Ultra Trail Torres del Paine
Seeking Simplicity and Salvation in Patagonia
Anne-Marie Dunhill / 04.10.2014
After the Patagonian International Marathon and the Ultra Trail Torres del Paine had finished, there was an extensive prize giving ceremony on the lawns of the hotel Las Torres, with geysers of champagne spouting from the podium as all categories, male and female, were called up.
A forty lamb barbecue accompanied the festivities. Then the runners and their families headed back to their hotels or out of the Torres del Paine National Park. All were in off the race route safe and sound and this year’s race was by general consensus an outstanding success.
Most of the press group headed back down to Punta Arenas, catching their first flight at 06:00 to connect to their international flights in Santiago. A few journalists and ambassadors had planned to stay longer and hike parts of the world renowned ‘W Trail’* so at this time groups were formed and plans made, scanning maps and planning in the comfortable sofas of the hotel lobby.
Yassine Diboun and Willie McBride had originally planned to hike all of the ‘O Trail’* but it was closed as it’s still early in the season. Matt Flaherty (winner of the 63km PIM ultra and new course record holder) had a few extra days as well and that’s how this SleepMonsters reporter found herself in a group of four, hanging out on the W Trail with some of the worlds ultra running elite.
Here’s the story of an enlightening time spent with them on the Patagonian trails ...
The Three Musketeers
Once bags were sorted, extra gear left in a locked room that the hotel Las Torres kindly made available to us and sun block liberally slathered on, we headed out in early afternoon, direction the Los Cuernos refuge.
The day was overcast and the hike 11km. Heading further and further away from the last remnants of civilization, i.e. the grey barn like structure of the hotel, a tingle of excitement rippled with the abrupt mountains on our right and turquoise lakes on our left.
In my mind I quickly nicknamed the three elite runners I was with the Three Musketeers and what perfect gentlemen they were! Obviously the pace was a snail’s pace compared to what they usually produce on a daily basis but over every hill there was always one of them waiting to make sure I was in eyesight and being out of ear shot meant they missed the F-bombs that invariably were released on each uphill climb.
Stopping for lunch, they commented on how nice it was to slow things down from their normal pace and enjoy the scenery. Such gentlemen, all of them.
We arrived at the Los Cuernos refuge, Yassine having arranged for us to rent two cabins on the hill. This was to be our home base for the next couple of days of adventure. We wolfed mustard pork chops and roast potatoes and then went back to the cabins to plan. A fire was roaring in each of the cabins as ‘the Musketeers’ plotted their itinerary for the next day.
Listening, I wondered if they’d be able to stick to their plans after the hard racing they’d all just done, or if they’d overestimated their capacities. Their plan was to hit the trails, out past Italiano, down to Paine Grande, up to refugio Grey and back to Cuernos. According to the map, that’s about 48km round trip over some pretty rugged terrain.
They headed out after an early breakfast, water bottles filled, Buffs firmly in place and poles poised for action. Dinner was at 20:00 and as darkness crept in, I kept an eye on the end of the trail on the terrace of the Cuernos refuge, whilst chatting to an American couple from Houston who were travelling with their daughter. They asked if I was hiking alone and just as I was explaining that the Musketeers were out playing, the three of them came striding up, cloaked in a chill from the elements, sporting contented smiles. They had run all they’d set out to do the night before.
Dinner was spent listening to their stories as they described where they’d been and what they’d seen and felt; the common thread throughout our stay in Torres del Paine was ‘tell me your story’ as we all excitedly shared our experiences.
The American woman asked me why they do what they do and I answered that I really don’t know as my brief is to report on what they do.
Asking ‘Why?’ On the W Trail
Her question was the impetus for a lovely chat in my and Matt’s cabin later on that evening as the three of them allowed me to pick their brains and write down their words. Bon Iver played out of an iPod and Yassine was crashed out in front of the fire, Matt on his bed with an Austral beer in his hand, Willie crammed onto a small single bed and I was sitting crossed legged on the floor.
The question was a simple one: “Why are you a trail runner?”
Matt started talking first and explained that he’d been a fast runner ever since he was a little boy, giving examples of some incredibly fast times run before the age of ten. He said that his mother signed him up for a running group as she was afraid he wouldn’t have any friends.
Matt is truly a renaissance man, a corporate lawyer who left his law career behind to concentrate on his running, focusing on that goal even when an Achilles tendon injury sidelined him for ten months. He also draws, plays several instruments and is composing the music for Sage Canaday’s new film.
A walking encyclopaedia, he regaled us with facts and figures throughout our time spent hanging out together. He concluded by saying that he seeks the “simplicity and honesty of ultra running.” Then the heat of the over stoked fire and the beer took its toll and he lay back on his pillows, beer propped on his belly, and dozed off.
Willie caught the ball that Matt had started rolling and spoke about what lead him to ultra running. He’s always been “a sensitive person which creates anxiety, what I see in the world deeply disturbs my soul and I can dwell on it too much, I get so offended by a lot of what I see in society, shallow hurts me, and I can easily over think and be depressed and anxious so I try to transcend the pain I see by running. Running is ‘easy’ pain in comparison to thinking about people getting f****d over in the world, like racism, sexism and homophobia. Running is a way of engaging in the here and now, it’s so easy not to be present and nature is all that’s real; it is a very real process getting back to the rawness, getting back to mindfulness, cutting out the crap, cutting out the static.”
Yassine chimed in at this point, saying that with the business they’ve created, Animal Athletics, they are trying to act locally as a response to larger problems they see in the world. They want to get people back out in to nature, even if it’s something as simple as walking. He went on to say that he sees himself in all of the people that he tries to get “out there”. “Going through life is difficult, it’s messy and it’s harsh. Running is a coping mechanism that’s opened new pathways in my brain and has made me more compassionate about people and about life.”
When asked about reconciling family life with ultra training and owning a small business, he stated that he hopes he’s setting a sterling example for his daughter Farah, to go out and pursue her passions, living life to the fullest as an adventurous spirit. His wife, Erica Wagner, has said that it’s nice to see people pursuing their passion.
“All for one and one for all!”
I then mentioned that it was fun when I had hiked out alone earlier in the day, to follow the path of their footsteps and poles on the trail when I wondered which route to take and both Willie and Yassine piped in at the same time, drawing a parallel with the ultra running community: that we all want to part of something bigger, looking for a subconscious comfort as we all die alone, linking it with Erich Fromme’s idea of a deep seated rift of separateness and aloneness that we try to heal.
My immense gratitude goes out to these three gentlemen for the raw energy of their answers and their kindness of heart for taking the time to express that their passion is not a selfish one.
The ultra community, seen through their eyes, is a welcoming, all encompassing one. Would you consider joining?
* The W Trail is one of the world’s most renowned hikes, covering the highlights of the National Park in a 3 to 4 day route. It is ‘W shaped’, visiting 3 principal valleys on the southern part of the park. The ‘O Route’ is a more demanding circuit of Torres del Paine.
Anne-Marie Dunhill was a guest of NIGSA who organise the Patagonian International Marathon, the Ultra Trail Torres de Paine, the Patgonian Discovery Challenge and the Patagonian Expedition Race.
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