Feat: double consecutive lap of Monviso.

FIRST LAP

Among all the mountains, Monviso is certainly the one that most inspires people's imagination. Its shape, its contour, and the other smaller peaks that emerge when looking in the direction of the upper Po Valley... It is definitely a suggestive panorama, especially on a beautiful day like Thursday, July 31st. Sometimes I enjoy watching my young daughters (4 and 7 years old) when they draw a landscape on a piece of paper and instinctively, without even realizing it, when it's time to draw mountains with a pen, Monviso appears! It truly is the quintessential mountain.

 

These "landscape" mental patterns are also in my mind, and so the new adventure that I wanted to accomplish this summer took shape (it was 2014). Keeping an eye on the weather forecast, the ideal moment had arrived on the last day of July. It is never easy to do something sporty that takes the whole day on a Thursday because of work. But they say where there's a will, there's a way, and luckily, there are wives! With the work hurdle solved, I asked my wife to spend the whole day at the gym, and the adventure was able to take shape...

 

With an early morning wake-up at 2:50 am, I gathered all the necessary equipment (backpack, poles, flashlight, clothes, food, water, etc.) and "jumped" into the car to reach Pian del Re. It was still night, with an incredible starry sky. The day promised to be good, just as predicted. Completely alone, I started walking quickly towards the first climb in the direction of Lago Fiorenza without encountering anyone. At the beginning, as you know, the kilometers fly by because you're fresh! Too bad that things change, as we'll see...

 

Arriving at the first refuge (Quintino Sella), the day was still young, and everyone was asleep, so I continued without lingering too much. Shortly afterward, I reached the San Chiaffredo pass, to head towards Valle Varaita through a couple of lakes and the beautiful pine forest that opens up before descending into Valle Varaita. The tinkling of cows grazing could be heard in the distance, given the large number of animals present in the fields. Arriving at the wooden bridge, I met some "souls" who were busy with their Viso tour, all foreigners. Through a fairly easy climb, although long, it was time to reach the Vallanta refuge. The staff of this establishment was uniquely kind! After taking a snapshot, I headed towards "Passo Losetta" at 2815 meters. From there on, the snow was abundant, and many lines of climbers were intent on crossing it without slipping. In less than an hour, I was already at the Monvisò Refuge for a quick water refill from the fountain. After passing this establishment, the first goal seemed very close by now, in fact, from that point, I usually arrive at Pian del Re in a couple of hours. There were still people on the trail, with a few appearances of Italians (very few), I climb up to Traversette, covering a 200-meter long tongue of snow, and here I am back in Italy! With a good pace, the final descent, and back at Pian del Re, closing the first loop in 7 hours and 51 minutes. A "saved time" to face the second tour with a good energy reserve. Here is the customary photo with the very kind staff of the bar-restaurant, as proof of the ongoing enterprise.

