Today Anna, Yannick and I did a new Trail running between Vence and Coursegoules. This 30 km Trail is pretty interesting a with mix of good tracks, technical and rocky descents and with constant nice views over the sea and the French Riviera. We made a loop starting in Vence and passing through Gourbel, Coursegoules and St Barnabé.
Philippe above Baou des Blancs (© Anna Gatta)
After the Sahara Race (Egypt) and the Atacama Crossing (Chile), I will participate to the third 4 Deserts Race: the Gobi March.
Atacama Corssing: 4th stage (© P. Gatta)
Tuesday Alex Chabot and I left Nice to Grindelwald in Switzerland with the goal to climb the North Face of Eiger (3970m). This north face, also called the Nordwand in German, is world famous. With 1800 meters of vertical height, it is one of the tallest, steepest and hardest face in the Alps. It is also famous for its loose rock, poor gear and bad weather.
Philippe in the Difficult Crack, North Face of Eiger (© Alex Chabot)
Nether less this face has attracted numerous climbers for decades. The first ascent has been made in 1938 by Anderl Heckmair, Ludwig Vörg, Heinrich Harrer and Fritz Kasparek. This route has become a legend and most sections are pieces of history: the Difficult Crack, the Hinterstoisser Traverse, the Icefields, the Death Bivy, the Ramp, Brittle Ledges, the Traverse of the Gods, the White Spider and the Exit Crack. Several routes have been opened in the north face since then but this 1938 route is the most climbed.
North Face of Eiger: the 1938 route is #2 in blue in the center of the face (Wikimedia common)
Anna and I have posted story and 150 photos of the Atacama Crossing Race 2012.
La version française de la course Atacama Crossing 2012.
Atacama Corssing: valley of the Moon (© P. Gatta)
Two weeks after my return from the Atacama Crossing race in Chile, I went back to the Gordolasque Valley in the national Park of Mercantour to climb a new Couloir. With the high temperatures we had in the last few days, most of the snow has melted and it becomes difficult to find some ice climbing. The Northeast face of the Cime de Paranova (2256 m) had a bit of snow left, so I climbed two Couloirs ; I went up in “Article Nòu” (250m, AD+) and climbed down the Northeast Couloir (300m, PD+). When I went back to the parking the temperature was about 13°C so the snow is not going to last very long…
Cime de Paranova: Article Nòu (red), Northeast Couloir (blue) (© Philippe Gatta)
Anna and I completed the Atacama Crossing Race last weekend. As expected the race has been rough but overall it went well and the scenery was amazing. We have started to sort out the 500 photos and 240 videos and will post soon a full report. In the meantime, here are five photos of the race.
Valley of Death and San Pedro de Atacama (© P. Gatta)
In the desert of Atacama (© P. Gatta)
Crossing the Salar of Atacama (© P. Gatta)
Valley of the moon, end of the 74 km (© P. Gatta)
Finish line of the Atacama Crossing (© P. Gatta)
Last weekend Anna and I ran 20 km with 10 kg pack as the last “long” training before the Atacama Crossing race in Chile. This week and next will be much lighter with one last interval training and a few more jogging, still with 10 kg weight.
When the race will start on March 4th, I will have run total of 1,000 km and 30,000 meters of elevation gain since I started the specific training for this race in November. Except a tendinitis on the left foot, I feel rather well and long to start the race. Anna will reach a total of 750 km in 4 months which is probably her new record.
Previous 4 deserts race in Sahara (© P. Gatta)
The format of the race is pretty much the same as the Marathon des Sables and the Sahara Race, so roughly 6 Marathons in 5 days, a rest day and 15 km.
