ANNAPURNA MANDALA TRAIL VIII

Nepal - Himalaya - From 11th to 28th April  2008

Annapurna is a Himalayan summit, which has a very special place in French hearts since the mountaineers Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal conquered it on June 3rd 1950. On that day at 2pm, man went beyond an altitude of 8.000 meters for the first time. These days, that mountain is the least attempted of the ten "8.000s" in Nepal. This is perhaps because, by the end of 1993, of the 93 expeditions which set out to conquer Annapurna 1, only 78 mountaineers succeeded and 45 died trying.

The Annapurna range has five peaks: Annapurna 1 (8.091m), Annapurna 2 (7.937m), Annapurna 3 (7.855m), Annapurna 4 (7.525m), and Annapurna South (7.279m). There are about 50 other summits in this big mountainous area, including Varahashikhar (7.847m), Gangapurna (7.485m), Khangsar Kang (7.485m), Nilgiri North (7.061m) and the majestic Machhapuchhare (6.993m). The Annapurna Himal is not the only range in the region. To the East is Manaslu, which rises to 8.156m. To the West lies the impressive Dhaulagiri chain with its highest peak (8.167m) dominating the skyline. It is in this land, in the heart of the Himalayas (world of adventure par excellence), that the eighth edition of the Annapurna Mandala Trail is going to take place.

In Buddhist philosophy, the Mandala is a symbolic representation of the universe with a centre and an outer ring. This image, which serves as an aid for meditation, is synonymous with the idea of eternal repetition, which is how the passage of time is perceived in Asia. Or even, when seen in light of searching the Absolute, the idea of perfection, which is "the quest where one never finds that which does not exist".

Mandala is also the name of the Nepalese trekking agency, which will co-ordinate The Annapurna Mandala Trail in Nepal. Its organizers work voluntarily on the project in order to reduce costs. The idea of the Mandala underlies the conception of this race. The Annapurna Himal is the centre. The path from Annapurna Base Camp to Jomoson will follow the outer ring. As the runners are not immortal, the circle will not, in this sense, be completed. However, there will be a beginning, an end, a departure, an arrival, and 340 kilometers (80 in linking stages and 260 in competition stages) to cover along "Heaven’s Pathways" at altitudes between 1.080 and 5.416 meters.

A trail around the Annapurnas is an idea like no other because it stands out as a unique sporting adventure, something beyond a race, beyond competition. Running is easy for most mere mortals but running the Himalayas with only the contents of your backpack and local hospitality to count on is no easy task. In 1983 two Englishmen, Richard and Adrian Crane took 100 days to run 3000 miles from Darjeeling to Rawalpindi. In 1994 Frenchmen Paul-Eric Bonneau and Bruno Poirier managed 2000 miles across the Nepal Himalaya in six weeks. Both these duos completed the Annapurna circuit: the first pair in eight days, the second in six days. The Annapurna Mandala Trail is going to do it in days and in the same spirit as the previously mentioned runners. However, as this is a competition, competitors will have the support of a technical team as well as medical assistance. This means that between the beginning and end of each stage, the competitor must find his or her own way, determine his own pace, manage his own provisions/supplies and carry his own equipment. Bruno Poirier, the creator of Annapurna Mandala Trail, has also initiated the three week Himal Race. "Knight of the Wind" since 1992, he has run 8.250 kilometers through the Nepalese Himalaya, 284.000 positive altitude meters and 278.500 negative ones. In the "édition zero" of the Annapurna Mandala Trail, he classified 5th with 32 h 05’50’’ (250 km, + 12.250 m and - 11.950 m). In 2005, he finished in 3rd place with 43 h 07’53 (320 km, + 12.500 m and - 15.800 m).

For this eighth edition around the Annapurna Himal, he wanted the mountain trail spirit to be reduced to its most simple expression: to run from one point to another with only the contents of a backpack for one’s assistance. This is exactly how it will be for the men and women who take part in The Annapurna Mandala Trail.

