Located a little over an hour’s drive from Montreal, Mont Orford, a well-known trail runners’ playground, becomes a ski paradise during winter months. Already well-known for its October Xtrail, racers return in January armed with their running shoes, snowshoes, or skis to explore the mountain once more thanks to the Endurance Aventure team. At dusk on January 26th, more than one hundred competitors braved the darkness, the snow, the cold, and the mountains. To say that it was an adventure would be an understatement.

 

The evening offered two courses: 13 km and 5 km. Competitors were free to choose their preferred transportation mode (skis, snowshoes, or running shoes). Since all three categories lined up on the start line for a simultaneous start to the race, everyone was left wondering who would reach the finish line first: a skier, a snowshoer, or a runner?

 

It was important to look beyond the distances. With such a high peak, a 1200 m ascension on the 13 km course, competitors prepared much like they would for a marathon for this race that was sure to calm their hunger for adventure.

 

At dusk, a luminous snake composed of head lamps was swallowed by the Eastern Townships’ dark mountains. At the end of the first loop, competitors’ calf muscles burned so much in the vertical sections that some considered dropping out of the race. The star-shaped course consisted of three loops, with each loop climbing towards a different summit. At the end of each loop, the athletes returned to the start line where they were showered with warm encouragements from the cheering crowd. 

 

The first descent provided calf muscles with well-deserved rest as competitors’ thigh muscles fell victim to gravity. It was with clenched teeth that we passed in front of spectators, hiding our pain as, in our minds, we imagined ourselves sitting at the bar drinking beer. This thought momentarily made it possible to forget that the second ascension would be more difficult than the first.

 

The second ascension involved winding forest trails covered with powdered snow and diverse terrain. The atmosphere that was present in the forest, in the dark, with just the faint glimmer of light provided by head lamps was delicious. Luminous markers set up by the organization eliminated any risk of getting lost in the massive quantity of snow. Upon exiting the forest, we faced impressive walls of snow. The blizzard that was present at the summit made temperatures plunge drastically, to the point that the -15 °C felt at the bottom of the mountain seemed warm. However, hadn’t we all showed up to experience exactly that? Wasn’t this race for those who are a little crazier than average?