Two months ago (yes, im a bit slow getting this post out) my running buddy and I headed off to the distant destination of Lugu Lake to participate in a 3 day ultra marathon. Lugu lake is nestled in a high plateau amidst the Xiaoliangshan hills of Western Yunnan in China.
We (I) had picked this race because of the remoteness and beauty of the destination and the fact that it is not somewhere we would have ever thought to go. We were excited to see a part of China that we knew nothing about. This excitement made getting up at 3.30am for our bus to Shenzhen a little easier to bear. It also helped keep our spirits high on the flight from Shenzhen to Lijiang and on the connecting six hour bus ride from Lijiang to Lugu Lake. After a long day of travelling we arrived at our destination about 8pm.
The scenery along the way had been spectacular and Lugu Lake certainly didn’t disappoint. Our hotel was set on a pristine, calm body of water surrounded by high mountains, which, although beautiful, didn’t bode well for our run the next day. To my delight, we discovered that we had an electric blanket on our bed and a heat lamp in the bathroom. We even appeared to have warm water in the shower, which is not the norm when doing one of these races. I should have been worried about what these little comforts signified, but at this point I was in blissful ignorance of what was to come. Lugu Lake sits at 2700m above sea level, so we were already at altitude and it appeared from the geography, we were likely to be going higher.
The race briefing confirmed that the first day’s course was up and across Lion Mountain, which sat majestically behind our hotel. It looked like a tough 40km course, but that was what we expected and what we were here for. As soon as the briefing ended we all headed off to respective rooms for some much-needed sleep.
Bright and early the next morning we bounced out of bed and got ready for a big day out on the trails. We had some rolled oats and banana for breakfast, which I had bought with me. The food can be a bit unpredictable on these events so I like to be prepared. (Like the big bowl of vegetable soup a group of us “veggies” ordered for dinner that night which had a chicken carcass in the bottom of it!!)
We grouped together at the Lakefront, a motley crew of about 70 participants of varied age and race. As predicted after 500m of flat running through a field, we headed uphill. The altitude was noticeable straight away and before long I was puffing and panting like an unfit, overweight smoker who was exercising for the first time. Once the trail evened out, we followed a goat track around the side of the mountain, although I’m sure even the goats would have found it tough going, We crossed dry waterfalls covered in big rocks with a sheer drop on one side, and traversed cliffs where the trail was only one foot wide. It was scary stuff, but I have to say the views were amazing. It was like being on the top of the world, (and scared stiff you were going to fall off!) We finally headed down the mountain and could pick up the pace. Relieved to be back on solid footing I may have gone a bit fast and before I knew it I was upside down on my back staring up at the blue sky wondering what the hell just happened. I did a quick body scan and was happy to find that apart from a bump on my head I was uninjured and even better no one had witnessed my humiliating tumble. The course flattened out from here and we ran through a charming village and across some fields where horses, pigs, goats and geese roamed freely, this was free range farming at its best. I found it really hard to run the flats and assume it was because of the altitude. I had to resort to running/walking so I could get enough air in. I could only hope my fellow competitors were feeling the same. Before long we had another climb through a pine forest and then ran the ridgeline of the mountain before a steep downhill took us back the way we had come. One final climb saw us heading down into the town next to where we were staying. It was a lovely route back to our hotel and a seemingly safe one as we crossed a flat paddock that lead to the path home. How looks can be deceiving! Halfway across the paddock a placid goose grazing near the waters edge decided to attack me. I knew I was in trouble when he put his head down, stretched his very long neck and charged at me. Just when I thought I had no run left in me, I dug deep and found the energy to sprint across the field to safety. I finally crossed the finish line 7 hours after I had set out. What a day.
As I was finishing the run, it began to rain lightly. A few hours later the rain had turned to snow and Lugu lake became a white winter wonderland. The snow continued into the evening and the temperature plummeted. It became clear that any run we were doing to do the next day would be compromised due to the weather.
One of the reasons I love doing these events is the camaraderie that develops between the people participating. As I said earlier, we were an eclectic group of various ages and backgrounds, yet by the end of day one friendships had begun to form and life stories had been shared. We were united by our love of adventure and putting ourselves in these challenging situations. It didn’t matter if you were coming first or last, walking or running, everyone was encouraging and supportive. As the weather was so bad we spent the afternoon sitting by the fire eating local cuisine, stretching sore muscles and chatting.
At the race briefing that night we were told the course for the next day was not going to be runnable. The snow was falling heavily as you got higher into the mountains and the trail had all but disappeared. Plan B was for the 100km runners to do a shorter 22km route and if the weather kept deteriorating, then more modifications would be made the next day.
The next morning dawned with a pale brightness as a watery sun peeked through the clouds. We all piled on as many layers of clothes as we could find (this is the one time when packing too many clothes came in handy) and headed to the start line hopeful that the dark clouds looming behind the mountain would blow over. I was freezing while we stood waiting for the run to start, (I am not good at cold and may have whinged…a lot), but it’s amazing how quickly you warm up once you start running and before I knew it I was stripping off layers as I crunched across the snowy fields. However, the warmth was short lived and about 30 mins into the run, I was putting those layers back on as quickly as I could as the snow began to fall. It was a surreal sensation running across this foreign landscape that was completely blanketed in white. Snow fell all around me and I could barely see the markers for the trail, yet it was one of the most beautiful, exhilarating experiences I have ever had. I absolutely loved it! The snow continued to get heavier and by the first check point the decision been made to cut the run even shorter, it was becoming very slippery and dangerous. We ended up running about 20kms that day, and I have to say I enjoyed every minute of it. We spent another relaxing afternoon by the fire waiting for the race briefing and eager to see what day three would bring.
Even though the snow had stopped, it had settled thickly up on the mountains, so the course for day three was again deemed not runnable. This is a huge blow for the course director as he had spent months working out the best trails for us to take and then marking them all. However, safety of the participants has to come first so plan B for day three was put into action. We would do a 20km road run from high in the mountains, back to our hotel.
We set off nice and early in the dark on two buses to the start of the race. It was freezing when we jumped of the buses as we were above the snow line, but the sun started coming up about 20mins into the run and we quickly warmed up. The down hill start was lovely on the legs and watching a spectacular sunrise over the lake helped keep our tired bodies moving. The last 10kms flattened out and the road wound around the edges of the glistening lake through little villages where the locals were just beginning their day. It was such a stark contrast to yesterday and by the time I had finished running I had almost raised a sweat.
After we had all showered and packed up our belongings, we met for a final, celebratory meal together and then boarded the bus for the first leg of our long journey back to Hong Kong.
The atmosphere on the bus was light hearted and jovial. We had all come to this foreign place for our own reasons and with our own goals, and we had all survived. We had conquered an incredibly challenging course, braved treacherous weather and high altitude, now it was time to relax and celebrate our achievements with new friends.
What a fabulous way to spend a long weekend. A big thanks to Action Asia and in particular to Michael Maddess who puts so much time and effort into coming up with amazing trails in stunning locations.
Now onto the next challenge, although I have to say, Lugu Lake is going to be hard to beat.
Great adventure.
Fab writing karen …..you need to write a book.
Cat