UTMB Nice training: 3-hour run

Boulari, 7.30 am – Setting off into the unknown The morning sun is already caressing the ridges around Nouméa, but at this time of year the air is still cool. My training plan calls for 3 hours and 850 metres of elevation gain. Today, I’m leaving the usual trails behind for a new route: a track that starts in Boulari, north of the city, and climbs towards Mont Algoué. The outward leg, 4 km and 500 metres of elevation gain, is just the first stage. I’ll carry on to Pic Malaoui, where the view, as from so many other New Caledonian peaks, is breathtaking.

A final chat with a group of walkers and off I go. From the very first steps, the path brings me back down to earth: a steep, almost vertical slope looms ahead of me. No question of pushing myself too hard. I walk with a determined stride, my muscles waking up, my breathing still steady. As soon as the gradient becomes manageable, I set off and start running.

The ascent – Between a single track and the magic of the peaks The path narrows, becoming barely visible. When I reach an electricity pylon, the path turns into a thin line traced through the vegetation.

After a bit of effort, the vegetation parts to reveal a carpet of ferns and shrubs a few dozen centimetres high. Just what I need to help me climb. And suddenly, as a reward, the final hundred metres reveal their spectacle. Nouméa comes into view, bathed in light, and to the left, Mont Dore, as majestic as ever.

I catch my breath, I look around, I take it all in. A beautiful day’s trail running lies ahead.

At the summit of Mont Algoué – The call of the peaks I’ve finally reached it, this summit. Before me, a sea of mountains stretching as far as the eye can see. Nameless, mysterious peaks, and then them: Mont Dore, my usual playground, and Pic Malaoui, where I went on my first hike a year ago. Today, I’ll reach them via a different route, from a different perspective.
I stop often, not to catch my breath but to take photos. I know, I’m supposed to be training, but how can I resist ?

Towards Pic Malaoui – The Rainforest and Its Pitfalls I descend slightly, and there it reveals itself : Pic Malaoui, standing proud, soaring towards the sky as if to defy the sea. What a sight.

But before I reach it, I have to cross a stretch worthy of the finest rainforests. The air is humid, the ground slippery. I have to be careful; beneath the dense foliage, there’s sometimes a hole or a ravine.

Surprisingly, my legs are holding up well. I’m making my way slowly, cautiously, but without excessive effort. My heart is beating at a steady pace. Not sure if this fits in with the training plan but I’ll take it 🙂 .

The final ascent – My heart rate races Le Malaoui is close now. The path becomes more technical: slippery rocks, narrow passages where one wrong step would mean a brutal fall. And then, suddenly, one last steep climb. My heart rate, which had been calm until now, races. I breathe deeply, pushing off with my legs. One last push. And there I am at the summit.

Wow. The view is breathtaking. Nouméa, the sea, the mountains… Everything seems to lie before me. I sit down on a rock and take out a muesli bar. A bit of water, and I savour the moment. Nothing more than that. Just this view.

The descent – my eternal challenge But it’s time to head back down. And that’s when things get complicated. Why is the descent always so difficult for me? I feel like a hesitant old man, searching for my balance with every step. My legs lack agility, my mind lacks fluidity. Yet I do train. And yet, I want to improve. But today, I have to make do with descending cautiously, without any rhythm, like a novice. Fortunately, my cardio and my legs are holding up. Only a few detours — wrong turns I took by mistake — disrupt my progress. Luckily, my smartphone allows me to correct my route. I use the open-source app ‘Organic Maps’, which includes, amongst other things, all the hiking trails.
A little more effort and I reach Mont Algoué, then the start of the trail.

The result of a great outing after 3 hours and 25 minutes of trail running, 15 km covered and 950 elevation gain on the clock. Almost perfect. Almost, because during a very technical downhill section, I accidentally put my watch on pause… Never mind. The important things lie elsewhere.