The biggest trail run of my life

A few weeks ago while camping in Les Vigneaux in the Hautes-Alpes region of France I went on what turned out to be the biggest trail run of my life - the Trail du collet la Salcette. The area is a paradise for outdoor sports with local tourist brochures dedicated to trail running, hiking, cycling, mountain biking, rafting and canoeing. The trail I chose was the red route, number 10 from the brochure Station de Trail with the following stats:

• Km : 20.31
• Ascent : 1389 m
• Descent : 1389 m

My equipment

• suncream applied, quick-drying shorts and t-shirt, trail-running shoes, bandanna, a 2 litre hydration pack filled with water, wind jacket, sandwiches, chocolate/muesli-bar snacks, emergency foil blanket, tissues, wet wipe, walking-map, GPS watch and smart phone.

The route

I was grateful for the smart phone App from Station de Tail which I could use to check my current location and reassure myself that I was still on the intended route. The signposting was not great. Some junctions had signs for several different routes and at other junctions the all important red square with a black number 10 was missing. You will see at the top of the map that on one occasion I missed my turn and had to retrace my steps (after doing a serpentine climb). By the time I consulted the map and returned to the point of error, I had lost about one hour. So what should have been 20.3 km ended up being a gruelling 26.55 km in the summer sun.

The constant climb on the trail and the warm conditions pushed me to my physical limits. Further up (around 2000 m) the effects of altitude meant that for longer stretches I could only walk. The advantage being that I was able to better take in the view. Towards the summit, the wind was cool and I was glad for my jacket. Realising that I would have to keep moving to keep warm, I took only a few photographs on the summit and started the decent looking for a sheltered place to have my lunch. I then ate the two nicest cheese sandwiches I have ever had!

Five minutes after continuing the descent I saw a red sign with the number 10, but after following that route for 2 minutes I could see from the terrain and the campsite, which was now visible, that the sign was pointing the wrong way. I retraced my steps and continued on the zig-zag trail down the steep slope.

The terrain changing constantly from single grass/dirt trail to forest road limestone with potholes, craggy outcrops, gravel, scree (which moved liked a avalanche), pine cones, mixture of roots and rocks, peat, several river crossings (where I could refill the hydration pack), and surfaced roads back to the campsite.

Not only was it physically challenging but it demanded all of my mountain navigational skills and running experience.

Why do I do it? 
Sorry, if you are asking that question I don't think I can answer it to your satisfaction. I am thankful to God for a healthy body to enjoy locations in his creation that most people don't get to see. That's what drives me on.