VOL02.ED10 // SPRING 2013 // AU/ // 2013 SPRING // VOL02.ED10 Ruby Muir // Lyndon Marceau // Big Red Run // Mongolia // The Down // War Zone // Manaslu // Viedert’s law // Reviews // Trail Porn // Trail guides N Z DRYING IN MOTION THE NEW STANDARD IN SWEAT REMOVAL AND TEMPERATURE REGULATION FlashDry molecular drying technology acts like your second skin, pushing moisture to the surface of the fabric and eliminating it. During high-endurance activities, FlashDry works with your body to keep you dry, cool and focused. Find out more about FlashDry THENORTHFACE.COM.AU For stockists info, visit us online or call PH: 02 8306 3311 ANDREW LEE GETS ONE LAST RUN IN BEFORE THE NORTH FACE 100 IN BLUE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK. PHOTO: MARK WATSON BETTER THAN NAKED CREW AND SHORTS, AND ULTRA GUIDE SHOES. DEtails Volume 2, edition 10, Spring 2013 Editorial Australia Editor: Chris Ord New Zealand Editor: Vicki Woolley Asia Editor: Rachel Jacqueline Minimalist/Barefoot Editor: Garry Dagg Roving Editor: Mal Law Sub-Editing: Simon Madden Design Jordan Cole Craft-Store.net Contributing Writers Richard Bowles, Jeremiah Smith, Duncan Reid, Garry Dagg, Derek Morrison, Steven Brydon, Shaun Brewster, Dr Joan Steidinger, Adrian Bortignon, Paul Day Photography Lyndon Marceau, Nic Tinworth, Jessica Parker, Jason Malouin, Jeremiah Smith, Lloyd Belcher Visuals, Jordan Cole, cover photo Visit us online Derek Morrison, Blak Spittle, Mark Watson / Incite Images, Tegyn Angel, Shaun Collins Lyndon Marceau Photography / www.trailrunmag.com www.marceauphotography.com. On a shoot / Cabbage Tree Photography, George Chong, www.facebook.com/trailrunmag Richard Bull, Simon Madden for Craft in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. www.twitter.com/trailrunmag Trail Run is published quarterly Winter / Spring / Summer / Autumn Editorial correspondence Trail Run Magazine Foundation supporters (the Yay-sayers) 10 Evans Street, Running Wild nz www.runningwildnz.com Anglesea, Vic 3230 Email: [email protected] Trail Running Company www.trailrunningcompany.com Telephone Mainpeak www.mainpeak.com.au +61 (0) 430376621 Salomon au www.salomon.com/au Founders Sea To Summit www.seatosummit.com Chris Ord + Stuart Gibson + Mal Law + Peter & Heidi Hibberd Brooks / Texas Peak www.brooksrunning.com. Publisher Adventure Types Disclaimer Trail running and other activities described in this magazine can carry significant risk of injury or 203 Langridge Street death. Especially if you are unfit. Undertake any trail running or other outdoors activity only with proper instruction, Abbotsford, Vic 3067 supervision, equipment and training. The publisher and its servants and agents have taken all reasonable care to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the expertise of its writers. Any reader attempting any of the activities described in this publication does so at their own risk. Neither the publisher nor any of its servants or agents will be held liable for any loss or injury or damage resulting from any attempt to perform any of the activities described in this publication, nor be responsible for any person/s becoming lost when following any of the guides or maps contained herewith. All descriptive and visual directions are a general guide only and not to be used as a sole source of information for navigation. Happy trails. 4 conTenTs Volume 2, edition 10, Spring 2013 DESIGNED FOR FREEDOM 8 120 30 REGULARS Go there, faster. Everything we make is designed to enable 8.Editors Columns: greater freedom of movement in the mountains. 8. Australia - Chris Ord The result is lightweight, ergonomic gear of the most liberated 10.New Zealand - Vicki Woolley 12. Asia - Rachel Jacqueline outdoor experiences. 102. Rich’s Rant See more at www.salomon.com/au Richard Bowles gets angry For your nearest stockist, free call 1800 651 872 20 TRAIL GUIDES 122. Routeburn, Sth Island, New Zealand 124. Yarra Bend, INTERVIEWS Victoria Australia Colour of Ruby 126. Rainbow Mountain, 30. an insight into Ruby Muir Nth Island, New Zealand 128. Skyline, 40.The Moment Dunedin, Sth Island, New Zealand trail snapper Lyndon Marceau TRAIL MIX 78 20. Event Preview Kawerau King, Nth Island, New Zealand 22. Event Preview Hong Kong MSIG50 series,China 24. Event Preview Buffalo Stampede, Victoria, Australia 26. Event Preview Big O, New Zealand 110. Trail Porn so dirty, it’ll blow your mind 16 FEATURES 50. Big Red Heart overcoming odds in the Simpson Desert REVIEWS 60. Mongolian Multiday Magic in the footsteps of Khan 72. Black Dog Days what is it with the downer after an ultra? Now’s a good time to buy… 16. 