The Annapurna Ultra mountain run might just put the country on the map. What happened when our writer gave it a spin?
Ringed by 7,000m and 8,000m peaks, Annapurna Base Camp lies in the centre of a small basin, known as the Sanctuary. Ever since the mountain was first climbed by Maurice Herzog’s 1950 expedition, ABC has become both a destination for trekkers and a starting point for mountaineers. But at 4am on Sunday morning, as we trudged up the slopes in the strange half-light produced by a dark sky and a white ground, we were neither. Instead, we were approaching the start line of Annapurna Ultra mountain run (the AUM – pronounced as the Hindu mantra ॐ).
Having recently swapped the sweltering humidity of Nigeria for the breathtaking altitudes of Nepal, my first move was naturally to look for a local ultramarathon. The internet answered my call in the form Les Chevaliers du Vent, a French running group, engaged on a two-week tour, which kindly consented to my joining them for their main event.
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