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This is my experience and translation of the article published in Sporlife Magazine (April, 17). Photos Borja Fernández & Joe Bishop.

MONTANE YUKON ARCTIC ULTRA – 300 Miles (5/2/17 – 188h)

To be honest, I don't even know where to start the story from... so much in such a little time... and, as my mother says, "when it doesn't hurt the ear, it does the nose"... but there is always something going on.

Everything started in the Marathon des Sables, while complaining and suffering, when a race colleague in the tent told us: "this is not tough. There must be a real tough one called the Yukon Arctic Ultra. A friend of mine tried it and he had to scratch with serious frostbite problems in his feet". Since that day in the tent, it's been already 3 years ago, I have this race in my mind as the next step to try to find a limit to my challenges.

When I came back from Sahara desert, I started looking for information and getting in touch with people that already had done the race. Nowadays it is pretty straight forward to find information on internet or Facebook, where the people is willing to share their experiences that will help you getting ready for the race... at least, you will be able to make an idea about what you might find.

That year, being a complete fool, I applied for 2.015 Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra race without knowing what was really going on. This is not an "usual" competitive race. It is true that there is a ranking, cut off times, etc... but we are talking about a race that a few people finish. The organization team estimates between a 10% and 20% of finishers. Although being fit is necessary, the mind strength is the driver, everyone's determination and the capability to stand the pain (physical or mental) what will make you be a finisher or not.

You can apply for 4 different distances: marathon, 100 mile, 300 mile and 430 mile. The challenge is a non stop foot, bike or ski race that follows the path that previously the mythic 1.000 mile dog sled race: the Yukon Quest. Any of the options you choose it is compulsory to carry everything you need to survive on your own; that means to pull from a 30 kg sled for many...many days (just the food... in the picture).

Just in case, this is not enough, we have to add the climate that a remote northern region like this, Canada northwest border with Alaska, has in February. This situation is completely new for me, someone coming from the mainly physical challenges like  Ironmans (Frankfurt, Embrun, Roth, Inferno, Swissman, Austria extreme Tri, Escape from Alcatraz...), Ultratrails (Marathon des Sables, Ultrapirineu, Eiger ultra, UTPE...) or swimruns (Otillo Engadin); at the end, a new kind of challenge I didn't know how to prepare for.

The previous time, I had to scratch early with frostbite in my fingers because a small problem with fuel (not that small at the end). I was really disappointed but it showed me what this race consists on. After that, I thought many times what could have happened if I would have continued in the course facing more "risky" situations (at night, with low temperatures...). This challenge doesn't allow any failure and what, in any other race would mean a scratch, here it could finish in a really dramatic situation.

It has been 2 years since I fully recover my mind and feel strong enough to try again this huge challenge that, after all, it has overcome my highest expectations.

In the previous months to the race I decided not to change my training schedule too much. The last race I did before the MYAU was a 100km trail run called “Hiru Handiak”; it was early in October so thought it would be more than enough, looking at my physical training. Having made that decision, I just tried to keep fit doing what I normally do and also, some touring ski. I didn’t really go for any “specific” training for the sled, cold weather or whatever it would be what I was going to find during the race. I saw some colleagues that even made races the previous months pulling from a wheel (Jethro De Decker - nextbigadventure.wordpress.com).

I was more concern on preparing the race from a mental prospective and also all the added ”issues” like food, tent, shoes… so I worked on getting information from people that really knew how to deal with these kind of situations.

To start this adventure, this time, I travelled a couple of weeks in advance to make sure the jet lag was over by the race day and to do some practice with other guys that were going to be later in the race. I meet some incredible people  during that week and the learnings were decisive for succeeding in the race (thanks Pam, Joanne and Stewart). These days I realized that, even having investigated and prepared everything for this very special situations, I didn’t have a real clue of what was really going on….again…sleep planning, tent and sleeping bag arrangements…

When I went back to the civilization I had to rearrange many things, food, some clothes and some other necessary materials.

What you do learn (and very quick) is that you have to do, what you have to do, with no excuses; if you have to eat (because it is the scheduled time to do it) you need to stop and do it; if you have to drink, you drink; f you need to… you do. If you don’t comply with this, you really notice the effects in a very short period of time, cold, fatigue, weakness… In any other race you probably could stop, take some time and recover or even keep pushing a little bit longer to reach the following check point, but, in this case, there is no way of turning back, there is no way of doing later what you should have done earlier.

