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Himalayan High

Stan van Jaarsveld / 18.11.2008

India. A country of opposites. While India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world, most part of the country seem not to have kept up with any developments for decades, and where many think about India as a tropical destination, it has quite a different climate in the mountains in the Darjeeling region in the North-East. This part of the Indian Himalayans is set to host the highest multiple day mountain running event around. The Himalayan 100 Mile Stage Race was first held in 1991 and has been attracting endurance athletes from around the globe every year.

This year the 58 athletes represent twelve nationalities and run or hike the steep 100 miles spread out over five days. On the third day the 26 miles count as the Mount Everest Challenge Marathon, with a handful of additional runners flying in for just this event.

The race starts in the little mountain town of Maneybhanjang and leads competitors onto a steep uphill road creating the boundary between India and Nepal. This first ascent quickly divides the field. After four kilometres, the tarmac road turns into an endless cobblestone trail, once constructed for an Indian King, so he could reach Phalut, 56 kilometres away, to watch the sunrise over the four peaks of Mount Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Kanchenjunga. These, apart from K2, in Pakistan are the highest mountains in the world. Rumour goes that once the road was finished, it has never been used by the King.

With Nepal on the left side of the road and India on the right, competitors climb from Maneybhanjang at 6600 feet to Sandakphu at 11.815 feet. Passing many desolate mountain settlements and border checkpoint, the altitude starts taking its toll.

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