80. Beyond the Wire thought your run was tough? Try Afghanistan… all the good gear 88. Manaslu Madness getting’ singletrack high in the Himalayas 106. Shoe reviews a pearler and one we fell in love with 98. Rhythms of the Trail a German physicist unlocks the secret of trail running 6 edsword Chris Ord // AustrAliAn editOr TheThe manman prowlsprowls aroundaround thethe desertdesert fire,fire, beatingbeating hishis chest.chest. “It’s“It’s inin here,”here,” hehe thumpsthumps fistfist toto heartheart hardhard enoughenough thatthat youyou cancan hearhear thethe thudthud fromfrom thethe backback row.row. “YOU GOTTA HAVE IT IN HERE (thUMP). with them, being to run from the North to the and ran with it. Literally. YOU GOTTA WANT IT LIKE NOTHING South Pole. The day following Pat’s fireside speech in ELSE (thUMP). NO EXCUSES (thUD). IF But his credentials for this event run closer the Simpson desert, every runner trotting the it’S IN HERE (thUD), NOTHING CAN to the fencewire than that. Pat holds the sand took Pat’s message (and so Cliffy’s by STOP YOU (glare).” record for being the fastest man to run across osmosis), and ran with it. the Simpson Desert, a record he captured One competitor, a 100kg-plus Tongan- The man, shorter in stature but larger in life twice. Beating his own record for number two. Australian called Mark Moala, heeded the than you could imagine, pauses for practiced That’s Pat all over. A hard man. Who better message to knock over more personal firsts THE CALLING dramatic effect, circling his stare around the to come and chaperone nearly sixty runners than anyone would think possible in one THE CALLING gathering. He has each and every one of us to run through the territory of which he is week: first half marathon, first marathon, first captured in his story net and he knows it. running king? back to back marathon, first triple marathon The glint in his eye is magnified by the light But it is less so the feats of endurance that in three days, first double marathon in one of the soaring cratefire flame. He has held us impress so deeply. Not once you’ve met the day, first multiday, first desert run. Not bad enthralled by tales of a running life that no man. It’s his presence as a person brimming for a bloke whose only running of any note one could make up. But rather than intimidate with raw passion and hard earned experience, prior had been a dash on a rugby field chasing with boasts of superhuman feats, he has used both of which he’s willing to share. a patch of leather. He had all the excuses in his life spent putting one foot in front of the But this is no hagiography. Rather it’s paying the world to call on if he wanted to stop: not a other a million times over – and then some – respect to one of our trail elders and the runner, not enough training, overweight, bad as the fuel to make us all feel invincible. importance of listening. Yet Pat’s story begins knees… yet he leaned on none. His injection of inspiration is timely with one older than himself. On the final day, as Mark reached the finish because tomorrow is marathon number three A young mechanic standing in a workshop line that many thought he’d never step across, in three days. And out there, beyond the halo in western Sydney, he watched as an old man Pat approached, hugged him and paid tribute: of fire light, awaits the Simpson Desert and ran past the tin shed door. Pat couldn’t believe “You’re my hero mate.” a running course that will beat, scratch, bake a grandfather (although technically at that A man who ran from Sydney to Melbourne and curtail that invincibility to within an inch point this guy was no grandfather) was out runs past a mechanic’s workshop. A man in of its being, to within one more desert thorn there running. He looked at the spanner in that workshop runs from the North Pole to sting of quitting the Big Red Run, an inaugural his hand and then listened to the clomp of a the South. A man listens to that story and runs 250km adventure run odyssey through the potato farmer’s boots fading into the distance six marathons across a desert. Australian Outback. down the road. One day, Mark Moala will run past another The choice of Pat Farmer, the campfire It was Cliff Young. someone … and I wonder: where will the pacer, as event ambassador was smart. Sure, For Pat, it was a calling and he heeded it. inspiration take them? he’d bring some promotional attention, some Eventually he would run much further than credibility – he is one of the world’s most Cliffy could or would have dreamed about. Your inspired editor, accomplished ultra adventure runners after The point: Pat looked to his elders, Chris Ord all, his pinnacle feat after decades crammed listened to the message of moment, [email protected] 8 9 edsword NeW ZealaNd // Vickie Woolley PHOTOGRAPHY: Tourism New Zealand WhatWhat aa victory!victory! TheThe NZNZ GovernmentGovernment hashas announcedannounced thatthat itit hashas declineddeclined thethe RouteburnRouteburn TunnelTunnel applicationapplication afterafter aa relentlessrelentless campaigncampaign fromfrom outragedoutraged Kiwis.Kiwis.