D-day, H-hour, all the categories in the start line: marathon, 100, 300 and 430 miles. There were many more people in the race roster in the previous months but, that morning, only a few ones awaked on time (13 for the 300 mile race). Surprisingly, the 430 mile race was the most populated one.

Initially, the strategy was to sleep out from the 4AM-7AM gap, because this are suppose to be the coldest hours at night and consequently the hardest time to have a “proper” sleep time (if sleeping out there with minus “a lot”, lying on the floor in a square meter tent - or even a bivy bag can be considered a proper sleep time). Well, as said, this was the initial tactic for the night…first decision, first error (as I will explain later)… good start!!!

I started running the flat parts, trying not to wear too many clothes and keeping a good thermal balance in my body; first check point, mile 26, the marathon. In this part of the race a really noticed the decision I made the previous week of pulling from the sled with ropes, instead of rigid poles that many people used (I think this is the only right choice I made…this one, and taking m&m’s inside the sleeping bag).

We reached Rivendell with no problems at all. Easy way and fresh body; no issues. We even had time to catch up with other race colleagues. When in Rivendell, there still was daylight so I ate, drank, checked the feet and…let’s keep going! I left the check point with two friends, Tom and Shane, Belgium and Irish. We kept moving and a big moon came out; you could see even better with the moonlight than with the headlamps on. It was 11 PM when, following the erroneous strategy I previously mentioned, we decided to stop and sleep. We stopped, had dinner, set up the tent and try to sleep…yes, try…because we were not really tired and, in those outdoor conditions, if you are not ready to drop, you don’t sleep; at least, not the way you should. What a waste of time!!!!

At 3AM we started moving again. Soon we realized the decision of sleeping that early was not good at all. I started falling sleep, kicking all the stones on the way… a disaster. My escape colleagues were much stronger than me; they keep increasing the pace and we reached a quite tough uphill in which … I started sweeting!!! Forbidden!!!! In that moment, thankfully, I realized that was not the way of running that race and I made up my mind about having another short sleep. They continued and I stopped, set up the tent and…again…sleep for a while (a long while really, by the time I waked up it was later than the time I wake up at home during weekend!!!). That night was cold but nothing comparing with the low temperatures we were about to “suffer” the following days.

After that repairing sleep I reached Dog’s Grave check point where I could eat and fill my thermos to keep going for a long while. This check point was an outdoor station so we could go into tents or any other kind of shelter; just outside, as close to the fire as we could not to get very cold in the stop time. As soon as you stop in this kind of weather you need to wear your “go to” jacket (as the people used to call) not to freeze.

Eat, drink and fill the thermos and … let’s pull the 30 kg sled again…I was again on the trail. A few kilometers later I realized the all the sweet from the night that was “frozen” in my clothes melted with the fire at the check point and I started feeling cold. I had to stop again… what a….again???…so…stopped and made a wood fire to try to dry my clothes and get warm. That is what I mentioned before, “you need to do, what you need to do”… other decision probably would have meant scratching no long away.

When I got on the track again, that was km 70, more or less mile 44, I started feeling in my right foot what it was going to be my “every second pain” for the rest of the race. It started being a small discomfort in the right foot and it ended up being a huge pain and inflammation in both ankles… and I’m afraid it will also be for the next month as confirmed by the hospital emergencies Doctor the I landed in Bilbao.

No time to complaint, just needed to be focused and encourage myself to get to the next check point, Braeburn, mile 100. I spent the following hours through a very beautiful corridor of trees called “the tunnel of looms” (or something like that)…it really looks like a tunnel.

The pain was getting quite … annoying when I arrived at the check point (finally). When Igot in, I first took out my right shoe to see what was going on and I checked my right foot was like a ski boot, it was very … big? (what a view).

Anyway, I was feeling so satisfied that I just wanted to eat the equivalent to the typical Basque (from where I am, North of Spain) outdoor food, that in Canada is bacon and frites. While I was eating I watched many colleagues, that applied for the 100 mile race, coming in and finishing their challenge… I felt quite jealous and also angry with myself for having applied for the 300 mile one…If I had done so, I already would have finished the race…and instead… I had to do 3 times the distance Had covered at that time.