SECOND LAP
I immediately realized that things would be very tough as soon as I left the parking lot and headed back towards the first lake for the second lap. It was a real psychological strain, as usually after closing those first 35km, you go back home. But it wasn't the case for me yesterday! After some negative thoughts about quitting, not because of tiredness since I was still fresh, but because of the monotony of a new lap identical to the first one, they were making themselves felt in a decidedly forceful way! After overcoming the obstacle (all mental), I was back to "scampering." I immediately noticed that in the same spots my eagerness to continue was no longer the same as a few hours before. My energy reserves had certainly decreased. Fortunately, however, I had held back during the first lap! At every refuge reached, I realized that I was accumulating minutes of delay. Even the motivation was no longer the same as in the beginning. Furthermore, the awareness of slowing down at every encountered reference point made the determination even less. I had entered a vicious circle of mental negativity. Nevertheless, I kept going. During the new descent into Valle Varaita, I realized that my water bottle was almost empty; I had forgotten to refill it at the Sella fountain! It's true that when you're tired, your head "plays tricks" on you. So, struggling up the long climb towards Vallanta, I had accumulated a thirst that had surely compromised my pace. My desire was to drink and nothing else; seeing all those streams of water crossing the road certainly didn't help! After further delay on the schedule, I could finally drink and eat a bit at the Refuge, with the comfort of being able to refill the water bottle properly. However, the damage was already done, and making amends at the last minute with a condition of strong physical/mental stress did not allow for quick remedies. It took me several hours to quench my thirst. When you put yourself to the test in an ultratrail, you are used to such situations, provided you have some experience. Meanwhile, the weather was beginning to turn its back on me, with big clouds turning into thick fog above 2700m; at "Passo Losetta," visibility was greatly compromised. By now, I was alone given the late hour (I was approaching 7:00 pm), which proved to be an advantage from a naturalistic point of view, with the encounter of countless beautiful animals! Crossing the snow with great difficulty and some ruinous falls due to tiredness, given the weakening of my reflexes, I had finally returned to Monvisò refuge for a new water supply. From that point on, I felt the impending "weight of the night" approaching. Still alone, I continued towards Traversette at a much slower pace than usual. Although I was tired, the desire to arrive did the rest, and so I found myself, still in the fog, in front of the Buco di Viso. Without thinking, I entered it with my headlamp on and headed towards my hometown. From our side(Italy), the weather was incredibly bad, the beginning of a weak rain that would soon become heavy with intense thunder coming on. It was almost night. With the fear of taking the wrong path right at the end, I was careful not to slip, eyeing all the directional signs painted on the rocks. When I began to see the parking lot of Pian del Re (now completely empty), it was a relief. I arrived at the car at 9:43 pm with a total travel time of 17 hours and 18 minutes for 70km with 5000m of positive elevation. A final greeting to the Pian del Re Refuge with a commemorative photo. With great satisfaction, I drove back home for a big meal and a long, regenerating sleep.
It is possible to watch a live video of the entire adventure on YouTube:

 

 

Bertinetto Bartolomeo Davide is the author of the book 'UltraTrail with mono-training.' This guide is aimed at extreme distance running enthusiasts and focuses on minimizing physical wear and tear to ensure optimal organic recovery. For more information, please visit: http://www.bertinettobartolomeodavide.it/ULTRATRAIL

 

 

 

 

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Third edition UltraTrail Book with Weekly Monotraining - Fusta Editore

 

Finally, I am able to start writing something about the book 'Ultratrail with Monoallenamento', which has reached its third edition. On March 6, 2023, I picked up the first box with the first copies to distribute at the upcoming conferences.
Apart from small revisions, the considerably added part concerns the useful measures for UltraTrailers who have passed 40 years of age, a time of profound physical changes mainly related to recovery times. For almost all athletes, the 40s are a sort of watershed, especially for those who push themselves hard in sports.
Athletes are much more aware of physical changes compared to sedentary people since they experience what they can actually achieve with their bodies every time. Usually, the more an athlete "pushes," the more they feel the age factor! Conversely, if a person spends their life sitting before they turn 40, they will still feel numb and painful after.
The mind of an athlete does not change, and the desire to do is very high despite age, but the "body" tool necessary to achieve one's dreams requires different timing to still accomplish great things, provided that the strategy is optimized to succeed.
It always saddens me when I see people of a certain age pushing themselves "beyond every limit" but continually stopping due to joint pain of all kinds, when simply transforming their training program would allow them to fully trigger the process of overcompensation and always be ready for adventure in the best condition. After all, it is often a matter of learning to listen to the signals that come from our body, as it happens at all ages, but beyond a certain point in life, the warning signs increase tremendously!
Well, the Monoallenamento technique was born during the time of my Tempio del Fitness Gym back in 2005 when I was starting training for Cromagnon 2006 (a race from Limone P.te to Cap D'Ail through the mountains). Even though I was only 30 years old at that time, I was already looking for a way to combine the various fitness activities that I was teaching, weight training, and ultratrail, of course. In about two years, I had laid the foundations of Monoallenamento, and the book was taking shape in my head during that period. I realized that training like crazy for tens of hours a week would not take me anywhere, also because even then, I could not ask for anything more from my recovery abilities, at the risk of constant overtraining and probable joint consequences. After some experimentation, I noticed that with a single weekly outing on Saturday, I was able to complete many tens of kilometers in a single solution, rest on Sunday, and be ready to work in my center again on Monday. Everything was working very well. So, I was ready to cover thousands of kilometers safely between races and workouts thanks to the weekly Monoallenamento technique. In the end, thanks to this strategy, I never had any sports-related joint problems in the following decades, as did all the people who followed this training regimen for long-distance walks. Moreover, I add that people who were previously subject to wear and tear pain caused by "traditional" training solutions have resolved every discomfort after a few weeks of Monoallenamento! It was a great satisfaction for me every time I learned about it.

