An Alpine Gathering ...

Sitting at Edinburgh airport, just about every fear and doubt was being balanced with excitement and expectation as I looked forward to what lay ahead in the Alps. It was great to meet up with fellow team mate Kirstie Smith in the airport and find out that the noises rattling round the head were shared ones! The flight to Geneva and transfer over to Chamonix went smooth and we met up with the Freestak team at the apartment we were using as an initial base before wandering into town to soak up the atmosphere and grab some food.

It was almost impossible not to simply stare up to the surrounding mountains …and wonder how Kilian Jornet possibly made it to the summit of Mont Blanc and back in only 4 hours 57 minutes! We bumped into the Freestak team in town and it was great to also catch up with David from Berghaus who we had last seen at the Hellvelyn day back in May. On our return to the apartment, we met up with Kirsty Reade and Martin Inge who had spent the morning rambling up and running back down the vertical kilometre route. We were joined later by Danny Wood and James Young – our team was now complete!

Next morning over a shared breakfast, we received a briefing on what Day One looked like from Julia Tregaskis-Allen, who would be our running guide for the trip. It was a loop that pretty much followed the Chamonix Cross Route Race Route starting with “alpine flats” (read - a gradual climb mixed in with short sharp hills) up the Chamonix Valley through Argentiere and crossing at Montroc before climbing up to pick up the return route on the opposite hillside – a tidy 31.5km route with 1844m of elevation gain.

As we started running, I got a shock when my breathing was harder than I was expecting given that Chamonix is only around 1,035m above sea level. In fact, I was blowing big style as we made our way up the trail! In hindsight, it was maybe a little to do with altitude but lots to do with nerves associated with not wanting to hold the team back in any way. Thankfully, things settled a bit and there were enough stops to aid with recovery.

The running was stunning with a mix of alpine meadows, wooded single track, steep climbs and the odd technical descent thrown in for good measure. Considering that the team hadn’t ever run together, I felt we were already coming together as a group; a feeling that was to become even stronger over the coming days.

This first run was also a chance to test the Berghaus kit we had kindly been given and make any final choices for the rest of the trip which would include an overnight at a mountain hut and will get some reviews posted over coming weeks. During the run, we had an opportunity to chat with Phillipe & Anna Gatta and it was mind-blowing to hear about their Year of Adventure project. 

Philippe, myself and Anna

The early part of the day had seen Julia share some coaching tips and during the final descent back into Chamonix, it was fun to play about with some of her advice – the term keeping it “light and fluffy” was to become common place. The idea was to keep the running style flowing with the foot strike creating no noise. No doubt about it, on the short sections where I felt I was getting it, light and fluffy felt very efficient.

While enjoying wee isotonic drink in the square by the old church, I found myself reflecting on the experience so far … Many worthy folks had applied and only a few of us had been given this awesome opportunity. Despite varying experiences and backgrounds, more than anything else, what united us was a like-mindedness and passion for running and the outdoors. Together we had shared food, trails and already some laughs. I had run harder than I had for a while, and I felt safe to do so knowing I was surrounded by pals. Without doubt, the highlight of the day for me was when Kirstie told the group she had just run further than she had ever done before – it really felt like we were in an environment that brought out the best in us …maybe that is what being in a team is all about.

For anyone interested in a similar experience, Julia operates Track & Trails which offer guided trail running in the Chamonix area.

Clearly, morale was too high #trailteam2014