Climbing Mont Blanc and happy new year

Happy new year everyone!

I hope you all had great and happy end of the year celebrations. Wishing you the best 2013, full of fun and adventures.

Since my last post, I completed several adventures. One of them being the main reason behind creating this blog, climbing Mont Blanc in France.

A picture being worth a thousands words, here we go:

Top of Mont Blanc du Tacul, 4248m

After a week of training in the French and Italian Alps, we climbed a Mont Blanc (Mont Blanc du Tacul) but it was not the Mont Blanc (the tallest mountain in the European Union culminating at 4,810m). 

We had decided to get to the top of Mont Blanc through "La Voie des 3 Monts", route which goes through the Mont Blanc du Tacul, the Mont Maudit and finally Mont Blanc. According to wikipedia this route is "known to be more technical and challenging than other more commonly used routes". 

Due to conditions similar to the ones which led to nine people dying two months before on the Mont Maudit (literally the "Cursed Mountain"), we decided to not go through the Mont Maudit and climb the Mont Blanc du Tacul instead. As Ed Viesturs said "Getting to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory." Cherry on the cake, we got media coverage on French National TV:

"Australian mountaineer" according to French TV

Please find below a few pictures and videos of this fantastic experience. I will post more of them later on (lots to select/edit). I would like to thank my mountaineering friend Matthieu, who trained and prepared his brother Arnaud and I during a week and kept us safe the entire time. 

We went through amazing landscapes, got interviewed by French TV and finally climbed a +4,000m mountain to experience an amazing sunrise over the Alps (see below).

Looking towards the Aiguille du Midi

  

Looking towards Italy

And the reason why this update was not posted earlier is because right after coming back to Australia, I was selected by Rexona to complete the gruelling Mark Webber Challenge, an adventure race consisting of 350 kms in five days across Tasmania. More about this shortly.

Relaxing Long Weekend? Not quite.

We had a long weekend down under with the Queen's birthday on Monday. And so as you would do after a long and busy week at work, I slept in and relaxed most of the weekend.

Not quite.

With a friend of mine, Pierre, we decided during the week to go to the Blue Mountains for a mountain bike ride.  I love this beautiful place, close to Sydney (~1hr drive) which has plenty of mountain bike tracks. While I have been there several times to do the famous Oaks trail, Pierre organised the ride which included both the Andersons trail (30kms) and the Oaks trail (30kms).

Pierre tracked it with his app, you can see the itinerary here.

So Saturday, I woke up at 6am (as you do) and went to pick him up before heading off to the blue mountains to do some mountain biking. 

The weather was perfect, sunny with no clouds, but chilly with temperatures close to 0 degree celsius. We got to Glenbrook around 7.45am after one hour drive, parked close to the Visitors centre (strategic location due to the proximity of its toilets) and rode to Glenbrook station to take the train to Wentworth Falls.

It's always great to see so many people waking up early in the morning, coming with their families, mates and jamming the train with their mountain bikes.

Bikes in the train

We got off at Wentworth Falls, and Pierre took the lead as we had to ride a little prior to getting on the actual Andersons Trail. There was some construction work on the way and following Pierre onto the road, I got really scared when we found ourselves in the middle of the freeway with literally no lane for bicycles! Pierre then crossed both lanes to get out on a bicycle/pedestrian path. After a big fright, we then rode to the start of the trail and had a great time.

The Andersons trail is really a great track, with an adrenaline charged rush down a steep downhill. The downhill ends up in an icy cold creek that you, sadly, have to cross and get your feet wet!

After this, is a dreadful 3km steep uphill! I did not have much fun there with my old bike.

We then got onto the famous Oaks trail, that I love and we had a blast.

I discovered half way through the track that there was steam in front of the lens of my GoPro (checking back home -  the videos are just no good). Thankfully, for the best part of the Oaks trail after that (the fast section, single trail and technical bit at the end) there was no steam. I will have some great shots/videos to share after the editing is done.

Amazing time, great company and great weather! Will definitely go back there with Pierre and do some more shots too!

After relaxing for a few hours at home (and yes I did do a few stretches), having a massive (and not so healthy) pizza for dinner, I then decided at 10pm on Saturday to enter a 14kms race on Sunday at 6.45am. 