Too often, due to an innocent "eagerness to do", ultratrail is mistaken for a classic but longer running race, and the wrong approach of "conventional" athletics training is proposed... Thus falling into the trap of exaggeration due to the impressive distances. However, to have a long career in the face of extremely long foot journeys while respecting one's health, different criteria must be applied. If one continues to suffer from injuries and ongoing rehabilitation, then the training approach must necessarily be reviewed, since the problem is certainly upstream at the cost of a prematurely short "career"! I can say this as an Osteopath, as well as a Coach and Athlete.

In conclusion, even though Mono-training is fundamentally built to respect recovery times at every age, the additional themes of this third edition serve to explain that people after the age of forty and beyond should pay further attention to their training routines in order to maximize the implementation of my work "to the nth degree", without giving up anything.

 

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Terza edizione Libro UltraTrail con il Monoallenamento Settimanale - Fusta Editore

 

Copertina frontale Terza Edizione

Finalmente riesco a mettermi a scrivere qualcosa sul libro 'Ultratrail con il Monoallenamento' giunto alla terza edizione, del quale ho ritirato il 6 marzo 2023 la prima scatola con le prime copie da distribuire nelle prossime conferenze...

A parte piccole rivisitazioni, la parte considerevolmente aggiunta è stata quella riguardante gli accorgimenti utili all'UltraTrailer che ha superato i quarant'anni. Età dominata da profondi cambiamenti fisici soprattutto legati ai tempi di recupero. I quarant'anni sono una sorta di spartiacque per quasi tutti ed in particolare per coloro che si mettono molto in gioco con lo sport.

Gli sportivi si accorgono molto di più dei cambiamenti fisici rispetto alle persone sedentarie dato che sperimentano ogni volta quello che possono effettivamente realizzare con il proprio corpo. Solitamente più l'atlete 'spinge' e più percepisce il fattore età! Al contrario se una persona passa la vita seduta prima dei quarant'anni si sentirà intorpidita e dolorante anche dopo.

La mente di uno sportivo non cambia e la voglia di fare è molto alta nonostante gli anni, tuttavia lo strumento 'corpo' necessario per realizzare i propri sogni necessita di tempistiche differenti per riuscire comunque a fare grandi cose, a patto di ottimizzare la strategia per riuscirci.

Mi spiace sempre molto quando vedo gente di una certa età darci dentro 'oltre ogni limite' e però fermarsi continuamente per dolori articolari di ogni genere, quando basterebbe trasformare il proprio programma di allenamento al fine di permettere di innescare appieno il processo di superconpensazione ed essere così sempre pronti all'avventura nella condizione migliore. Dopotutto è spesso una questione imparare ad ascoltare i segnali che provengono dal nostro corpo, come avviene a tutte le età ma oltre ad un certo punto della vita i campanelli d'allerta aumentano moltissimo!

Bé la tecnica del Monoallenamento era nata ai tempi della mia Palestra Tempio del Fitness già nel lontanissimo 2005 quando per la prima volta stavo iniziando gli allenamenti per la Cromagnon 2006(gara da Limone P.te a Cap D'Ail attraverso le montagne) ed anche se a quel tempo andavo solo per i 30 anni, cercavo già un modo per far coesistere le varie attività fitness di cui ero istruttore, l'allenamento con i pesi e l'ultratrail ovviamente... In circa due anni avevo gettato le basi del Monoallenamento ed il libro in quel periodo stava prendendo forma nella mia testa. Mi rendevo conto che allenarmi all'impazzata per decine di ore a settimana non mi avrebbe portato da nessuna parte anche perché già a quel tempo non potevo chiedere nulla di più alle mie capacità di recupero, pena un sovra-allenamento costante e probabili conseguenze articolari conseguenti... Dopo alcune sperimentazioni avevo notato che con un'unica uscita settimanale al sabato riuscivo a completare molte decine di chilometri in soluzione unica, la domenica riposavo ed il lunedì ero di nuovo pronto per lavorare nel mio centro. Tutto stava funzionando molto bene. Quindi ero pronto per macinare migliaia di chilometri all'anno in sicurezza tra gare ed allenamenti grazie alla tecnica del Monoallenamento settimanale. Alla fine grazie a questa strategia problemi articolari da sport nei decenni successivi non ne ho mai avuti, così come la totalità delle persone che hanno seguito questo regime di allenamento per le lunghissime percorrenze a piedi. Anzi aggiungo che le persone prima soggetti a dolori da usura causati da soluzioni allenanti 'tradizionali', dopo poche settimane di Monoallenamento hanno risolto ogni fastidio! Una bella soddisfazione anche per me, ogni volte che ne sono venuto a conoscenza.