The Annapurna Mandala Trail 2008 is organized by Base Trek Camp & Expeditions, a Nepalese trek agency based in Kathmandu. The race director race is Nil Gurung. The Annapurna Mandala Trail is open to men and women over 23 years of age. The competition is in stages and will be run on footpaths over a distance of 260 km with 12.500m of altitude ascent and 13.870 m of altitude descent. The challenge is divided into eight stages. It will be preceded by four linking stages (80 km, + 4000 m, - 800 m) in order to reach the base Camp of Annapurna’s, located at 4.130 m, from where the AMT 2008 will depart. These four linking stages will also be useful as acclimatization. For security reasons, also the ascent from Muktinath (3.820 m) to the Thorong Pass (5.416 m) is going to be a linking stage (10 km). Competitors will be allowed to use poles/sticks but required to take care not to injure anyone. Competitors are solely responsible for completing each stage, as checked by a card marked with the departure point, arrival point and control point. At the end of the first stage, two groups will be formed : Group 1 (competitors in positions 1-20) and Group 2 (positions 21-40) and two starts will be arranged as of the beginning of stage two. The composition of these groups will change throughout the race, as the competitor's classification will be used to form the two groups. Around the Annapurna’s the only way to go from A to B is on foot. Consequently runners may call upon the local population for route finding and supply assistance during the race. It is very difficult to lose one’s way in this region unless one does it on purpose. However, depending on choices made during the race, one could do many more kilometers or spend much more time than others trying to find the right trail. This is part of the charms of such wilderness runs.

Each competitor of The Annapurna Mandala Trail must be in possession of certain compulsory items from the beginning to the end of the race. Bag checks will be carried out during the race. The absence of any compulsory item from a competitor’s backpack will incur a penalty of two hours as well as the requirement of having all compulsory items before being allowed to continue.

List of compulsory equipment : backpack, sleeping bag (-10° extreme), jacket Gore Tex or of the same quality, survival blanket, headlamp with spare batteries, whistle, mirror, first-aid kit containing tape, personal medical kit, two one liter flasks, carabiner, a pair of crampons, three (3) meters of cord and 2.000 Calories of survival rations.

At the start of each stage, the competitor must sign a start sheet. At the end of each stage, the competitor must sign an arrival sheet next to the arrival time (hours, minutes, seconds) as noted by the timekeepers. For each stage there is a compulsory control point where the competitor must pass to sign a check sheet opposite his/her check point arrival time (hours, minutes). If the competitor fails to pass through, and therefore fails to sign in, at the checkpoint, he/she will be penalized with four hours.

Throughout The Annapurna Mandala Trail, a solidarity charter is in place requiring competitors to help other runners who are in trouble. Non-compliance with the charter risks elimination. In the event of mountain sickness, heart/breathing problems, after-effects of a fall or hypothermia, the runner in difficulty must warn the nearest person. If this is another competitor, he/she must stay with the injured party and administer first aid, providing he/she is capable. To re-start, the runner must await the arrival of a member of the organization. Any time lost will be deducted at the end of the stage. If another runner arrives on the scene, he/she must contact the technical team. The time lost during this return journey will be deducted from his/her finishing time and he/she will also receive a one-minute bonus for every five minutes spent during this aid-run. The runner will be responsible for measuring time lost while helping the injured/sick competitor. The race directors will trust this assessment.

Any breach or deliberate misinterpretation of the content of this charter will be penalized by immediate disqualification without appeal. The disqualified runner will be excluded from the race and will have to return to Kathmandu by his/her own means.