My girlfriend was not so impressed with me as:

• she was going to be woken up another day at 6am

• we had to go to a friend's 30th surprise birthday party at 12pm sharp. 

The 14 kms running race was taking place around the Iron Cove and the Leichhardt Park, a flat, fast and scenic race. I will update the post once the photos are published so you get an idea.

Race itinerary - Copyright Sri Chinmoy

The race was really enjoyable with great views of the cove, people rowing and the city in the background. The organisation was great and so was the weather. 

After riding 60kms the day before, not having really prepared physically, mentally and nutritionally, I was actually happily surprised with my time. I completed the race in just over 1 hour. 61 minutes and 48 seconds to be precise (which equates to 4m40s per km). The results are available here.

And for those wondering, yes, we did make it on time to our friend's 30th surprise birthday party and I did make it up to my girlfriend (bringing her delicious French pastries for breakfast).

And finally, on Monday morning, both my girlfriend and I had a well deserved sleep in (and did I mention that I also slept 14 hrs? ;)

MS Fun Run & Training for a running race

In my last two posts I shared with you that I was preparing for the MS Fun Run, which was yesterday.

Having been down with a flu-type viral infection in the last few days I was in no shape or form to run it and decided not to do it. It was a smart move as pushing my body through the race would have certainly extended the sickness and I would not have performed as best as I would have hoped. The good news is that I now feel much better and will be able to get back to work tomorrow.

One of the best way to prepare for a race and especially a running race, is to get the itinerary from the organiser's website and actually run the course prior to the race.

It might not be easy to train for an adventure race (due to the time it takes to do the race and/or the gear required), but it is much easier for running races. Especially as the itinerary generally does not change from one year to another (unless there are roads specially closed for the event).

In the last few weeks I went to run the actual course a few times. This helps planning and managing the race (how to negotiate the course, where to run, when to cross the road, cut corners, when to accelerate, slow down, etc.). You will see that for every training session you run on the actual course, you will shave off seconds and minutes as you get closer to the actual race. 

Last Thursday, I actually ran it close to the time it was scheduled on Sunday (early morning), this is the best way to prepare as you can fully assess the gear you will need to wear and how easy or hard it will be (based on the light, temperature, etc.).

If you are able to run the course a few times prior to the actual race, this will give you a really good advantage and idea of your final time (though you will not have the adrenaline and push from running against other competitors)!

Despite not running the race on Sunday, I am happy that my entry fee and donation went to a great initiative to raise funds and awareness around Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and that the event in Sydney has raised over half a million dollar! If you also want to donate to this great cause, go on the website anytime: http://www.mswalk.org.au/nsw/

Out of curiosity, I went to check the race results on the website and saw that my best running time of 31mins 52s corresponded to the 7th position overall and 3rd position of my category.

My training time having been more around 34 minutes lately, that would have corresponded to 15th out of over 600 participants which is not bad and something to aim and beat next year!

Kathmandu Royal National Park Race Debrief

Yesterday my teammate Glenn and I completed the Kathmandu Adventure Race in the Royal National Park (RNP) in Sydney.

It was a great race, very well organised with a great weather. 

Nothing like my very first adventure race in the Royal National Park three years ago where it was pouring rain and so cold! Check the pictures below:

Covered in mud but smiling

  

So happy to cross the finish line!

This time the sun was out and the temperature was perfect for the race.

The organisers actually changed the bike drop location, and maybe a great omen, the picture featured in their email had Glenn and I rushing from the starting line!

The two guys with the white caps and the sunnies in the middle, that's us!

Copyright Maximum Adventure

After registering and grabbing our registration bag and bibs, we discovered that we were going to do the grey course. This involved the following legs:

• Run
• Bike
• Run
• Canoe
• Run
• Kayak

After reviewing the instructions and writing critical information on the map (I am planning to do a movie on this later on), we cut away most of the useless bits to keep the map as small as possible and then contacted it. While I bought a waterproof map holder, I don't find it very useful when racing.

Glenn, having built an awesome map holder for his bike, we decided that for the first leg, he would not only do the navigation but also dip the timing chip at the bike checkpoints. Being faster on the bike, he would make up the time lost stopping and dipping the timing chip while I would continue riding with my old mountain bike. This worked well, Glenn did an amazing job and we did a very strong bike leg. I was actually very happy and surprised with my performance on the old bike! As you will have read/seen in the previous post (Crushed Bike, Last Patrol & Adventure Racing), I crushed my beloved competition mountain bike and so was back to riding the old mountain bike I used three years ago in the RNP race!