Troppo spesso per innocente 'foga di fare' l'ultratrail viene scambiato per una gara di corsa classica ma più lunga, e viene proposta la via erronea di allenamenti 'convenzionali' tipici dell'atletica... Quindi all'inganno dell'esagerazione per via dei chilometraggi imponenti. Ma per avere una carriera molto longeva nei confronti delle lunghissime percorrenze a piedi rispettando la salute, i criteri devono essere differenti. Se si va avanti a 'suon' di infortuni e rieducazione continua allora l'approccio nell'allenamento deve per forza essere rivisto, dato che il problema è certamente a monte al costo di una 'carriera' prematuramente breve! Posso scriverlo anche investe di Osteopata oltre che di Allenatore ed Atleta. 

Primo scatolone di copie Monoallenamento

 

Concludo scrivendo che anche se il Monoallenamento è costruito alla base per rispettare i tempi di recupero ad ogni età, le tematiche aggiuntive di questa terza edizione servono a spiegare che le persone dopo i quarant'anni ed oltre, devo porgere ulteriore attenzione alle loro routine di allenamento per massimizzare 'all'ennesima potenza' la messa in opera del mio lavoro, senza rinunciare a nulla.

Copertina Monoallenamento - Tutte le facciate

 

Segue il dettaglio dei link di riferimento riguardo ai miei articoli ultratrail e trail:

Lunghissime distanze | Percorsi | Gare | Imprese | Pubblicazioni | link utili

Strategia d'allenamento | Libro UltraTrail | Forum

Valdigne Grand Trail 2011 100km - My experience

 

Another short excerpt from the beautiful 'Grand Tral di Valdigne 2011' competition, also prepared with the Weekly Monotraining technique. Book available here:

http://www.bertinettobartolomeodavide.it/ultratrail/ 

For Ultra Trail enthusiasts, Saturday 9 July 2011 there was the opportunity to put themselves to the test once again and compare themselves with the other participants in the Grand Trail of Valdigne, over a net length of 100km, for a positive difference in height of 5300 metres. A beautiful but tough race that required the crossing of 5 cols of about 2500m each. Fortunately the day was mostly ideal, with temperatures neither too hot nor too cold and the weather spared everyone from the rain for 90% of the way.
At the stroke of 8.00 in the morning, punctually as scheduled, the competition got underway from the welcoming mountain village of Morgex at an altitude of 990m. We continued on an almost flat route for 5 km up to La Salle. From here there was no shortage of the first speed 'shots' of the more inexperienced competitors, as if the race would end soon, but there were still 95 km to go! From the sixth km the first and merciless climb began up to the sixteenth km to reach Punta Fetta at an altitude of 2623 meters. Thus the line of participants began to thin out, leaving room for the competitors' breath and the noise of nature, forcing all the athletes to abandon the chatter! Going beyond the first peak, a long descent begins up to km 27 located in Planaval (1750 meters above sea level). It's difficult to claim victory for the descent that has just finished since right at the end there is a new and exciting ascent in front of all the competitors towards the second point, Col Licony at km 36 for an altitude of 2670m, a real challenge! 

