Montafon Totale Trail 2024
Montafon Totale Trail 2024
It is 06:30 when we step out into the cool morning air in the centre of Schruns. There is a tense, expectant atmosphere in the air. Runners everywhere are warming up for the two races that are about to start here. The topography of the route is discussed once again with friends, the small trail running rucksack is repacked and the GPS watch is set. A long day lies ahead of us, a great challenge in the mountains of the Montafon awaits everyone who starts here on one of the two long distances, the 33km trail with 3300 metres (our route) and the 47km ultra with 4200 metres. The starting shot is fired at 07:00 sharp and the large group of runners is set off onto the streets of Schruns, driven by "Highway to Hell". As I run through the starting arch and past the village church, with the first rays of sunshine falling on its spire, I feel that special excitement in my stomach that always arises when you know there's a cool adventure ahead of you and you can't predict exactly how it will go. As usual, the race starts at a fast pace, everyone is naturally highly motivated and tends to overpace at the beginning of the race, so it's hard not to get carried away. As usual, we set off at a fast pace, everyone is naturally highly motivated and tends to overpace at the start of the race, so it's hard not to get carried away. After a relatively flat section on the edge of the valley, we enter the first of the two big climbs, where we are immediately cheered on by spectators playing motivational hits from speakers, which always gives us an extra boost. Now it's time to find a good rhythm on the steep forest paths, not to burn off all the energy, but still to use the cool temperatures to make good progress. After 6 kilometres, I catch up with my friend Ueli and run with him for a while before picking up the pace a little. By now the runners have spread out well and you can enjoy the peace and quiet of the forest around you here and there. At some point I reach the VP at the mountain station of the Hochjochbahn, from where I did a nice little shake-out run to Sauerbleis and Innerkapell-Alpe the day before.
On the way up to the Sennigrat, I enjoy the last few minutes in the shade. At the Wormser Hütte it's finally over and I'm out in the sun for good, but at the same time the views of the Montafon mountains get better and better. Over the last remnants of snow, which still defy the July sun, I run up to the Kreuzjoch, past the summit cross and look back at the now tiny church of Schruns, which is now over 1700 metres below us - it's incredible what distances you can cover in such a short time if you give it your all in a race like this. The Sennigrat is definitely one of the highlights of the Montafon Totale Trail: over a green grassy ridge, the singletrack trails flow smoothly past the Zamangspitze.
Behind this, the big downhill back into the deep valley begins. The trail is still a little technical here, so you have to concentrate on taking small, precise steps. After a wet meadow where you have to be careful not to slip, the next aid station comes into view. On such a hot day, the right fluid and food intake is crucial, so I take a moment to drink plenty of iso and eat a gel as I continue slowly. With a slight water belly, I continue downhill, now on forest roads whose hairpin bends are only occasionally shortened by paths in the forest. The temperature gets sweatier with every metre downhill until my T-shirt no longer has a dry patch. When I reach the bottom of St. Gallenkirch, the midday sun is burning mercilessly from the sky, so I first stick my head in a creek and then cool my face and arms at the village fountain. At the VP in the valley, I can't get my head round the idea of eating a bar, but there is some juicy watermelon - it tastes really good now!
After a short breather, I pull myself together for the last ascent. Fortunately, the forest soon offers some protection from the sun, but whenever I cross an open meadow, it gets particularly strenuous. Now it's time to bite, the effort is starting to take its toll, but it's also fun to see how long you can keep going. In the forest, a runner sits exhausted on the ground and I stop briefly to ask if he needs anything. "No, everything's fine, I'm just really exhausted and need a break," he says. I can understand that, but I push on up the mountain anyway with a lot of effort. The remaining metres in altitude on my watch tick down bit by bit. After the last aid station, the first runners of the 10km mountain run overtake us at a rapid pace. A short time later, my buddy Freddy jumps past me like a young deer - of course only moderately motivating when you see how much strength they still have in their legs. As I come over a crest, Nova Stoba is finally in sight. But don't rejoice too soon, because there are still ups and downs over a few hills between me and the finish. But soon the moderator's voice reaches my ears and I'm off to the last kilometre.
My lungs are now burning, I'm covered in salt and totally exhausted, but I'm already starting to feel happy because nothing can go wrong now. I look around and see that there is no-one in front or behind me, so I can relax and enjoy the home straight. I go down a meadow through archways, where I reach the finish line after 5h 33min with momentum and my fist stretched upwards - what a brilliant feeling to have made it after such an effort. While I receive a medal and am congratulated by Freddy, I have to get my breathing under control again. At the refreshment station in the Zeil area, there is cold, non-alcoholic beer - which now tastes better than ever. Immediately afterwards, I soak in a tub of ice water and have my leg muscles loosened up by a professional physiotherapist on the massage tables provided - a service I have never experienced on any other trail run. A short time later, Ueli also crosses the finish line. Despite a fall that left him with a few grazes, he pulled through - a great achievement!
We enjoy the afternoon together at Nova Stoba, talk about our experiences and feelings during the run and top up our batteries. The Versettla cable car and buses then take us comfortably back to our starting point in Schruns. The Montafon Totale Trail was a really cool event that I can only recommend to everyone! The route is very scenic and offers fantastic trails with great views of the Montafon mountains and a great challenge for anyone who loves metres in altitude.