For the people new to adventure racing, being able to adapt and balance the strengths and weaknesses between you and your team mate(s) prior and during a race is really important.

After that, we ran a short leg to the start and then to the boat shed. Thankfully we did not have to row a boat as done in the last few years (gosh these boats are horrible and you feel like in a huge pinball or bumper car going from one river bank to another). 

Got really annoyed with Glenn a few times as paddling he was watering half my body and shoe with icy cold water. I felt like hitting him with my paddle on the head but decided not to as this would not have increased our chances of winning.

Not sure if Glenn has been watching too many "Starsky and Hutch" on TV but for the last checkpoint with the canoe, he decided to jump off the canoe, run to the checkpoint under the bridge and jump back onto the canoe. It was not that smooth and a team overtook us in the process but at least we did not capsize!

Anyways, back on the firm ground, we ran up the infamous "Honeymoon Track", a seriously steep track with lots of steps to start the main run leg. I did the navigation and sadly did a small navigation mistake that costs us 10 minutes and then lost some more time looking for a very tricky checkpoint (#18) towards the end.

By then, we had been racing for 2h30mins, my quads were starting to cramp and Glenn's knee was starting to give him grief.

After a steep run down Honeymoon track (so much easier than going up) encouraging people on the way up with "Good job!" and "Keep going! Nearly there!" generating several smiles on the go, we got back to the final transition at the start/finish.

We jumped into a kayak, paddled frenetically to the last two checkpoints and crossed the finish line with a massive smile on our faces in 3 hours and 18 minutes.

We finished 9th overall out of 188 teams and 6th for the male category. Not bad!

For more details, check the results HERE on the Maximum Adventure website.

The best is always at the end, eating a delicious and freshly grilled burger sitting down in the sun going through the race with many other competitors and sharing each other's pains and funny moments.

This was definitely a great workout and without my two mistakes, we would have been sub three hours (a time we are normally more used to) and closer to the podium. Next time!

While I do enjoy a few days resting, my next race is coming up next Sunday with the MS Fun Run. The MS Fun Run is a great initiative to raise funds and awareness around Multiple Sclerosis (MS). It is a great run, in the words of the organisers: "A challenging route through picturesque harbour-side streets from Milsons Point to Balls Head Reserve and return. Finish with a sprint down the famous Luna Park boardwalk".

I have created a profile and I would like to invite you to sponsor me to raise funds for people affected by Multiple Sclerosis (MS) by clicking on the image/link below:

Crushed Bike, Last Patrol & Adventure Racing

Hello everyone,

Cannot believe that it has been exactly a month since my last post!

Had the post Kosciuszko - Part 4: Going there in my draft ready to go but with Easter and moving places, it sadly did not happen until now. Let me know what you think about it!

Anyways, since then, I had my last patrol for the season in Freshwater:

Bye for now dear rescue board!

It has been a great season with no major drama, a lot of fun, great teamwork and great weather! I love being able to exercise outdoors and do my bit for the community at the same time, thank you surf life saving!

Also went to the great Oaks trail for a mountain bike ride and clocked up nearly 50km/h downhill which was really exhilarating! Sadly my GoPro decided to stop filming before the fast leg and the handlebar holder broke with the vibrations! But this little GoPro in its case did not come out with a single scratch!

Haven't gone through all the movies but hopefully will post that soon.

Quite a dramatic event happened since then which will definitely prevent me from doing pure mountain bike races (sadly for my friends at Maxadventure which are organising the Wombat & Convict 100kms), I crushed my competition mountain bike:

Two of the three cracks on the frame

A pretty dear lesson to teach me not to forget to take the bike off the roof racks before entering the garage :/

I went to see the friendly team at Bike addictions and thought I could change the frame but sadly the fork also got damaged so I will need to get a new bike :/

In two minds at the moment with buying a new bike (especially with the upcoming expenses to do with climbing Mt Blanc), so for now will use my old hardtail (which is not much fun to ride) but better than no bike. Did receive an email today from maxadventure, saying that Kathmandu is looking for experienced, passionate Kathmandu gear testers. Fingers crossed, I will be selected which will be great to put the gear to test climbing Mt Blanc! Then I definitely get a new bike :D

I actually did ride my old bike at the Duo race at Belanglo state forest, which was a great event with both orienteering and bike riding. 

