Andorra Ultra Trail 26/27 June 2010 
The Andorra Ultra Trail is a 112km race from 8300m altitude positive, definitely for the purists of ultra Trail. From the right distance, and especially a lot of hilly trails ultra technical. Result, 495 runners at the start, only 96 at the finish. Race time 28h28min for me and a 54th place.
There is much to say about this race and its organization that I for my part found excellent. I always thought that regardless of the distance and altitude, the difficulty of the race depends primarily on how it is committed. Everything is ultimately a matter of effort management. There will inevitably be more quickly a short distance on a (ultra) long. It suffices to look at why my average speed on this test to be convinced ... 4.8 km / h (including a break anyway!). It is even sometimes afraid to see these statistics. In my subconscious, 5km / h is a normal speed! but good move ... With the Ultra Trail Andorra, I discovered that some races still could still stand out in terms of difficulty and merit to the finish
already on paper, the characteristics of this competition should have I put a flea in his ear. Many gradient on the UTMB 112km instead of 166km on it. The downside for Ultratraileur exploring its limits, is that by exploring the boundaries of the unthinkable, he comes to everything in perspective and say that finally, as the Cynic Dyogen removing the paradox of Zeno of Elea and the perpetual race between Achilles and the tortoise, he finally just put one foot before the other to travel any distance. So very calmly that I imagined in all cases end this ultratrail taking place on the starting line this Friday, June 25 at midnight.
yet I was quickly perceived that such an enterprise was far from won. When departure is launched this Friday night from late June to Ordino, a small town in the middle of Andorra, the atmosphere is humid. All afternoon, we had heard the thunder rumbling around and despite the fairly good weather forecast for the running of the race, fear of being caught in the trap in the middle of a storm over 2000m was present in the minds of all. Despite this apprehension, everything seems fine. It was after 5km of flat amount (about 110m D + on the remote) that the real fun begins with a first climb to reach an altitude of 2600m Pic del Clot Caval. I go up fast enough, gradually doubling my colleagues. At the top of the initial surge, the flow of competitors is finally starting to disappear. The race has already begun since 1:53. The sky was clear and starry, moon is to go, so good.
ravito At No. 1 The profile of Andorra Ultra Trail is disconcerting ease. Big climb, alternating jolts big downhill big climb, alternating jolts big descent. After the first climb, so it follows a new descent. We descend from 2600m to 2000 m. My lighting system with two front wonders. Despite the rugged single track trails and my front around my waist allows me to clarify just before my feet when my head on the front allows me to anticipate the course. I go down like a little crazy, I double larigot lag, lack of course beat me up two or three times but always falling back on my feet thanks to my good good sticks.
Profile
Andorra Ultra Trail
Then follows the ascent to the summit of our era, the Pic Comapedrosa to nearly 3000m. As expected the snow is up to you and is even slower. The moon, just incredibly bright reflected light on the snow and all the soldiers of the extreme party in the assault of a journey which they are perhaps not yet aware of all the difficulty. In 3km, we take more 900m vertical drop. In the distance, while the path begins to turn into a climbing wall, we hear sound the bagpipes and drumming. No doubt, Andorra Ultra Trail 2010 will bring many more surprises! While the first ascent was made without much difficulty, I start to score a few steps. Fortunately, the top of my 3000m, I contemplate a beautiful view. In the valley bottom, more than 2000m below, we see little lights, a sign that yes, there is life in the depths of these valleys. Again the descent allows me to regain valuable space, sometimes creating small frights to my colleagues a little less daring (or less unconscious than I can ;-) in this profile (good) down. What do you feel you love or not! And sensations, that descent gives me a lot. Again reached 2000 m after 30km of racing and racing already 5:50, it remains as flat and 250m of elevation gain before diving completely into the Valley and complete the first third of this course. I am not yet at the end of my sentences. Because despite the "few" of elevation, the terrain is far from stock! The organizers, in a spirit very nature trail:) have indeed fun to chart their own path. So we will have to join the Margineda to 967 meters turn to swim in the green bush with only support a wonderful and brave a handrail interminable "user-generated" road "traverses. In the end, it took me about 8:30 to travel 42 km.
