I was going to do a really long write-up of our trip to Nepal to do the Annapurna base camp (aka sanctuary) trek but Muriel has already done that and it seems daft to do it all over again. Instead, I thought I'd write about the real reason I went to Nepal, to have a crack at Thomas's Machhapuchhare base camp (MBC )to Annapurna base camp (ABC) and back again record. ;-) You can read about it on his blog here.
The trek to Annapurna is a fantastic trip. I suspect it's no more than about 50km from where we started trekking to ABC but what a 50 km! Strongly recommended for any reasonably fit adult. Be prepared for stairs though, lots of them.
After 5 days of trekking we had arrived at MBC at 3,700m elevation in time for a spot of lunch.
Pretty stunning view from our dining table! After lunch, the plan was to have a little stroll around, go look at a river and then walk a bit up towards Annapurna base camp to aid our altitude adjustment. Well I stuck with the group as we wandered over to see the river but when we got back to the teahouse I could contain myself no longer and took off towards ABC. Slow trekking does not come easily to a WHW runner!
At 3700m altitude, you very definitely know that the air is thin and the moment I hit the first hill I was reduced to puffing my way up all the climbs. As it's a 430m to climb to ABC this was a feeling I was going to have to get used to! That said, it was pretty much like any hill race, striding purposefully up the steeper bits and running all the flatter bits.
I started to pass a number of trekkers and porters. If they didn't hear me approaching a cheerful "Namaste!" usually had them making way for me. It didn't seem long before I reached a large rock with "ABC 1 hour" painted on it. (In the Himalayas, you never see signs with distances, it always done in walking time). This seemed a trifle pessimistic as I could clearly see ABC about a mile ahead but the times are based on wheezing trekkers, not WHW running supermen. ;-)
Those blues roofed buildings are ABC
As you can see, the land flattens out as you approach ABC so I was able to pick up a bit of speed on this stretch. As I neared ABC you pass a large "Welcome" sign.
I agonised for a few moments wondering whether this was Thomas's turn around point but decided that I really had to go the whole way to the camp rather than stop about 400m short. I pushed on until I reached the top of these steps (now looking back down) at 4130m.
I then did something I not particularly proud of, I defaced ABC. ;-)
I did look for "CG" and "TL" briefly but couldn't see any sign of his moniker. ;-) After that, it was a quick turn around and then racing like a loony back down the hill. This did cause a bit of consternation amongst the trekkers. One rather worriedly asked me why I was running to which I could only answer "For fun!" as I hurtled back down the trial. Although altitude makes ascents hard, the descent was easy although I did take a bit more care than normal as access to medical facilities is somewhat limited up there. I misjudged my route as I neared MBC and ended up running up a long flight of steps back to our teahouse, cheered on by a camping group of trekkers.
So, did I beat Thomas's 59 minutes for the round trip? Well, sad to say I didn't start my watch properly when I set off so I'll never know. I suspect I was over the hour though so until I go back and time myself properly, I guess Thomas's record will have to stand. ;-)
These next pics are just an illustration of what breathing air at only 60-65% of normal pressure does for you (and a bag of peanuts).
That top figure (a measure of how saturated my haemoglobin was with oxygen) would be reading 98 to 100 at sea level.
This was a floppy bag of nuts when we go it on the plane. Now it was as tight as a drum.
So apart from the generally amazing experience of trekking in the Himalayas, this little taster of what running at altitude is like has given me an appetite to do more of it. Can't wait for next year's CCC or UTMB!
At 3700m altitude, you very definitely know that the air is thin and the moment I hit the first hill I was reduced to puffing my way up all the climbs. As it's a 430m to climb to ABC this was a feeling I was going to have to get used to! That said, it was pretty much like any hill race, striding purposefully up the steeper bits and running all the flatter bits.
I started to pass a number of trekkers and porters. If they didn't hear me approaching a cheerful "Namaste!" usually had them making way for me. It didn't seem long before I reached a large rock with "ABC 1 hour" painted on it. (In the Himalayas, you never see signs with distances, it always done in walking time). This seemed a trifle pessimistic as I could clearly see ABC about a mile ahead but the times are based on wheezing trekkers, not WHW running supermen. ;-)
Those blues roofed buildings are ABC
As you can see, the land flattens out as you approach ABC so I was able to pick up a bit of speed on this stretch. As I neared ABC you pass a large "Welcome" sign.
I agonised for a few moments wondering whether this was Thomas's turn around point but decided that I really had to go the whole way to the camp rather than stop about 400m short. I pushed on until I reached the top of these steps (now looking back down) at 4130m.
I then did something I not particularly proud of, I defaced ABC. ;-)
I did look for "CG" and "TL" briefly but couldn't see any sign of his moniker. ;-) After that, it was a quick turn around and then racing like a loony back down the hill. This did cause a bit of consternation amongst the trekkers. One rather worriedly asked me why I was running to which I could only answer "For fun!" as I hurtled back down the trial. Although altitude makes ascents hard, the descent was easy although I did take a bit more care than normal as access to medical facilities is somewhat limited up there. I misjudged my route as I neared MBC and ended up running up a long flight of steps back to our teahouse, cheered on by a camping group of trekkers.
So, did I beat Thomas's 59 minutes for the round trip? Well, sad to say I didn't start my watch properly when I set off so I'll never know. I suspect I was over the hour though so until I go back and time myself properly, I guess Thomas's record will have to stand. ;-)
These next pics are just an illustration of what breathing air at only 60-65% of normal pressure does for you (and a bag of peanuts).
That top figure (a measure of how saturated my haemoglobin was with oxygen) would be reading 98 to 100 at sea level.This was a floppy bag of nuts when we go it on the plane. Now it was as tight as a drum.
So apart from the generally amazing experience of trekking in the Himalayas, this little taster of what running at altitude is like has given me an appetite to do more of it. Can't wait for next year's CCC or UTMB!
