Hardergrat Trail

 I want to take full advantage of where I live. There is so much to do here for someone like me. I have been asking around for hikes to try and one that came up (thanks Tyler) was the Hardergrat trail. I did a bit of research and determined I could do it without dying (though I wasn't totally sure about the last part).

I said my goodbyes to Cambrie and my unborn child and set off at 6 am. I started the trail by quarter to 8 in Interlaken.

By 8:30 I had sweat through my shirt. But I was rewarded with a first glimpse of my trail.

By this point I realized that I may be in trouble with lack of water. But I figured that I am from the desert and have been through harder hikes than this. "Water is a luxery." I was a fool.

I made it to Augstmatthorn with about 3/4 of my water, but I was dehydrated already. The terrain also became more technical. I wasn't able to just run and push through as fast as possible. I'll skip the build up, but yes, I ran out of water. I had about 5 miles to go until I knew I could fill up. Those miles were slow and painful. But I did them. I wish I could have enjoyed them fully because it was incredible terrain, but I did learn some deeper things about myself. For example, I like how my voice sounds better when it's all gruff and manly.

There is also time to think. Time to process. On this run I thought about how I spend my time. Where my efforts are dedicated. There were moments when I truly questioned the merit of activities like this. Do they have a place in my future? Can I make time for them when my attention is demanded elsewhere? What benefits do I gain from them? 

It helps to have the backdrop of the Alps to help convince me to keep coming back for more. 

All in all, it was a 27 mile day with insane elevation change. I was tired, mentally and physically. But as a postscript, I did go on another run 2 weeks later. A much, much easier run. I guess I did learn some lessons after all.