Next upcoming race will be the Kathmandu Adventure Race in the Royal National Park. 

Always very special race for me as it was the place where I started to do adventure racing! The weather was terribly cold and wet, but I could not help smiling for the entire race, check this out:

Kathmandu Adventure Race RNP

It is two weeks away and a great race to do. Always lots of fun. I would highly recommend doing it if you want to take on a new challenge and/or do something different!

After registering online, a PR person from the Kathmandu Adventure Series actually contacted me to potentially run a story with the local newspapers. Watch the space!

Recommended treks by the world’s greatest climber alive

Reinhold Messner
Photographed by A.Savin

Reinhold Messner is regarded by many as the world’s greatest climber alive.

He was the first person to climb all mountains higher than 8,000 metres (the "Eight-thousanders", there are 14 of them), and the first to climb Everest alone and without supplementary oxygen.

I just read a great article in the Financial Times, where he is sharing four of his favourite treks.

These are:

• Seti Khola, Nepal (a 6,993m peak never been climbed and for him the world’s most beautiful mountain)

• Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italy (a six hours trek around five beautiful peaks in the Dolomites)

Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Italy - photographed by Günter Seggebäing

• HieloContinental Norte, Chile (one of the most beautiful and challenging treks he has ever done)

Southern Patagonian Ice Field - Grey Glacier in Torres del Paine National Park by Boludo

• Nanga Parbat, Pakistan (the most scenic of any of the treks on the 8,000m peaks) 

Nanga Parbat, Pakistan from Wikipedia

More details in  the Financial Times article.

The pictures are sourced from wikipedia.

Kosciuszko - Part 2: Prepare - Fitness

G'day!

So you want to go to the top of Mt Kosciuszko and Mt Townsend but now you are wondering how fit you need to be?

Well, while going to the top of Mt Kosciuszko is nowhere close to the effort required to climb Mt Blanc, it still requires a decent level of fitness and endurance.

The Main Range Track is a 28 kilometre loop from Charlotte Pass with a 1,259 metre climb (remember that you will be carrying a big backpack). This took us exactly 24 hours with an overnight camp. Better to plan for a day and a half walking at a comfortable pace (back to the car around/after Sunday lunch).

Walking with a big backpack

The Main Range Track Loop

Not to be too dramatic, while you can go by yourself, it's more fun to go with friends and preferably by group of three (or more) to be safe (if someone gets injured, one stay with the patient and one go to get help). The advantage is that you can also share the load and travel lighter!

If you exercise regularly and can bushwalk for a day with a 10/15kg backpack or you do adventure racing (like the Kathmandu Adventure Races), you should be fine.

While there are some elevations, most of them are gradual and not extremely steep. Apart from the weather (if it is too hot or raining) I think the most difficult part might be carrying a heavy backpack. 

If you are unsure as to your level of fitness, or you are not used to carrying a backpack, go for a day long bushwalk with friends. Load your backpack with 10/15kg of stuff (up to you with what ;) and see how you go. That should be a pretty good acid test to assess if you are fit enough/ready or not.

In the next post, we will talk about when to go and the weather!

Welcome and what is this all about?

Welcome to Mr Mt Blanc!

I have never climbed a mountain before. I have only dreamt about it.

In Australia, the tallest mountain is Mt Kosciuszko, with just over 2000 metres in height.

I love quenching my thirst for adventure, surpassing physical limits and reaching the highest peak. 

That is why, this year I have decided to live my dream – to climb a mountain. 

But not just any mountain. My mind is set on Mt Blanc – on the other side of the world and more than twice the height of Mt Kosciuszko.

Mt Blanc (4,810m)

The plan is to climb Mt Blanc at the beginning of September 2012.

This blog is really intended to provide information on:

• how to prepare to climb Mt Blanc
• adventure racing and fitness

So whether you are interested in climbing a mountain, adventure racing or exercising, you will find valuable information in here.

In the next posts, we will go to the top of the two tallest mountains in Australia,  run around Uluru (the biggest monolith in the world), do some adventure racing and much more!

So stay tuned!