The landscapes leave you breathless and from time to time we manage to catch a glimpse of some details in Mont Blanc, among the cracks in the clouds. Having overcome this other peak, the objective for all the irreducible competitors is to reach the 'city in the middle', Courmayeur at km 45 on a height of 1220 meters from the sea. The welcome of the citizens and tourists of Courmayeur was exciting for everyone, making every athlete feel like a champion, thanks to the resounding support and intense applause. Here many rested for a few minutes, taking advantage of the abundant banquet present, with dishes of pasta, soups, fruit, drinks... Many unfortunately were not attentive to the instinctive trap of overeating during such a tiring race. For many, eating too much meant ending the challenge early a few km later, given the triggering of the digestive process. In fact, there were many retreats towards the Col Arp peak at km 55 at an altitude of 2751m! We are now more than half of the ultratrail and even if the fatigue gradually increases, the desire to arrive becomes stronger. A new descent towards La Tuille, 65 km at an altitude of 1447 and a new col passed, here it would again be a feast but the wisest, given the food they have just eaten, have been able to moderate themselves, also because time is precious, therefore for the most part one are limited to a replenishment of provisions in the backpack. The only point where the weather was unforgiving was the whole climb towards the Deffeyers refuge at km 74 for a net altitude of 2500 metres. The night has now come for most of the ultratrailers, making it mandatory to pay close attention to the high-altitude paths full of large stones dangerous for crooked and slipped. Some exposed sections made it necessary to exploit the chains attached to the passage near the deep cliffs. Now the cold, after the rain just spent combined with the night at high altitude, is starting to make itself felt, making a breathable jacket or fleece useful. A few 'ups and downs' immersed in the dark, many falls of enterprising athletes who hurled themselves running, armed with a certain amount of courage, in the disconnected descents. Here you finally arrive at the last point called Col Croce at 2381 meters, where another 19 km of descent will follow between pasture fields and very dark pine forests, finally reaching the village of Morgex where the finish line will be crossed at the hundredth km.
There were moments of true adventure and complicity with other exhausted athletes, as well as the utmost cordiality on the part of the organizational staff distributed in the various supply and control points.

There were many participants, coming from 21 different nations, giving a global touch to the event, reaching 321 members in the distance of 100km (alternative versions of 55km and 20km were organized at the same time), of which only 231 reached the finish . This indicates the difficulty of the Valdigne Grand Trail. The first qualifier (Clap Cesare) crossed the finish line with an extraordinary time of 12 hours and 03 minutes. While the last in 27 hours and 44 minutes, thus returning within the time limit of 28 hours imposed by the regulation.
As for my personal participation, I had estimated a maximum time of 20 hours, which in the end was improved with satisfaction, completing the Grand Trail in 18 hours and 44 minutes, reaching 72nd in the general classification and 20th in the age category.

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From Envie to the Chapel of San Ponzio (Castellar) passing through San Bernardo and Revello

Well what to do the day before your birthday? A walking adventure without training is definitely what you need!

My last outing was in September before taking a 'study break' which I thought was productive. Instead it was a mistake because I found in my person a strong physical decay due to sitting too many hours every day. After this experience, I believe that an athlete who has played sports all his life cannot sit still and I believe that the discomfort that is created is much higher than that perceived by a person 'used' to being sedentary. For me, staying completely still for all these months was a big stretch that I have now decided to abandon, to return to my usual lifestyle... Therefore this outing was the springboard for new kilometer-long walks thanks to the use of the mono-training technique. Furthermore, given the achievement of the last year in the course of studies in osteopathy with attendance at the final fifth year already forwarded, I am considering the idea of ​​resuming competing in the competitive world of ultratrail in a few months (perhaps) but to succeed I have to start to be very regular with the weekly outings. Also because thanks to this series of events I paradoxically noticed that I can study more if I train and I was naive to believe otherwise.

So this morning shortly after 9.00 I left my home in Envie to head towards the usual crossroads of San Bernardo, on the watershed between Envie and Rifreddo. Along the crest of Mombracco I headed towards Revello, the old municipality of residence dating back to the 18 years of Palestra Tempio del Fitness (2001-2019).

San Michele di Revello

I walked through all the chapels on the hill of Revello, between San Leonardo and Campanile Piccolo, then Santa Sofia, passing through the belvedere of the hill and approaching the Chapel of San Biagio without crossing it completely. After passing the old Piazza d'Armi near the ruins of the castle even if it is now an orchard, here memories of some astronomy evenings that I had held in that very place with the stationing of various telescopes came to my mind... Before and second, then more...

