Tag Archive: Italy

Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. – Lavaredo Ultra Trail 50km

July 3, 2026, by
A runner in red top runs uphill on a rocky mountain trail, he holds trekking poles in his right hand.

There’s a rock, somewhere between Malga Travenanzes and Col dei Bos, and every time I pass it, I know that I am fully alive. I know because two years ago, at my lowest point running wise, I lay down on it and tried to give up. Why I thought lying on a rock in the baking midday sun was the solution to my problems is a mystery. Then a fellow Brit went past and told me to get up and get going, and it was a bit awkward. I was embarrassed for the guy because he seemed to think I could continue. Silly. But out of embarrassment for his misjudgment of the situation, I got up and continued climbing to the Col. When I passed the same rock last year, tired but not yet beaten, it was the catalyst for me to push on and turn things around. So, when... View Article

Monterosa Est Himalayan Trail Sky Race

August 8, 2023, by
Pete crests Passo di Monte Moro, a high alpin pass, with the snowy slopes of Monte Rosa looming in the background.

There was a beautiful dissatisfaction to every breath as I pushed my way up to Passo del Monte Moro, the high point of MEHT. I was breathing heavily and the air was crisp, clean and scented with pine trees – but at sea-level the air is 21% oxygen, at the pass that drops to about 14.5%. It’s not extreme altitude, but my lungs sure knew about it. I’ve been following a training plan and have had weeks of building up again following the Bob Graham effort. Less overall volume but more quality, with some cracking sessions. The plan said to try to find a race that would take six hours and be steep and technical: Monterosa Eat Himalayan Trail Sky packs a lot into it’s 38km, with 3100m of elevation gain and a mammoth ascent that’s dwarfed only by the even bigger descent. Perfect. My strategy was to keep the... View Article