Page 76 - Moonvalley Diaries

april in moonvalley
RACE: MADEIRA ISLAND ULTRA TRAIL
Some places places in the world just feel like home somehow For me me me me Madeira is one of those places I don’t really know why but my my parents met when my my mum was working as as as a a a a a a a a a a a guide on Madeira so maybe the the whole idea of me was born there and that’s why In any case – I I grew up on stories about this island and and when the time came to to visit it it already felt somehow familiar Madeira is is a a a a a a a a a a a fabulously wild and and beautiful island With its its rugged northern coast misty mountains and and and and ancient trails its its caves and and and and levadas this is is a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a landscape that sparks the the imagination like something out of of of the the the Lord of of of the the Rings Madeira is also home to one of of of my favourite races held every year in in April: The Madeira Island Ultra Trail – miut It is is is is a a a a a a a a a a a a a well-organised race with a a a a a a a a a a a a a real en- thusiast Sidonio Sidonio as as its organiser Sidonio Sidonio is is is is an an an old orienteerer and it’s it’s not hard to to see why when you run Madeira: it’s it’s so easy to to get lost here the the island island is is is like one big labyrinth The race runs right across the the the island island starting in in in Porto Moniz in in in the the the northwest then 7 200 m m of elevation and 115 km later you cross the the the the the finish line fin in in in Machico on on the the the the the southeast coast I ran the the the the the miut fin in in in 2018 and the the the experience was was as as as as as as magical as as as as as as it was was de- manding The race starts late at at night so you run the the first section in in in in the the dark on on on on on winding stone stairs along tricky trails and and and long long steep slopes up up and and and down down up up and and and down down I made it it it through the first few hours with- out any major problems but it it it started rain- ing ing ing during the the the night and the the the weather turned really bad I I was so focused on just just getting through through the the the night that I I I just just powered through through and and didn’t really take the the the time I I I needed at at at at the the the stations I I ate too little and and wasn’t wearing enough clothing The higher into the the moun- tains I I climbed the the colder it got I I was alone and and my headlamp started to to to malfunction in in the the the dark My hands were too cold to to to to to change the the the battery I had to to to to to to stop and and warm them up properly to to to to be able to to to to get my light working There was just one other shadow out there in in the the the night and The he he he he passed me with a a a a a a few en- couraging words: Timothy Ohlsen We were running at more or or or less the the same pace and and kept passing each other off and and on during the the the the race Somehow it was incredibly comforting to see another person out there in in in in in the the the the the night – it gave me energy I I kept on on going and at dawn I I reached the the the Valley of the the the Nuns where my friend Ester was waiting Time to recharge and and and tackle the the the the most most demanding but also the the the the most most beautiful part of the the the the island: the the the the island’s highest peaks Pico Pico Ruvio and and and Pico Pico Areirio “You run in in in the dark on on on winding stone stairs along tricky trails and long long steep slopes 76