Le Canigou

Sometimes I see a mountain and I want to climb it, I don’t know why, it’s like a voice in my head that says, ‘it would be good to climb that,’ and my heart begins to stir. My first encounter with le Canigou was on holiday in 2015. We visited Vernet-les-Bains and walked to the edges of the town built into the hillside and there she was peacefully watching over us, a great mountain bathed in the summer sun. And the voice began to whisper, ‘woulnd’t it be good to climb that?’. At that time I was not fit, I had over-trained during 2014/15, I was tired and I could not run for more than an hour. But the voice had spoken. It was John who told me that there is a race up Canigou but at that moment it seemed to me that I would like simply to run up Canigou to reach her summit would be enough. I looked at the mountain, took a photograph and went back to England, to work…with the image of le Canigou as my new screensaver.

There are those who believe that Canigou is sacred, I am neither religious nor superstitious, but without doubt the mountain seemed to mysteriously draw me to her. To improve our life and because we love to be in the mountains we moved to Casteil in November 2017. I started running with the local running club Trail Vernet Adventure and of course they asked me the question: ‘Tu va faire le Championnat du Canigou?’ By this point I was recovering well, John had put together some sensible training allowing me to recover and rebuild my fitness, mixing running with cycling and appropriate amounts of rest. I completed some local shorter mountain races and the little voice grew stronger, ‘you can do it, it will be good to climb the Canigou how wonderful to race it.’ The mountain herself seemed to be watching me, every walk, every mountain bike ride she loomed over me, beckoning me, challenging me with her beauty and her magnificence. Even in the quietness of an evening read there she was: in Boff Whalley’s book ‘Run Wild’ he talks about Canigou and people who would run to the summit to find ice for the wealthy visitors to the spa town below. I started to train with the help of John.

I began to get fit and to see some good results in some races up to 20km; I began to get excited and to wonder just how fast I could run up this great mountain. However, despite our best intentions, training never goes absolutely to plan. I had to work in England a few times to support myself; I was sick in the month of July so I arrived at the start line on August 5th  without having ever climbed the Canigou, without  the training that I had wanted to do, feeling unprepared and nervous. I knew it would be hard and especially because I have typically struggled with longer distance races. This course was 20 miles long with 2300m of climb. Climbing has never really scared me but the distance…that could break me.

This would not do, this was my dream, the voice had spoken, it must be completed! To turn myself around from the dark mutterings of negativity I said to myself, ‘it’s an adventure, you’ll realise your dream to climb Canigou in the race.’  I thought if I could pace it sensibly and keep positive in my mind I could do it. What I did not expect was the number of people on the course that day, ordinary people who had off early in the morning to be there to encourage and motivate us with the refreshments every 3 miles including water and fruit. Musical instruments were played with gusto, and the energy and joy of everyone cheering us on willed us to continue. It felt like the whole town of Vernet-les-Bains had come out in force to ensure every runner reached the summit, and to rejoice in the success of each of us. It was as though  the voice in my head and the voice of the mountain joined with the voice of the people to help me succeed my dream. Despite my lack of endurance, despite feeling sick during the climb, despite the weakness in my legs, the voices moved me onwards.

For me, le Championnat du Canigou was a real adventure, it’s a difficult race with the technical pieces, not for the feint-hearted. Whilst there are wonderful running sections over the plain at the foot of the mountain, this is interspersed with ground so rough you are forced to walk and even scramble up the chimney. The descent is initially technical requiring lightness of foot and an ability to jump between rocks, no mean feat after 10 miles of climbing and legs like jelly.

Undoubtedly the difficult goals always taste the sweetest, however, and I was very happy to complete the course albeit an hour slower than I had originally planned. I am proud to have finished this race and I have learned once again that with the power of my mind and the positivity and will of others, as well as perhaps the mysterious magic of the mountain I can reach amazing summits. I am determined to return in 2019 for another adventure!