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robert

robert
In NEWS ENGLISH

Spending less on your MLAU adventure

Copyright: Charlie Smith

You are thinking about doing an Arctic Ultra for the first time and you are wondering about the kind of budget you need and how you can be cost efficient? Here is some advise that will hopefully help:

  • Sign up early. No matter if it’s for our race in the Yukon or in Sweden, entry fees do go up in a first step after the end of June and in a second step after the end of August. So, if you know for sure, you want to participate, sign up early. It will also give your motivation for training a real boost!
  • Find out, when it is usually the cheapest to book your flights. One thing is for sure, getting your flight tickets last minute hardly ever is a good idea.
  • Gear is a big one. If you already are into winter sports or adventures, you are lucky and will have most items you need. If you are new to this, it can cost a lot of money. One thing to consider is if you already know this will be a one-off. Should that be the case, it definitely makes sense to rent things like the sleeping bag, pulk sled and winter sleeping mat. If your plan is to spend several years participating in winter ultras, it’s easy to do the math on rental versus purchase. Although, there is one more aspect to look into, which the cost of extra luggage, i.e. if you travel with two or three pieces of luggage, how will this affect your travel cost each time you go? If you buy gear, there are a few things you can do to save money:
    • Buy when it’s SALE season. On Racelite.de you will find a lot of winter products discounted at the moment.
    • Athletes who sign up, get a 20% discount from Montane.
    • Look into getting used products, especially on items like a tent, pulk or other kit that is often sold used but still in excellent condition. Feel free to use our MYAU facebook group or our private MLAU athlete group (exclusive to MLAU athletes on the race roster – past and present) if you want to offer or buy used gear! Another facebook group that is useful when it comes to everything gear related, is Terra Glacialis.
    • Get quality products. Yes, this may mean spending more money on the initial purchase but in the end, the quality of a brand like Montane, SOTO or Kahtoola, will make you spend less.
    • Related to gear is the challenge of getting the overall weight right. On the one hand, you want to and need to be safe out there. On the other hand you, too much weight will make things very difficult, if not impossible. You may have done everything right but simply put too much weight in your sled and you had to scratch because of it. For those of you with no or little experience, the training course will give vital input on that topic. Also, please feel free to ask me (Robert Pollhammer) any time you have questions on equipment. And, again, please use our facebook groups. Many race veterans are more than happy to share their insight.
  • If you know you want to do winter ultras for more than one winter, start with a short distance like the 100 miles in the Yukon or 185 km in Sweden. Yes, it is possible to go straight for the longer ones and succeed but often it does not work out. Even with very good preparation, you will make some mistakes. If you have a DNF in your first winter race, not only will it take a toll on your motivation but also, it means you literally pay more for the lessons you learn.
  • This next one may sound a bit “funny” … but read the rules and make sure you follow the updates on the race in the months leading up to the start. It is kind of obvious but each year we have some participants who forget to or do not take the time to do something as basic as reading the rules. Again, this may lead to a DNF and more money being spent in order to reach your ultimate goal of finishing an Arctic Ultra.
robert
In NEWS ENGLISH

Official MLAU 2023 video documentary

Callum at work; Copyright: Swedish Lapland

2023 saw the second edition of the Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra. Whilst the year before temperature were rather “mild”, this winter it got really cold. At – 35 degrees Celsius even veterans had some challenging nights. Overall, it was another great race in a beautiful region, with a super crew and perfect hosts.

We had not planned to produce a video. However, Callum got enough material with his iphone and he has the skills needed for editing. So, we decided to give it a go. A big thank you to all athletes who supported this effort with a financial contribution! And thank you Callum for the great job you always do, that allows others to be part of the adventure from the comfort of a warm room and that enables all those who were part of it, to re-live unforgettable moments!

robert
In NEWS ENGLISH

Life by the waterfall

Copyright: Swedish Lapland

Please meet our amazing hosts at Jockfall – Robin and his parents Ann-Sofi and Hans. For those of you who are new to the Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra, Jockfall is where we base ourselves before the race and it is also Checkpoint #2 on the 185 km loop. The training course, powered by Rimfrost Adventures, takes place there, too. It’s a perfect location with a really unique atmosphere, very nice cabins and a great restaurant.

robert
In NEWS ENGLISH

Details for MLAU 2024 Training Course

Copyright: Follow The Sun Photography

Per from Rimfrost Adventures who organises the official MLAU training course, confirmed the details for next winter. Feedback to the course from the last two years has been excellent. Once again, it will also be open to people who actually won’t do the race, i.e. anyone interested in learning and practising essential skills for winter adventures with a pulk sled can sign up.