Chapel of San Leonardo

Small bell tower

Hagia Sophia Chapel

Belvedere area

Ancient Piazza d'Armi - now an orchard

So I went down again following the road and other memories that surface, therefore a due break with video at the bell tower of Revello with the observation of the country from above after so many years of absence. I descended further to walk the old alleys under the bell tower, waving to some cyclists who were climbing. I turn left and I see that the old house is still empty, then I approach the alley of the fig tree (as I have always called it because of a plant that produced delicious fruit and is still there after 5 years of absence), a new video and I go down again.

 

Alley under the bell tower of Revello

I approach the street of my old gym, a place that for many years has been the starting point of all my adventures on foot! I arrive in front of the lowered shutters, which I observe with great nostalgia. On one of these there was even a green mural (if you can call it that since it looks more like a doodle). The usual photo here too and across piazza San Rocco to head towards via Sant'Ilario. I caught a glimpse of some old clients of the gym. I begin the long flat journey towards the Po Bridge. Here too I notice some passersby in the car who greet me even if I haven't been able to figure out who they are. I was glad that people still remember me after such a long time. Quick trip.

Temple of Fitness now closed

Arrived at the Po Bridge, turn left to take the road against the flow in order to see the fast cars passing by. I run non-stop towards the golf courses of Castellar and notice the presence of a beautiful new cycle path, which in all probability hooks up to that of Envie, the Via della Pietra.

Worrying river Po increasingly dry!

I walk a bit, for no more than 300m and then I start running again without pausing up to the church of San Ponzio di Castellar.

In front of the Chapel of San Ponzio

A small chapel surrounded by orchards and which now crosses the new cycle path of the town. Stopover place during the group excursions that I organized in the 'times that were'...

A short video and a tour around the structure, then stop for a moment for a quick snack enjoying a good panna cotta, which I adore.

A few minutes later I'm back on the road. I choose to use a new route to return, skirting the Saluzzese prison house passing through the fields. I head to the Po bridge of the Revello-Saluzzo state road and the crossing finally arriving near my area. I turn right and pass the building warehouse. Quiet country roads and I approach San Fermin, the legs here are starting to act up but I insist on finishing as soon as possible. I cross the main road in via Staffarda and shortly after I go left on the dirt road that takes me home for the few remaining kilometres.

Panorama of Monviso on the way back

I close the circle with 26km of travel in 4 hours and 12 minutes. In between there was also a certain degree of difference in altitude due to the Monte Bracco hill in the initial phase of the journey.

I was very satisfied because even on this occasion Monotraining demonstrated its effectiveness given that the results are indelible even after months of pause, given the infrequent nature of the method, which makes the ultra-resistance component a 'fully acquired ability' regardless from short-term preparation.

This was the last lap as a 46-year-old since tomorrow (January 4) it will be 47 candles and I feel more and more projected towards 50 years, given that the times of the first 40 years are now far away! I can write that despite the years I feel satisfied since my body and my mind are still grinding sporting adventures and working on work projects for the future despite my age, this still makes me feel full of energy. Among other things, the third edition of 'Ultratrail with mono-training' should be out soon.

I conclude by writing that with my studies in osteopathy I am in good shape taking into account the great changes of recent years given the increasingly imminent recognition of the profession (hopefully), the study path has become very complicated, in my opinion. Especially for sports graduates like me. What can I say, one step at a time and in the meantime 'get started' with sport! It's the only real way to slow down aging, avoiding exaggerations, however, it's important to point this out.

GPS distance on WikiLoc:

https://it.wikiloc.com/percorsi-escursionismo/cappella-san-ponzio-dalla-collina-di-revello-e-ritorno-122529996

ADVENTURE LIVE VIDEO:

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Da Envie alla Cappella di San Ponzio(Castellar) passando da San Bernardo e Revello

 Bè cosa fare il giorno prima del proprio compleanno? Un'avventura a piedi senza allenamento è senza dubbio quello che ci vuole!