As the Atacama Crossing race is self-supported, which means that we will have to carry all our clothes, sleeping bag, mandatory equipment, medical/safety kit and 7 days of food in our pack. The race organizer will only provide us with water (10 to 13 liters per day) and the tents for the nights. So choosing the right kit and food is a real challenge as everything has to fit in a relatively small pack. The goal is also to keep to the weight of the pack below 9 kg, without water. So investing in an electronic scale to chase every gram is mandatory. :-)
A night in the camp during the Sahara Race (© P. Gatta)
Anna and I spent some time this weekend to review everything one more time. The main differences with the Marathon des Sables and the Sahara Race are that the nights are cooler in Atacama so we have to bring more clothes, and the ground is sometimes rocky at the camp so we have to bring a mattress too. Last but not least, the race will take place between 3500 m and 2400 m of elevation but we can’t do much about it…
Here is the kit list:
1 Berghaus Octans 40 Pack (600gr)
1 Berghaus Argentium Cool Base Crew short sleeves Tee-shirt
1 Berghaus Argentium Cool Base Crew long sleeves Tee-shirt
1 Berghaus Furnace Down Jacket
1 Berghaus Scorch Micro Grid HZ
1 Berghaus technical tights
1 Tight Shorts
3 pairs of Berghaus Fast Track Cushioned Socks
1 pair of Berghaus Powerstretch gloves
1 Berghaus Powerstretch Hat
1 Berghaus Camera bag
1 Berghaus Sol Neck Gaiter (Buff)
1 Suunto Core watch with compass and altimeter
1 Suunto T6D watch with heart rate monitor and Foot POD (distance/speed)
1 pair of sunglasses category 2-4
1 sleeping bag comfort 4°C
1 cap
1 foam mattress
1 pair of light gaiter
1 pair of Trail running shoes
1 Nikon AW100 camera + 3 batteries
1 knife, spoon & fork
2 headlights
1 safety kit: 1 red flashing light, 1 whistle, 1 life blanket
1 medical kit: blisters kit, alcohol, pain relief medecines, bandages, sunscreen
Food, electrolytes, energy & recovery powder and vitamins
Kit and food for the Atacama Race (© P. Gatta)
The second challenge has been to choose the food. Based on the rules, we have to bring 14,000 calories but that’s not enough for me. For the Marathon des Sables I brought 22,475 calories (4.47 kg), for the Sahara Race I brought 21,925 calories (4.48 kg). For the Atacama Crossing I will bring 21,435 calories (4.2 kg). Unfortunately I have to take less food to compensate the extra clothes and mattress that I have to take. Anna will bring 18,075 calories (3.625 kg). It has been even harder for her to decide how much food to take as she hasn’t done any race like that before.
The other difficulty was to choose the right balance between Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat. Here is the breakdown: 16.6% of Protein, 57% of Carbohydrates and 26.5% of Fat. We also had to find food that can resist 7 days at temperatures up to 40°C, that can fit in a small pack without being totally smashed, that is light (freeze dried food) but still is pleasant to eat as the race lasts 7 days. Just look at your trolley out of the supermarket when you shop a week worth of food and try to fit that in a small back pack.
The food for the Atacama Race (© P. Gatta)
Finally Anna’s pack weights 8.625 kg and mine 8.975 kg, both without water.
To follow us during the race:
- You can email us here.
- You can read our blog here.
- Read the braking news here.
Video of the Sahara Race (© P. Gatta)
Sunday was our last 42 km Trail before the Atacama Crossing (250 km in the Atacama desert). We went to the Esterel Massif, a few kilometers West of Cannes, one of the few places not covered with snow. This massif covers an area of 320 km², which is perfect for Trail running and mountain biking.
We started by the sea in Théoule-Sur-Mer and made a loop around Pic d’Aurelle, Pic de l’Ours, lac de l’Ecureuil, Col du baladou, Les Suivières and Les Grosses Grues. As often in Esterel we got lost a few times, adding 4 km to the initial plan but enjoyed the trail anyway.
Philippe close to the Lake of Ecureuil (© Anna Gatta)
In November Anna and I went to the Valleys of Gordolasque and Merveilles to make a new Trail running video. This 21 km Trail is very scenic with great views over many lakes and peaks of the Mercantour. It also crosses the archaeological site of Vallée des Merveilles and loops around three high passes and two huts.
Video of Gordolasque and Merveilles (© Philippe & Anna Gatta)
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Climbing: video of Batman – Peillon
We have just published a new video that we shot in the cliff of Peillon. Anna Gatta is climbing Batman, one of the nicest 7c+ of Peillon’s cave.
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