Dates for the course are February 26th to 29th, 2024. Location is the beautiful Jockfall.

The full course details and contact details for Per you will find on the Rimfrost website.

robert
In ARCHIV ENGLISCH, NEWS ENGLISH

MLAU 2024 will start March 3rd

Copyright: Swedish Lapland

With great pleasure I can announce today that the Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra 2024, our 3rd edition, will start March 3rd in Överkalix. Once again we will have the distances of 185 and 500 km. New for next winter will be a 20 km and a 50 km race. Both these shorter races will follow the ultra trail. For the 20 km, this means the entire run will be on river ice. The 50 km athletes will also go up on land trails to Laxforsberget, checkpoint one and afterwards they will leave the regular loop #1 and take a more direct route to then finish in Jockfall. The exact location of the 20 km race is yet to be confirmed. Possible disciplines for all races are foot, ski and bike.

Athletes in the 20 and 50 km races will get some aid stations with hot tea and snacks. Thus they will be able to run, bike and ski with significantly less kit (please see Rules) for more information on that topic. Exact locations for the aid stations are yet to be confirmed.

The main goal of having the sorter distances, is to involve the many local and regional athletes who want to be part of the MLAU experience. Of course we will also be very happy to see international participants having a go at it! Överkalix and Gällivare have a lot to offer to make a nice long weekend or a week out of the trip! We will post information on packages and make some suggestions for activities as soon as we can.

To make the shorter races as attractive as possible, the entry fees are very low and certain services are optional. That way, local athletes who do not require assitance with transportation also do not have to pay for it.

While pretty much everything is getting more expensive, the entry in our 185 and 500 km races for 2024 will actually cost less than before. This is possible thanks to our sponsors, strong local support and the fact that we have a very motivated volunteer team. It’s obviously still not cheap to come and do an ultra in the north of Sweden. However, we hope it sends a message and motivates as many of you as possible to join us at the Grand Arctic Resort start line next year.

MLAU start at the Grand Arctic Resort in Överkalix, Copyright: Linnéa Isaksson

Like during the last two winters, our base before the race will be Jockfall. That’s also where the training course will take place. It is mandatory for all athletes who want to do the 185 or 500 km race and do not have any experience with racing in the extreme cold. Please note that this training course, powered by Rimfrost Adventures, can also be booked if you are not participating in the MLAU. Details on the course will be updated soon.

Jockfall from up above, Copyright: Swedish Lapland

Entries will be possible from April 8th. For more information on entry fees and how to apply, please have a look at the Application page.

robert
In NEWS ENGLISH

Gällivare Kommun official MLAU partner

A race like the Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra needs the support of a lot of people, companies, places and institutions. Municipalities are one such institution. We start and finish with our race in Överkalix which is part of the Överkalix Kommun. However, a large part of our race also takes us into neighbouring Gällivare Kommun. Close to 18,000 people live there. Gällivare is a busy town 100 km north of the Arctic Circle and it that has a lot to offer. Needless to say, it is surrounded by beautiful nature, too.

We are very proud that this great municipality likes what we are doing and helps us in many ways to make the MLAU happen.

Thank you Gällivare kommun!

robert
In NEWS ENGLISH

Final race report MLAU 2023

Copyright: Swedish Lapland

March 5th, 2023 we started the 2nd edition of the Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra. After last year’s race I was wondering if I should change some of the rules regarding mandatory kit as temperatures only went down to about -15 degrees Celsius. I am glad I did not because this time the weather in Swedish Lapland threw everything at us it has to offer. We got temperatures down to – 35 degrees Celsius, plenty of sunshine and towards the end, even a snow storm.

Our athletes had a wonderful time in Jockfall in the days leading up to the start – where, once again, our hosts Robin, Ann-Sofi and Hans took great care of us. Then we all went down to our start line right at the Grand Arctic Resort and had our countdown at 09:35 am.

Copyright: Swedish Lapland

Recent snowfall made for slightly softer trails than we had hoped for but all athletes made good progress anyway. Getting up to our beautiful Laxforsberget checkpoint was the first main obstacle for all. “It’s not a mountain. It’s more a big hill”, is what I told everyone in the briefing. And it’s the truth! However, after a long day on fairly soft trails and with a heavy load, that hill can be really tough. Everybody made it up in good spirits and of course seeing the stars and the northern lights from this higher elevation is a thing that’s hard to forget. Unfortunately, the tougher trail conditions were too much for Mike Kraft’s knee and he was not able to continue further. Since they are a team and because his wife Maren also was not feeling 100%, she quit, too. Of course they were sad not to be able to see more of the race but Mike and Maren were really positive about the entire experience and happy to have tried it.

