230 km - 10,000 meters of altitude - 3 days! Dive with us into the "Mission Running SalzAlpenSteig"! Four daring trail running athletes have taken on a very special challenge: To run in three days from Chiemsee (D) to Hallstatt (AUT) over the Salzalpensteig. Behind the athletes lies an unforgettable adventure. Armin Zwinz, initiator and one of the four runners, tells you about this formative experience in our J-Athletes blog.
In the first hours it goes well despite adverse conditions and we arrive in snowfall after 6h and 42 km at the highest point of the first day the 1600m high Hochfelln. No view, so we immediately continue down into the valley, where lunch is waiting. Our support team ensures that we lack nothing and accompanies us along our route.
"Enjoying the little things is hugely important in an ultra trail run!"
After a warming noodle soup, we continue right away. Our destination for the day: Bad Reichenhall. More than 20km and 500 more meters of altitude still separate us from it. After a total of almost 13 hours it is actually done. This first day has demanded a lot from us. More than I had expected. During our dinner the reward: The evening sun shows up and shines in our faces. It's the little things that you have to enjoy during an ultra trail run. These are also the moments that give you an incredible amount of strength.
On the second day it starts "only" at 5:30. The bones are already heavy, but the motivation is still high. When we then run down towards Berchtesgadener Land, the freshly snowed Watzmann lies directly in front of us in the sunrise. There we have our first wow moment. What an incredible view.
As the sunshine increases, so does the joy of running. The mood in the team is good. Highlight of the day: crossing the border into Austria. With 135km covered, we have now also already more than half of the way behind us. We should have done 160km by the evening. I am overwhelmed how well we are progressing. An average of 5.5 minutes per kilometer is impressive. Nevertheless, all of us are by now physically very battered. With the faint hope that the night will bring the necessary regeneration, we go to bed after a short dinner.
Day 3 started at 4:30 a.m. The euphoria fizzled out overnight and small aches and pains turned into real pain. The days before we always pushed each other well, but today there is simply no more mutual support. That would cost far too much strength, which no one has anymore. Everyone is on their own and has to muster all their strength for the last 70km.
David and I are in particularly severe pain. We are plagued with swelling and inflammation. At the first checkpoint we decide to let the other two run alone and try to catch up again later.
"Admitting to yourself that you have to give up is the worst!"
I have a complete mental breakdown. I cry, see no chance to continue. Somehow I pull myself together again and decide to continue running alone. Alone on the mountain I run around as if remote controlled, get lost and become more and more insecure. I come to the conclusion to have to stop. To have to admit to yourself that you have to give up is the worst thing. After 189 km my run is over. Nevertheless David and I want to finish our project together with the others. Our supporters bring me and David to Steffi and Gregor and finally we master the last 10km of our run together. When we arrive at the Salzberg, which is located directly above Hallstat, we can already hear a lot of people waiting for us at the market place. Another 2km downhill, then we are at the finish. The common finish is indescribable. Suddenly no one is in pain anymore. We are all inspired by the people at the main square who cheer for us. With Bengal fire, shouts of joy, live music and raging applause we are accompanied the last meters. Unbelievable emotions break over all of us. 230 kilometers full of passion, success and failure lie behind us.
"This experience was unforgettable - I would do it again!
Even though I didn't make the 230 km, we completed the project as a team. I see my decision to stop in order to avoid serious injuries as personal maturity and therefore a success. The project has given us a huge boost of motivation and we are already asking ourselves what else we can accomplish. We are ready for our next adventure. Stay on our heels and feel free to visit me on my personal blog: alpinbock.com
