My training week in Banff, Alberta, Canada was a huge success! After weeks of rain in the area, the sun popped out when I arrived and brought out warm temperatures for perfect climbing conditions the entire time I was there. I landed in Calgary on Friday night and my parents were there to welcome me...I had not seen them in a a year and half! It was a great reunion and we headed home to catch up on lost time.
Calgary has sure grown and changed...Wow! I love this city, I always have. I could not be here at a better time. I enjoyed Canada Day, the Calgary Stampede (The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth) and it was my Mom's Birthday...all in the same week!
It is about an hour or so drive from Calgary to Banff. I love Banff...it is such a pretty town! As you look down main street you can see Cascade Mountain off in the distance. Banff National Park draws people from around the world year round. There is so much to do here! Hiking, skiing, climbing, snowboarding, dogsledding, horseback riding and for the less adventurous...shopping!
The park is actually a United Nations World Heritage Site. Of course, the main reason for the park is for the preservation of the wilderness and the wildlife of which we saw plenty of! There are big horn sheep, elk, moose, bears, mountain goats right down to cute little chipmunks and all kinds of birds.
Banff is the highest town in Canada...at an elevation of 4,537 feet (1,383 metres) Right on the outskirts of town is the mountain I would end up spending all of my time on...Sulphur Mountain. There are so many peaks to explore in the Rockies...but I wanted to keep track of my training and Sulphur was the perfect mountain to train on.
SULPHUR MOUNTAIN.........................
Sulphur Mountain derives it's name from the sulpher hot springs at the base of the mountain. Unfortunately I never had time to enjoy a soak. Here are some facts about the mountain...
Starting Elevation.........5,200 feet
Top................................7,484 feet
Total Elevation Gain.....2,286 feet
Distance One Way........3.4 miles / 5.5 km
Total Switchbacks.........28
I was able to get in 5 days of climbing during my holiday. Every morning I would get up at 3am or so and be out the door by 4 or 5. The drive and prep took about an hour-and-a-half. I would usually be on the mountain by 6am or so. I would spend anywhere from 3 hours to 9 hours a day on the mountain. My plan...go up and down. That is how people have described the Tor des Geants to me. You go up and then you go down...over and over again for 6 days or less. As you can imagine, by the end of the week I knew every twist and turn on that trail!
The view from the top is spectacular! It provides views up and down the Bow Valley...the surrounding mountains, the town of Banff, and the famous Banff Springs Hotel. For those who don't want the climb but desire the view, there is the gondola which makes the trip in 8 minutes!
EVEREST IN BANFF?
Altogether we climbed Sulphur Mountain 12 times, which is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest from sea level. (8,848 metres)
Number of times up the mountain......12 times
Number of metres................................8,848 metres or so
Total mileage.......................................40.8 miles / 65.6 km
TOR DES GEANTS
The Tor Des Geants is 24,000 metres of climbing which is the equivalent of climbing Everest from sea level 3 times. The race is 330 kilometres long and you have 150 hours in which to do it in.
CONCLUSION
I have derived a huge amount of confidence from that week of training. I basically did 1/3 of the race elevation gain, which showed me finishing the race is doable for me. I am at a huge disadvantage from other competitors because I am training for a mountain race living at sea level in Florida. The week has shown me what I have to do to continue building on what I have learned. More stairs, more tire dragging, and more strength training! And for me, that means in temperatures of 90 degrees or more! As I write this, there are 57 days 10 hours and 10 minutes before the race starts...time to get back to work...building on the success of my great week of training in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Banff, Alberta, Canada.
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