"Well what can I say!

You stop off at your mates fantastic shop for a chat, coffee, and to check out some kit, and suddenly he has convinced you to do an ultra-marathon event in the Alps, that I would normally say ‘you are having a laugh’ to!

So Si had decided that skiing back country for him is not enough, now we had to run around Mont Blanc. The Event is the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB).  We both got up very early on the 7th January 2007 to register on line and luckily for us they would not let us enter the 186km and 8900m of vertical climb race because neither of us had any experience in ultra trail running, let alone in the Alps. However we were allowed to enter the smaller 86km with 4500m of vertical climb called the Courmayeur - Champex  - Chamonix (CCC), so that is exactly what we did.

The strange thing was we were both really disappointed by only being able to be competing in the Courmayeur- Champex - Chamonix (CCC) event, but now, in hindsight I can say with real feeling ‘Thank God’!

Anyway after 8 months of running in the mountainous ‘South Downs’ in the sunny south, and being comfortable running 30 miles in sub 4hrs I felt I was as ready as I would ever be to run 86km and climb 4500m.

Si had advised on my kit, (least he could do since I was now doing it on my own due to his calf muscle problems!!!) and I got a Raidlight Runner R-Light rucsac, Leki Carbon Ultra Lite poles, Montane Event Quick Fire jacket, and a Petzl Myo XP head torch. All the kit was awesome and worth every penny.

It was time to get ready. I had registered the previous evening, where my kit was checked and I was electronically tagged (I've been suggesting that Euan should be tagged for years – Si). I headed to the mass start with 1600 other individuals. Courmayeur was buzzing, my kids and wife Sally were being as ever supportive and I was suddenly realising what I had to do and worst of all there were time limits. If you do not make a gate before it closes you are out of the race!

The start was amazing. The starter had got everyone fired up and heart rates pounding. Running through Courmayeur was unbelievable with everyone out on the streets cheering us on and ringing cow bells. As we wound out of the town the first climb was upon us.

After about an hour I met Kath and Jonathan, a British couple from Manchester. Their pace was good for me and Jonathan had done the full UTMB the previous year so his knowledge was useful. I ran with them till Champex, the 45km marker. The food and hospitality at all the rest stops was fantastic but at Champex there was hot solid food! To be honest I could so easily have given up here... I struggled eating the pasta and it is only because of Kath and Jonathan that I left Champex with the belief I could do this. Guys, if you are reading this then thank you! I also have to apologise for misreading a gate time and making us push hard to reach the Grand Col du Ferret only to realise we were probably nearly 2 hours ahead of the deadline. Oops!

After Champex the next big climb is the Bovine, and as I was fatiguing fast, Kath and Jonathan pushed on and that was the last I saw of them till the finish line. For the next four hours I felt I was going backwards and by the time I had got to Trient I could have again given up. It was only due to seeing so many other people suffering even more than me that my spirits lifted.

What had I to lose! So off I went full of noodle soup and cola, my now staple diet. To this day I do not know what changed but I suddenly felt fantastic, I was on fire and overtaking nearly everyone I saw. From Trient to the finish (that’s 26km) I only had 4 people overtake me, yet on the Bovine climb prior to Trient more than 150 must have overtaken me.

I got to Vallorcine feeling great and spoke to a French guy called Serge. He knew the route and had done it before, He said this last bit could be done in 2½ hrs. I looked at my watch and thought, "let’s rock and roll", and downed my noodle soup and cola. I could now finish in less than 20 hrs, 4hrs quicker than I was expecting…..

Running into Chamonix was emotional, the sun was just lighting the spectacular Aiguille du Midi and I was finishing what I had started. Everyone was cheering and wishing me well, Sally and the kids were at the finish to welcome me across the line, FANTASTIC… 19hrs 30min to finish the hardest race I personally have ever done.

For days I could not walk properly, but the training, the pain and the exhilaration was worth it. Simon at the shop has opened a door of adventure to me which I would not have done, so Si thanks for your support and encouragement, it’s a real shame we did not do it together as planned... ...how about next year though?"

Si responds: "Euan and I are good mates from skiing days and have always been similar in physique and fitness. However, Euan has amply demonstrated that he's got that extra quality needed for difficult events like the Ultra Trail – true grit! And in abundance...

I tore my left calf muscle within a month of entering the Ultra Trail and from then on lost fitness and drive. Euan then had every opportunity to bale out of his entry too – after all, we were supposed to be entering as a joint endeavour and travelling out together. Luckily, he had the resolution to train relentlessly and to turn up for the start in probably the best shape of his life!

Now we'll have to wait and see if Euan's game plan is to some day enter the 160km Ultra Tour which circumnavigates the whole of the Mont Blanc massif – for more details of what this involves read Pete Holton's account of his 2005 experience of the event...