Himalayan 100 Mile Stage Race
Up, Up and Away
Rob Howard / 27.10.2010
Just for a change it wasn’t a 5am start for the first day of the race ... it was 4am instead! The final shuttles between the 3 hotels assembled all the runners, clutching their drop bags, which was just about all the gear they had left as the rest had been stored or sent on to Sandakphu. Everyone was wearing their running kit ready for the start and after a hot drink they all climbed onto the buses clutching packed breakfasts. In all the excitement there was little chance to doze on the bus and within a couple of hours they arrived in the main street at the town of Manaybhanjang.As they pulled in under the start banner the band were already playing to welcome them, though the strange combination of a kind of bagpipes and a very out of tune and noisy horn wasn’t likely to calm the nerves. The dirt street was much like any other in the area and the low flat roofs of the shops were lined with curious local spectators. A very proud local schoolboy in his smart school blazer we given the task of placing the first of the white Tibetan greeting scarves around a runners neck, and soon everyone was wearing one. Then with a wave of a green flag which looked like it had been borrowed from the Darjeeling toy train station, everyone was off!
The short description for the days route was ... up! Having found the jeep road out of town the route climbed steeply up a series of tarmac switchbacks through the trees, and although it was not yet 07.30 the sun was already bright and it was hot. A few chose to use poles, which was probably a good move, as the climbing along the road would continue for the whole stage, bar a few very short down hills.
The first landmark was a large Stupa (a Buddhist monument), set on the ridge and surrounded by fluttering prayer flags , and it was here that the cobblestone road began. For the rest of the way the road surface would be unrelenting and uneven cobblestones that make up the jeep road.
It is remarkable structure, winding upwards and along the ridges, through dense forest and steeply embanked in places. In places the switchbacks are continuous and at about 45 degrees. I doubt the runners were appreciating it‘s finer points but it did make an unmissable and unique route. (Riding up in the press jeep was an uncomfortable experience too – similar to being tumble dried for many hours I’d imagine! The jeep of course had no seatbelts, just the usual row of Hindu deities on the dashboard to watch over us.)
After a while runners passed the entrance to the Singhalila National Park, which borders Nepal and the ancient princedom of Sikkim, which lies to the North of Darjeeting. The park is mainly virgin forest and supports a rich plant and animal life. There were section of dense rhododendron, and bamboo stands in the river valleys, then higher up Himalayan blue pine interspersed with open grassy meadows.See All Event Posts