La mia ultima uscita era stata a settembre prima di prendermi una 'pausa studio' che credevo produttiva. Invece è stato un errore perché ho riscontrato nella mia persona un forte decadimento fisico dovuto alle troppe ore seduto ogni giorno. Ritengo dopo questa esperienza che un atleta che ha fatto sport per tutta la vita non possa stare fermo e ritengo che il disagio che si crea sia molto superiore rispetto a quello percepito da una persona 'abituata' ad essere sedentaria. Per me restare completamente fermo per tutti questi mesi è stata una grossa forzatura che ora ho deciso di abbandonare, per tornare al mio consueto stile di vita... Pertanto questa uscita è stata il trampolino di lancio per nuove percorrenze a piedi chilometricamente imponenti grazie all'utilizzo della tecnica del Monoallenamento. Inoltre visto il raggiungimento dell'ultimo anno nel corso di studi in osteopatia con la frequenza al quinto anno finale già inoltrato, sto considerando l'idea di riprendere a gareggiare nel mondo agonistico dell'ultratrail tra alcuni mesi(forse) ma per riuscirci devo iniziare ad essere molto regolare con le uscite monosettimanali. Anche perché grazie a questa serie di eventi ho notato paradossalmente che riesco a studiare di più se mi alleno e sono stato un ingenuo a credere il contrario.

Così questa mattina poco dopo le 9.00 sono partito dalla mia casa di Envie per dirigermi verso il solito crocevia di San Bernardo, sullo spartiacque tra Envie e Rifreddo. Percorrendo la cresta del Mombracco mi sono diretto verso Revello, il vecchio comune di residenza risalente ai 18 anni di Palestra Tempio del Fitness(2001-2019).

San Michele di Revello

 

Ho percorso tutte le cappelle presenti sulla collina di Revello, tra San Leonardo e Campanile Piccolo, quindi Santa Sofia, passando per il belvedere della collina ed avvicinarmi alla Cappella di San Biagio senza però incrociarla completamente. Superata la vecchia Piazza d'Armi vicino ai ruderi del castello anche se ora è un frutteto, qui mi sono venuti in mente ricordi di alcune serate di astronomia che avevo tenuto proprio in quel posto con l'appostamento di vari telescopi... Prima e seconda, poi altre...

Cappella San Leonardo

Campanile Piccolo

Cappella Santa Sofia

Zona Belvedere

Antica PIazza d'Armi - ora frutteto

 Quindi sono sceso ancora seguendo la strada ed altri ricordi che affiorano, pertanto una dovuta pausa con video presso il campanile di Revello con l'osservazione del Paese dall'alto dopo tanti anni di assenza. Sono sceso ulteriormente per avviarmi ai vecchi vicoli sotto il campanile, salutando alcuni ciclisti che stavano salendo. Svolto a sinistra e vedo che la vecchia casa ancora vuota, poi mi avvicino al vicolo del fico(così l'ho sempre chiamato per via di una pianta che produceva dei frutti buonissimi ed è ancora lì dopo 5 anni di assenza), un nuovo video e scendo ancora.

Vicolo sotto al campanile di Revello

 

Mi avvicino alla via della mia vecchia palestra, luogo che per tanti anni è stato il punto di partenza di ogni mia avventura a piedi! Arrivo davanti alle serrande abbassate, che osservo con molta nostalgia. Su una di queste c'era per fino un murales verde(se così si può chiamare dato che sembra più uno scarabocchio). Foto di rito anche qui e attraverso piazza San Rocco per dirigermi in via Sant'Ilario. Ho visto di sfuggita alcuni vecchi clienti della palestra. Inizio la lunga percorrenza in pianura verso il Ponte Po. Anche qui noto alcuni passanti in auto che mi salutano anche se non sono riuscito a capire chi sono. Mi ha fatto piacere che la gente si ricordi ancora di me dopo tanto tempo. Sgambetto veloce.

 

Tempio del Fitness ormai chiusa

Arrivato al Ponte Po svolto a sinistra per percorrere lo stradone contromano in modo da vedere le veloci auto che transitano. Corro senza sosta verso i campi da Golf di Castellar e noto la presenza di una nuova bella pista ciclabile, che con ogni probabilità si aggancia a quella di Envie, la Via della Pietra.

Preoccupante fiume Po sempre più in secca!

 

Cammino un pezzo, per non più di 300m e in seguito riprendo a correre senza pause fino alla Chiesetta di San Ponzio di Castellar.