After sleeping for a couple of hours inside the check point (I had forgotten already what was sleeping in a bed) and drying my clothes, I left Braeburn looking forward to reach my next goal, Ken Lake….that’s the way it works… short and achievable goals… The following part of the track was going to be along huge lakes where the temperatures would even drop some degrees down. During the night, in the lakes, with no tree shadows, the moonlight and the northern lights brighter so much that I didn’t even need the headlamp light to see…it was stunning…but suddenly….Brrrrroooommmmmmm!!!!! “what a f…” I felt surprised/scared…a mix of everything for a moment…”is it the ice that is breaking?”…”I should run…”… but I soon understood that, if the ice was breaking I had no choice to get out from there. And again, Brrrroooooommmmm!!!!…I tried to concentrate in something else; if something had to happen… I had no chances, son…If you cannot do anything, just don’t be worried about it. After, in the check point I was told that the noise is completely the opposite …it is good, to hear it; it means the ice is merging, so… (they could have told us in advance…what a “complicate” time I spent on the lakes…).

Next check point Ken Lake, a hut in the middle of long lakes trail, easy to walk or even run, but tough to keep focus…long, boring, everything remains the same. The eyes keep trying to find the end of the lake but that peace moment never comes. I had to make huge efforts not to fall sleep, so I kept myself awake eating chocolate colored sweets (while I was saying the color of each before putting them in my mouth) and also singing loud the greatest hits of … whatever…

Once I reach the check point I suddenly realized it was an “external” check point in which you only could get inside the tent to eat, drink or check the hands and the feet…but I you wanted to sleep, you had to do it outside, beside a wood fire. I had something for dinner and decided to sleep a couple of hours before leaving. It was going to be a cold night so I needed to leave before the really cold hours if I could. I lied down beside the wood fire between an Italian couple. A couple of hours later, after a not very nice sleep, I woke up because I was freezing. The wood fire was off so it was like sleeping in the fridge… “let’s keep moving”

The trail continued across the lakes and I soon realized my bed time had not been good enough…what a pain in my ankles…. I hardly resisted until I finally found the end of the lake but as soon as I got out from the ice,,,”craaaack”… I felt how something was broken inside of me and I fell down on the snow.  I tried to stand up but I couldn’t without falling down again. “This is it” I thought; “I finally broke my tendons …how could I even think I could continue with this pain from km60 until…486!!!”…” I cannot walk a single step more. I give up here”. It was around 2 or 3 AM and still a lot to reach next check point Carmacks. Even pressing the scratch button, the snowdoos would take until 8AM to come and rescue me so I decided I had to set up the tent and try not to freeze in the middle of nowhere. It was not easy at all to prepare everything (I was exhausted) and when I finally made it, before I could press the scratch button, I felt sleep.

By the time I woke up, it was daylight and I thought my race was already over (I spent too much time sleeping) so I took it easy and, after taking more than 15 minutes getting dressed up, I started walking… just walking… my way to Carmacks. As I was walking I started feeling better (I also reminded that before sleeping I was thinking I had my tendons broken but…noooo! I could walk… and even run - if my turtle rhythm could be considered running). At some point I thought I could make it; these race is all about that, some moments you feel great, as I was at that time (I was shouting and singing from time to time) and other times you feel really low, crying and feeling really lonely and miserable… but at that moment I decided to go for it; next cut off time, Carmacks 22:30h.

Some snowdoos passed me by during that time of the race. They were thinking I probably wouldn’t reach the check point on time, so they kept an eye on me… but finally I made it. I reached Carmacks only a couple of hours before the cut off time. As soon as I entered the check point headquarter, based in a sportcentre, I sat on the ground and took my shoes off… I hardly could stand the pain… but the next hours trying to rest and sleep were even worse… every move was like feeling needles puncturing my ankles, so I wasn’t able to rest and I was getting frustrated about my on going physical situation. When the doctors in Carmacks checked my ankles they were surprised and not really sure of my possibilities to continue on the course. My painkillers were almost gone so I had to go to the shop next to the fuel station to by some more “sweeteners” for my next days.

After succeeding on my second cut off time, I left Carmacks on the way to McCabe. My goal was to keep going until I reach that check point…no sleep during the way… that meant around 18 h non-stop…. But my physical condition wasn’t really good so I had to rest the most confortable I could, and that meant, avoid sleeping in the tent.

One hour later, I found Marcelo, my Kiwi friend, who I was going to spend my day with. The good company and better conversation, made the time go by until, we suddenly looked back and saw a wolf, big and black amazing animal, coming behind us; it was like 30 meters behind, and when we stopped, he stopped too. Marcelo tried taking out his camera but it was too late; the wolf run out the track and we couldn’t find it. We were stunned!!! Wat a pity … but couple of hours later, again…turned back… and there he was… looking at us… but same again, before taking any picture, he run away. A little time later, a snowdoo passed us by and we told the guy what was going on, just in case there was any incident with the wolves. He told us there was nothing to worry about as long as the wolf was coming on his own and behind us; the problem could be if there were many and running next to us (trying to ambush us). He also reminded us the importance of not throwing away any rubbish or food the wolves could smell and follow.

