REPORTAGES
49 / SPORTVICIOUS
“After the experience, I’m afraid I have no other choice but to come back” the Italian side of Mont Blanc. I recognized the Aiguille Noire de Peutery and memories of some bivouac nights around the area with my good old friend Palas when I was a climber came to mind. I had to stop thinking or I would lose concentration! The path went up and down and the resulting picture was just amazing; it looked promising. When I got to Lac Combal the wind started to blow harder and I regretted not wearing sleeves, but I saw nobody stopping to put on warmer clothing, so… neither did I! I carried on hoping we would be downwind on the other side of the Col de Chavanes. Another stretch zigzagging and the slope to reach the hill had been “eaten up”. The first 2,000 meters had been completed, and in no time! We started the descent and Toti offered to help me out to put my poles in the backpack but, as I had picked some rigid ones from the many I had at home, I declined his offering, I helped him sort out his poles, I died of envy and cursed myself for not having chosen some different ones. Meanwhile, two groups
had formed in the race. Ahead were Xavier Thevenard and Nepalese Tamang (with a Dutch athlete); behind were Toti Bes, Jordi Gamito and myself. The truth is I’d rather run on my own so as not to wear down, but I could not renounce such good company. Running through meadows, the trail began to become steeper as we approached Col du Petit St-Bernard. From below we could hear shouting, cheering and encouragement. I said to Toti I felt as if I was running at home. We stopped at the checkpoint and the three of us started the descent each one separated from the other by a few meters; the three of us were together, but running at our own personal pace. I tried to be as consistent as possible to wear down as little as possible. A fabulous descent! Meadows, trails, tracks, paths…, we carried on devouring kilometres until we got to Bourg Saint Maurice, at km 50. The first third of the race done! We came into the assistance zone among the cheering of people.