Even if the rest of the route is different in terms of landscape, it remains very much in the spirit of this first part, surreal. A Margineda, a break of 20-25 minutes allowed me to take a step back to what I was live. There is always a moment in a race where one comes to doubt. Doubt on his ability to stay the course, doubt about the interest of completing something that already has for many early nonsense. I think, therefore not excluding abandonment. Everything is so surreal. This incredible difficulty seems to first exceed my comprehension. In my heart I laugh. I realize that somehow, this competition is a game between the organizers, whose goal is to prepare a trial unfeasible and competitors whose aim is to prove they can beat difficulties ingeniously he discovers. So I laugh, I laugh at me because this game, so I feel they have lost for the first time. I tell myself that if 2 / 3 of the trail I have left to go are as difficult and little stock, I'm not sure how to finish, or else can be happy without any.
yet I continue. I like that is surreal and does not like easy solutions. Once again I apply the anti-drop recipe, think about all this (ow) I hold dear in life, all those smiles encountered here and there which are all strength to continue, continue to demonstrate that little is impossible in life with a little determination and most of the limits that we are actually in our head and it is our duty to exceed ( for more explanation and argument on this, read my account of the
Annécime 2009 :-).
So I continue. Eat and drink did me good. It's still morning and the sun already starting to heat up. I climb slowly and continue my merry way. I get double time to time, but the gaps between the riders begin to be important. At the 55th km, after 24:20 already running, I learned that I'm in the top 50. Excellent news. I know I'll probably still lose some seats, but statistically at this point in the race and saw the spacing between the runners, it is unlikely that the ranking changes significantly by the arrival, however remote it! A race like this is like the contest! This is not because it seems to have been as bad as it is misplaced, it is enough to withstand a little better than others to get out! In this state of mind where I finished, rather quietly this race. It seems that in every race, there is an enigma to overcome the difficulty. Once solved this riddle, everything seems easier. This conundrum, he would have probably taken 80km to resolve it, thanks to a beautiful alpine climb in and a beautiful light of sunset. I really believe it was from that moment that everything started to seem easier to me, that I started to run on flat amounts, well send in downhill and want to impress by my volunteers malignant. In this regard, I must express my thanks to the many volunteers, always a smile to cheer you or comfort, these volunteers mobilized for more than 38 hours under the sun, rain and some thunderstorms we had to confront
Finally, I would put some 28h28 to complete the 112km and 8300m of elevation gain (the organizers announced 9700M, but it depends on the method of calculation). The difficulty of this journey has resided primarily in the inclination of slopes, absence way for the benefit of rise in open (hehe, a real obstacle course!), the abundance rock (not rock, rocks) on the road frequently forcing them to raise their hands to move / "climb" / "escalation" and find the right path in the night. Indeed, despite the plentiful reflective markers (and sometimes flashing) just a reflecting device is dropped or spilled in the passage of a rider to find the one after that is sometimes difficult. I worried a lot at night in remembering my difficulties to keep my eyes open on the "
BMTU " and "Endurance Trail
" but finally, it went well at that level, it seems to have no deficiency sleep before the race is a good remedy against this problem there!. Experiencing the sunset in the mountains when we know that the adventure is not yet complete is always exciting. Also, see below (without knowing whether this light is 200 meters or 2 km) the lighting of a competitor is particularly motivating.
I think I loved the end of the course (to be precise between 70 and 100th km), although again in the line of the route in the morning, I sometimes wondered where the good guys organizers had the preposterous idea to move us. Sometimes a beacon flashing in the distance and we wondered how he was physically possible to achieve. But tag after tag, step by step, the (right?) Path was outlined. At this level, I think this is the last climb to the Collada dels Meners at 2750m altitude, which surprised me the most. In undertaking this climb, I had seen at the top of a peak (about 600m higher than me) a blue light flashing. Throughout my climb, I think I asked myself if this is where I should spend the final ... secretly hoping that this is not the case ... I confess that I cursed the organizers a little when I finally understood, at 100m elevation gain this goal, yes, well it would go through there to hopefully see the finish line 10km away. I passed of course, no choice! Indeed at this level, the organizers had to dig a tunnel through the snow to allow runners to move into the next valley. Very fun :-) finally!
return to the valley of departure, after more than 105km and 8000m of D + The Last 5 km in my opinion had little interest since it was a part of the route that we took in the opposite direction at the start of the race, 27heures earlier. That does not stop me from getting lost, of course, but as they say, all roads lead to Ordino, there are just shorter than the other!
That, I think I am finished with my record. Only two women have completed this race more demanding, and sincere respect ... Julien Chorier Team Solomon, winner of the stage in about 18h declared he never saw race as technical ... same 20000 times with less experience than him, I am fully agree and I think the impressive rate of abandonment is indeed the manifestation
Second part of the official video of the event
Team The Cordée Outdoor Spirit is alive:)
PS: for those who want to train on all or part of the journey, my gpx file is available for download here:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/38535880 Basil, to serve you
Profile Andorra Ultra Trail 
return to the valley of departure, after more than 105km and 8000m of D + 