Arrival at Laxforsberget Checkpoint, Copyright: Swedish Lapland

Cristiana Peretto from Italy got quite a bit further but also had to scratch before reaching Jockfall checkpoint. It was her first non-stop race in a cold environment like this and she had a hard time keeping up with her team partner Sergio. All others – both 185 and 500 km athletes – were able to continue, reaching Jockfall and then Polar Circle Cabin #1 checkpoint. Here UK athlete Ben Clayton-Jolly had to call it a day – for the same reason as Mike Kraft. Ben’s knee was hurting too much and pushing too hard with a bad knee is never a good idea. So, Ben, who had already finished the 185 km in 2022, made the right decision not to risk further damage.

Sergio Minoggio (Italy) was our first finisher in the 185 km distance. Rank 2 went to Alexander Davydov (Germany) and rank 3 was won by Alla Bova (USA), who just a few weeks before also finished the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra 100 mile race in Canada. Up next was Ruth Newton (UK), our only athlete on skis. Yes, to all Swedes, you heard right … the “only” athlete on skis! Ruth did really well and even though the trails are not always easy for ski athletes, she enjoyed the experience. The last athlete in this distance to reach the Överkalix finish line was Thomas Werner (Germany) who did the race with his two dogs, Ernie and Loki. Last winter Thomas already was with us and he could not finish. So, it was great to see him achieve his goal this time. Congratulations to all!

185 km race winner Sergio Minoggio, Copyright: Callum Jolliffe

Stefan Zahlten kept pushing hard all the way to the finish. Sometimes pushing hard can be very risky. Especially, when nights remain very cold and a fast pace and lack of sleep finally take their toll. However, in German’s case, it worked out. The gap had created between himself and Paul, remained. Thus, Stefan took first place overall and in the foot division. Roughly 9 hours after him, Paul Watkins also reached the finish line, placing 2nd.

Stefan Zahlten (Germany), winner 500 km race, Copyright: Swedish Lapland

Thanks to their speed, both of them avoided some really bad weather that hit us on the late afternoon of the 13th. Karl and Harriet were also kind of lucky because they arrived in Rikti-Dokkas Checkpoint as the heavy winds and snowfall started. And they wanted to have a good rest there anyway. For Maximo who was already on his final stretch to Överkalix and for James who was further behind, things would be more challenging. Both of them had a hard time finding the trail between markers and whenever they would step off it, they would be stuck in very deep snow. Maximo reported he even stepped into a hole of snow where here really struggled to get out. Our snowmobile guides Daniel Cedering and Robin Landin went out to help make the trails visible again. That made it a lot better for Maximo, James and eventually also Karl and Harriet. All of them were able to continue. Yes, snow was still soft – as it takes time for newly groomed trails to be solid – but at least they were not stuck. I would just like to emphasize that such over night trail breaking may not take place in every future MLAU and in all circumstances. When crew is not too tired, it’s not too dangerous and the logistics allow for it, grooming can be done at night. But most times it is more likely that athletes who are face with trails that disappear over night, will have to bivy until trail breaking can take place hopefully the next morning.

Maximo finished third and was of course very happy to reach Överkalix. Karl and Harriet came next and their finish was extra special because as they walked across the finish line, we saw the start of some really nice northern lights. James saw the same spectacle in the sky about 30 km further back. His plan was to not sleep and keep a steady pace to make it just in time. However, the fresh snow and wind drifts made that impossible for him. We kept in touch over night just to make sure he was safe and in the morning James decided to withdraw because it would have taken him until early afternoon to cover the remaining distance. Obviously, it’s frustrating to have to quit so close to the end but James told me that he really enjoyed the entire journey and that he got this far.

Thank you to all athletes who joined us this year. The entire MLAU team congratulates you!

Thank you to all crew members: Diane and Lucy from HQ in the UK, all volunteers who were involved in Sweden: Sam, Pat, Jonny, Alastair, Ali, Sarah, Alex, Amy, Callum, Madeline, Zoe and Hakan. Thank you to our guides Daniel, Henrik, Robin, Roland, Arnold, Niclas and Micael. Thank you to our wonderful checkpoints and checkpoint hosts at Jockfall, Grand Arctic Resort Överkalix, Lansjärv, Leipojärvi and Nattavaara. Thank you to all our sponsors and partners, our title sponsor Montane, Kahtoola, SOTO, Jockfall, Överkalix Kommun, Gällivare Kommun, Swedish Lapland, Heart of Lapland, Fjällcom, Sveaskog, Peter Mild Design, Acapulka, ICA, Reko, Cumulus and Racelite. Thank you Rimfrost Adventures for hosting our official training course. Thank you to our media guests Alexander Davydov (FAZ), Ted Logart (Swedish Lapland/Photography) and Jonne Tiili (The Unlazy Way).

