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Gobi March Blogs 2013

Carlos Llano Fernandez

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Gobi March (2013) blog posts from Carlos Llano Fernandez

07 June 2013 08:22 am (GMT+08:00) Beijing, Chongqing, Hong Kong, Urumqi

Dudes and chicks,
 
Yesterday was pretty eventful...
 
As you will have all read, it was the day of the long march and the whole camp was pretty pumped to be heading out to get it done along a route that had a number of challenging stages. Toni in particular was battling against it after his keenness to win the blister prize the previous day (he is now, firmly, in first place).
 
We set off together at a meager pace as it typically takes around 1km for your feet to get into it. Two checkpoints down, we faced the 20km climb up through the Tianshan mountains to our 2800m summit. The route took us through a rocky valley with a number of river crossings which didn't prove particularly helpful for Vonchy's pins. Love the dude, but he is a tad clumsy so his feet did end up getting a little damp (a factor that would come into play later). 
 
As we progressed up towards checkpoint 3 the heavens opened and what ensued was some of the heaviest rain I have ever experienced. As we arrived at the checkpoint we were ushered into the medi tent where we were told, to our amazement, that the race had been called-off on account of dangerous conditions.
 
So yes: our event, in the Gobi DESERT had been rained off.
 
Apparently only just a few kms up the mountain the temperature had dropped, with icy rain, hail and even snow lashing down over the next 3 stages.  
 
We, along with 30 other runners, were quickly rammed into a local farmer's house to the side of our trail. They were incredibly hospitable and gave us bread and tea to get warm. Remarkably, the family had a pet goat called 'chshiaaa'  (I think) which just hung out in the house. The house smelled butters on account of chshiaaa firing butt-pellets everywhere but it was warm and dry.
 
Needless to say, we were all devastated to have had the race cut short. In hindsight, it was the right decision by the organisers as the conditions only got worse throughout the day. Furthermore, at the pace Toni and I were slugging through the mountains we would have got in pretty late so would have definitely eaten a few hail sandwiches along the way.
 
It was only once we arrived back in camp that the true consequences of Toni's haphazard river-crossing strategy became clear- his blisters are very special indeed. He has been off his feet today resting up before we eat up our final 14km tomorrow morning.  
 
We'll be employing a similar strategy tomorrow pace-wise but with the whole team as one unit this time. Unfortunately, Toni's feet are no joke so although there are only 14kms left this thing is really going to go down to the wire.
 
I am confident that the team will make it through together.
 
Jack and I both have a stogey that we will be firing up the second we cross the line.
 
I look forward to a shower, a bed and some clean white porcelain to light up the other stogey I'm carrying with me (if you know what I mean).
 
Love,
Carlito

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