many times over:-)





This view will never get old.


Oh, your 10lbs pack weighs heavy on your back? Suck it up buttercup, it can always be worse;-) Nepali are the strongest people I've ever met.




Snow capped mountains always capture my imagination.




Spectacular views.


The famous Yak.






Namche bazaar, a major trade hub in the Himalayas.


"Road" leading through Namche.






The Hillary bridge(s) seen from below.




A Yak train. They are beautiful animals.










Yak.




Prayer flags are a beautiful part of the Nepali landscape. 




One of my favorite views, Namche bazaar as seen from above after passing through.


Path leading into Namche.






Crossing the new Hillary bridge.


Our lodge across Tengboche monastery.


Tengboche monastery.


ETR finish line in front of the grand Himalayas.


Yup, there is a bakery with tasty cakes and coffee,


How everything gets moved in these parts of Nepal.







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