Thank you to all the region’s snowmobile clubs for the hard work putting in and maintaining the trails that allow us and many others to have fun out there!

Last but not least, thank you Sweden for being such a great country to visit and thank you all those who have followed the MLAU 2023. We can’t wait to be back!

robert
In NEWS ENGLISH

Stefan Zahlten first athlete on foot

Stefan Zahlten from Germany is the first athlete on foot to reach the MLAU finish line in Överkalix. Because of problems with his feet, last year Stefan attempted the 500 km race with a bike. After quite a few mechanical issues he had to admit defeat. So, it was really great to see him do so well this time in his preferred discipline. Even though he gave himself very little time to rest, he was strong all the way.

Not too far behind him we saw Paul Watkins from Australia arrive and taking 2nd rank on foot. Like Stefan, Paul looked very good all the way through.

Third place in the foot category went to Spaniard Maximo who, like all other remaining athletes, got caught in some pretty nasty weather. Snowfall and winds quickly deteriorated trail conditions. Our guides went out late at night to make the trails visible again and to check on how they all were doing. Maximo pushed through and arrived, exhausted but of course very happy at the Grand Arctic Resort finish line.

Next up were couple Karl and Harriet Shields. There finish was amazing because pretty much the instant they arrived, we got the most amazing northern lights. They were very happy and of course tired but overall really fine.

At this point in time, for James Mowbray, it was a race against the clock. James had been going slow but steady and would have almost certainly finished in time. However, the soft snow meant he had to use snowshoes and not being used to that, it slowed him down too much. We followed his tracker the last night and communicated with him as he worked hard all night to make progress. When it became obvious that he would miss the cut-off by several hours, in the morning, we meet him on the trail and gave him a ride back. Obviously, it’s never nice to DNF so close to the finish line but James was positive about it and focused on everything he really enjoyed over the last 10 days – which was a lot.

Congratulations to you all!

I will write my final race report tomorrow. If you have not discovered it for yourselves already, there is a ton of content about this year’s MLAU on our facebook and instagram pages – with many amazing videos and photos by our social media expert, Callum Jolliffe and Swedish Lapland filmer and photographer Ted Logart.

robert
In NEWS ENGLISH

Sergio Minoggio from Italy wins 185 km race

Copyright: Swedish Lapland

Sergio Minoggio from Italy reached our finish line at the Grand Arctic Resort in Överkalix at 18:29 yesterday. That means it took him 56 hours and 54 minutes to win the 185 km distance of the Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra 2023. Congratulations!

We are currently waiting for Alla Bova (USA) and Alexander Davydov (Germany) who will be our next finishers. Alexander’s inReach has not updated in quite a while. So, it’s impossible to know where exactly he is but we expect him either with or slightly in front of Alla.

Alvaro, our leading athlete in the 500 km race has been struggling on his way to Lansjaerv last night. Wind and fresh snow made for a tough trail. Our crew groomed in front of him and had to battle snowdrifts of up to 50 cm. That helped Alvaro but as you can imagine the trail was still very soft in those places when he had to push through. He got to Lansjaerv at 22:39 and was very tired. My crew reported that he also has got some mechanical problems with his bike he needs to try and fix before he heads out again.

Back in Överkalix more 500 km athletes have arrived and Stefan Zahlten already left again late last night. Hopefully, the trail for him will have settled again for him over night. Maximo (Spain) arrived not long after Stefan and he has got a nasty blister on one of his heels. Also, he is complaining about a sore eye. Our medical team recommended that he should see an optometrist before he continues. So, that’s something we need to organize this morning.

Paul Watkins (Australia) is about to head out from our checkpoint at the Villa in Överkalix. He is going strong and no reports on any major issues.

All other athletes are on the move or resting and no reports on bigger problems from our Polar Circle Cabin 1 Checkpoint when they came through. We hope to welcome them all in Överkalix today – either as finishers of the 185 km or on their way through to the next checkpoint in the 500 km distance.

The crew from Polar Circle Cabin 1 will come out to Jockfall today and then, after a well deserved shower, move to one of the checkpoints on loop #2, that will take us north into Gällivare Kommun.