The day had nothing more to show, so the moon came out and with it the  headlamps and the quite monotonous time that made us impatient for reaching the check point as soon as possible. My race colleague, Marcelo, was much more faster than me so he increased his pace to get to the check point sooner, so he could sleep some hours more. I couldn’t do much more than shout from time to time (because of my feet), sing like I was a X factor participant, no to fall sleep while walking, and… keep going.

I finally reached McCabe, 21 hour later, at 3 AM. I couldn't even take off my shoes. I was dying in pain and really tired… and the check point was packed… but, as always, there were 3 guardian angels (Trish, Sarah and Mandy), ready to help. I had to sleep on the floor below the kitchen table, the only gap there was in the room… but it was really confortable at that time.

After a little sleep, everyone was leaving and, as I was last arriving, I also was going to be, last leaving. I didn’t really min until I found out that my last segment, from Pelly Crossing to Pelly Farm wasn’t as short as I had in mind…good day start!!! I needed to be faster than I had planned, so no time for taking it easy.

The weather was changing that day. I wasn’t as cold as the previous days but this, doesn’t mean It was going to be easier…more temperature, around -15, meant snowfalls and risk of overflows along the trail.

This day was really tough because of the trail conditions. The lakes were full of powder snow so it was much more difficult to progress with the sled. I tried once wearing the snowshoes but it hurt even more, so I had to take them off. Although I didn’t see any half that day, my snowdoo colleagues told me there was one walking around the participants… so I just put on my headphones and kept going not thinking a lot about that.

I finally reached Pelly Crossing with the idea of staying just one hour, drink, eat and leave. I had no time to loose and I needed to hurry up If I didn’t want to be out of the race because of the final cut off time (8 days-192 hours).

At the time I was going to leave, Marcelo was entering the check point; he looked exhausted, his face looked like he hadn't slept for days. I couldn’t understand because he was really fit and he was doing easily… but something happened. He came and hugged me, telling me what he just had gone by… 3 wolves had surrounded him 4 hours ago and he had been running without stoping since them. I was shocked, but he was like… gone through one of those experiences in which you see your life passing by… for 4 long… eternal…hours. He could escape but he was done, he didn’t want to spend a single minute more out there… I really would loved to stay with him at that time but I had no hours left… I needed to go.

I left in the dark, around 10 PM thinking about Marcelo… and making my plans not to sleep outdoor. I put on the headphones again as a strategy to keep my mind focused on the track and not on… big and black animals. Only 2 stages left… reach Pelly Farm and come back.

5 hours later I couldn’t keep going. I was falling on the floor every now and then, so I set up my tent and prepared for a quick break…with headphones. I slept for 3 hours and I left thinking that the break was going to be the last of the race. It was really emotional. That was the first time I saw real possibilities of succeeding. I cried for a long…long…long time, thinking about my family and friends, a remembering all the sad and good moments I would take with me from that experience.

I reached Pelly Farm. It was like going into a film, what a place! I had read about the place, the lasagna and the people, but it was already much better, everything. It was a real pity not to spend a little more time there… but I was against the clock… last 13, 14, 15 hours left…and most of the in the dark at night.

The way back was going to be a nightmare…as it usually happens, when you know something is nearly there… it seems it never comes. I was falling sleep repeatedly but I couldn’t afford to sleep a single hour so I went back to my M&M’s counting and my singing concerts to keep me (and the surroundings) awake.

Suddenly, in front of me, coming the opposite direction, I found a pregnant girl pulling from a full packet sled. She stopped and chat for a couple of minutes. I was really surprised because it was around 2AM, she was very very very pregnant and… pulling from a bigger sled than mine. She left and I continued my way to Pelly Crossing until, five minutes later I thought I probably had hallucinated… I needed to stop, relax and rest; although I couldn’t spend time sleeping I tried to relax and prepare a hot meal to stop fro a little while. After finishing the race, in a dinner with other racers, Laura Trenton, an Italian athlete arrived before me, told me she had see the pregnant lady too. I will never know, but it is quite surprising any of the options, hallucination or reality… so I will probably believe there are ghosts all around the world… also in the Yukon….