Training Log Archive: roarIn the 1 days ending Nov 16, 2019:
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Saturday Nov 16, 2019 #
9 AM
Running (off-road) 6:32:25 26.07 km (15:03 / km) +2074m 10:46 / km
ahr:117 max:154 shoes: Inov8 X-Talon 230 19
Mt. Olympus
The big one. Picked up some brioche for lunch and tried to get out early. Start high enough, 1100m but still a long slog of a climb to 2900m. First bit was gradual enough but we didn't run that much and it slowly got steeper. Picked up a dog (who we named Zeus) just after the lower refuge and he hung around all day. Once out of the forest it was still sunny but a small bit breezy so it was jackets time. Zeus was great for finding goats on the mountainside as he'd take off after them the whole time. Pre-summit push was tough on scree with some snow and then we had to make an assessment. The summit is a scramble a the best of times. There was snow up top for us, meaning the first 50m were down an icy/snowy valley with a a 200m cliff below. We elected against and went up a 10m lower summit just over the ways.
Then we had to traverse. A guide lower told us to not do it saying it was icy and snowy but we could see it on the way up and it was fine. The first bit was fine, then we turned the corner onto the north-east side and were faced with a ~500m snowy traverse over a deep sloping bowl. It was good grippy snow and we went for it. Wasn't too bad in the end but slow going. Zeus elected for a different route choice descending 200m down the bowl after some goats. We sheltered in the high refuge for lunch then which was very comfy.
Now for the descent! Bit chilly post lunch but once moving was quite ok. Some great plateau looking back at Olympus as first, then a lovely ridge. We then came across a junction. Anathema was signposted right so we went left. This turned out to be the wrong way and added about 4k ish of flat ish. We moved well along here though before the final beech leafy and root steep descent. Marcus commented that no one had fallen at which point I immediately fell. While laughing at me he then fell more dramatically. Got down with time to spare before sunset for once. Gave Zeus some salami before he tucked himself into a corner in the car park to do it all again tomorrow. Then had food in the convenient restaurant. This later turned out to not be enough and we had a pizza for second dinner! Great day.
The big one. Picked up some brioche for lunch and tried to get out early. Start high enough, 1100m but still a long slog of a climb to 2900m. First bit was gradual enough but we didn't run that much and it slowly got steeper. Picked up a dog (who we named Zeus) just after the lower refuge and he hung around all day. Once out of the forest it was still sunny but a small bit breezy so it was jackets time. Zeus was great for finding goats on the mountainside as he'd take off after them the whole time. Pre-summit push was tough on scree with some snow and then we had to make an assessment. The summit is a scramble a the best of times. There was snow up top for us, meaning the first 50m were down an icy/snowy valley with a a 200m cliff below. We elected against and went up a 10m lower summit just over the ways.
Then we had to traverse. A guide lower told us to not do it saying it was icy and snowy but we could see it on the way up and it was fine. The first bit was fine, then we turned the corner onto the north-east side and were faced with a ~500m snowy traverse over a deep sloping bowl. It was good grippy snow and we went for it. Wasn't too bad in the end but slow going. Zeus elected for a different route choice descending 200m down the bowl after some goats. We sheltered in the high refuge for lunch then which was very comfy.
Now for the descent! Bit chilly post lunch but once moving was quite ok. Some great plateau looking back at Olympus as first, then a lovely ridge. We then came across a junction. Anathema was signposted right so we went left. This turned out to be the wrong way and added about 4k ish of flat ish. We moved well along here though before the final beech leafy and root steep descent. Marcus commented that no one had fallen at which point I immediately fell. While laughing at me he then fell more dramatically. Got down with time to spare before sunset for once. Gave Zeus some salami before he tucked himself into a corner in the car park to do it all again tomorrow. Then had food in the convenient restaurant. This later turned out to not be enough and we had a pizza for second dinner! Great day.