The doctors at Muktinath and Manang hospital and the race doctor are authorized to remove a competitor from the race if they consider him/her to be unfit to continue the race. Their decision will be final and without appeal. In Manang, each Annapurna Mandala Trail competitor will undergo a full medical check. If he/she is affected by mountain sickness, in a state of advanced fatigue or too weak psychologically, he/she will not be allowed to continue the race. Every year the mountains in Nepal kill hikers who fail to respect the rules of walking at altitude. Runners on the Annapurna Mandala Trail will be moving two to three times faster than a normal hiker and will quickly reach the critical altitude for mountain sickness (3.500 m). It is therefore evident, that, at Macchhapuchhara Base Camp (3.700 m) and Muktinath (3.800 m), one must be in optimal health condition in order to continue ascending. Indeed, the first three linking stages of the Annapurna Mandala Trail are relatively easy and under no circumstances will runners be alloweed to continue whose physical state has already deteriorated upon reaching Macchhapuchhara Base Camp. If his/her condition requires it, a rapid evacuation by helicopter or, later in the race, via the regular airfields of Jomoson or Hongde (a two-hour hike from Manang) are possible safety measures. Such evacuation will arranged for by the organization - insurance for helicopter mountain rescue abroad has been taken out on behalf of every competitor (the insurance is included as part of the package). If the competitor is only slightly affected, he/she will be accompanied back to Pokhara (a four-day hike and a one-day bus journey). Besides the medical check locations of Macchhapuchhara Base Camp and Muktinath, all medical problems will be judged in light of the circumstances. Depending on the place where the competitor is removed from the course, if it is impossible to wait for the rescuers, the rescue will take place by the nearest road or airfield, either on foot, by mule or by being carried. Helicopter evacuation may only be possible if a heli can reach the scene of the incident soon enough, otherwise other options have to be pursued.

Any breach or deliberate misinterpretation of the content of the "Runners’ Solidarity Charter" will result in immediate disqualification without the right of appeal. The disqualified runner will be excluded from the race and will have to return to Kathmandu by his/her own means. Nine other situations can lead to time penalties, also leading to disqualification in the event of a second offence. These are: absence of any compulsory piece of equipment for the Annapurna Mandala Trail (two-hour penalty for each missing object as well as the requirement of having a full set of equipment before being allowed to continue); any obstruction of the official Annapurna Mandala Trail sponsorship on the race number cards (two hours); failure to pass through or clock-in at any of the various check points (four hours); breach of course director’s instructions (four hours); land-based assistance (six hours) except that provided by a competitor; non-respect of the environment or the local population (immediate disqualification) – see chapter "Aims of the Kathmandu Declaration". And finally, non-respect of conditions imposed during the linking stages (immediate disqualification). Apart from this, the runner is considered a responsible, adult sports person. No time limit will be imposed on competitors but for safety reasons, he/she must complete each stage within one hour of nightfall, that’s to say, around 17:00. In the event of late arrival, no penalty will be imposed and the competitor will be allowed to continue the following morning – providing his/her physical state is allows for that.

During the race the competitor is independent and must arrange for his own food and water. He/she may prepare supplies before departure or stock-up during the race. With the exception of the Phedi – Muktinath section, one passes a village approximately every thirty minutes. One can find biscuits, chocolate bars and tablets or even a dal-bat (lentils and rice) between 10am and 12 noon. Water is not a problem. It can be found in every village and streams, brooks and rivers are sources too. Water is available at least every fifteen minutes. However, it must be treated with Micropur before consumption (one tablet for a liter of water). After adding the purification agent one has to wait for one hour before the water can be drunk without risk. A twin-bottle-belt is thus ideal. While one bottle is being purified, the other is drinkable. It is also possible to buy bottled water but at a cost of 50 – 200 rupees (0,50 – 2 euros / 33p - £1.32 / 50c - $2) per liter depending on the altitude. During the days of the Annapurna Mandala Trail, the organization deals with accommodation, breakfast and dinner. Lunch is the competitor’s responsibility. Anticipate 500 rupees (5 euros / £3.30 / $7) per day. It should be noted that except for tea, all other drinks consumed by the runner (bottled water, soft drinks, beer) are at his/her own cost.

The technical support team of the Nepalese trekking agency is divided into six sub-teams: arrival time-keepers, check-point time-keepers, luggage safety, runners’ first-aid, tail-end support (including the race director), and the sixth team looks after accommodation (hotels, hostels) as well as the provision of breakfast and evening meals. Remember that lunch is at the runner’s expense. Anticipate around 800 rupees (8 euros / £3 / $10) for each race day. Not including the first-aiders, the 26 other technical team members are paid staff who move around on foot. They precede, accompany or follow the runners on their journey. The race doctor will be running. He has a race number and will be considered as a competitor, as is the race photographer. These two people are volunteers and they record their own race times, stopping and starting their watches if they stop to administer medical assistance or take photos of competitors. Their actual running time is counted at the end of each stage in order to determine their race position.

Basic Information on the AMT 2008

Preparation

FAQ

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