Davanti alla Cappella di San Ponzio

 

Una Cappelletta immersa nei frutteti e che ora incrocia la nuova pista ciclabile del paese. Luogo tappa durante le escursioni di gruppo che organizzavo ai 'tempi che furono'...

Un breve video e un tour attorno alla struttura, poi fermo un momento per uno spuntino veloce gustandomi una buona panna cotta, che adoro.

Pochi minuti dopo sono di nuovo in strada. Scelgo di usare una nuova via per tornare, costeggiando la casa di Reclusione Saluzzese passando tra i campi. Mi dirigo al Ponte Po della statale Revello-Saluzzo e la attraverso arrivando finalmente nei pressi della mia zona. Svolto a destra e passo davanti al magazzino edile. Tranquille strade di campagna e mi avvicino a San Firmino, le gambe qui iniziano a fare i capricci ma insisto per concludere il più presto possibile. Attraverso lo stradone di via Staffarda e vado poco dopo a sinistra per la strada sterrata che mi porta a casa per i pochi chilometri rimanenti.

Panorama sul Monviso al ritorno

 

Chiudo il cerchio con 26km di percorrenza in 4 ore e 12 minuti. In mezzo c'è stato anche un certo grado di dislivello per via della collina del Monte Bracco nella fase iniziale del tragitto.

Sono stato molto soddisfatto perché anche in questa occasione il Monoallenamento ha dimostrato la sua efficacia dato che i risultati sono indelebili anche dopo mesi di pausa, vista la natura infrequente del metodo, che rende la componente dell'ultraresistenza una 'capacità pienamente acquisita' a prescindere dalla preparazione a breve termine.

Questo è stato l'ultimo giro a piedi da 46enne dato che da domani (4 gennaio) saranno 47 candeline e mi sento sempre più proiettato verso i 50 anni, dato che i tempi dei primi 40 anni sono ormai ben lontani! Posso scrivere che nonostante gli anni mi sento soddisfatto dato che il mio corpo e la mia mente sono ancora lì a macinare avventure sportive e pianificare progetti lavorativi per il futuro nonostante l'età, questo mi fa sentire ancora pieno di energia. Tra l'altro a breve dovrebbe uscire la terza edizione di 'Ultratrail con il Monoallenamento'.

Concludo scrivendo che con gli studi di osteopatia sono messo bene tenendo conto dei grandi cambiamenti degli ultimi anni visto il sempre più imminente riconoscimento sanitario della professione(si spera), il percorso di studio si è complicato moltissimo, a mio avviso. Soprattutto per i Laureati in Scienze motorie come me. Che dire, un passo alla volta e nel frattempo 'al via' con lo sport! E' l'unico vero modo per rallentare l'invecchiamento, evitando esagerazioni però, è importante rimarcarlo.

Percorrenza GPS su WikiLoc:

https://it.wikiloc.com/percorsi-escursionismo/cappella-san-ponzio-dalla-collina-di-revello-e-ritorno-122529996

 

VIDEO LIVE DELL'AVVENTURA:

 

 

Segue il dettaglio dei link di riferimento riguardo ai miei articoli ultratrail e trail:

Lunghissime distanze | Percorsi | Gare | Imprese | Pubblicazioni | link utili

Strategia d'allenamento | Libro UltraTrail | Forum 

 

On foot on the edge of the Po Valley: Monte Frioland

Finally the great day of the Frioland adventure arrived on Thursday 24-12-15. The mono-training technique allows all types of walking... Of course, many may think that on Christmas Eve there is better things to do, as very often happens nowadays, work leaves no way out and the free time to devote oneself to one's passions is to be seized in the only free moments. So after accurate analysis using cartographic technology directly from the home computer and various first-person steps on the spot, the time has come to 'put the puzzle together', prepare the ultratrail backpack with some clothing inside for the cold, a minimal reserve of water and food, with other little things... All in the name of lightness but attention, without ever giving up the indispensable. The mountain does not forgive!

A night of relaxation, even if it is never easy to remain calm knowing that from the next morning you will be out all day in the mountains, in complete solitude.
At 7.20 I left the Tempio del Fitness gym in Revello, then in the dark of that cloudy morning I went up the road to the bell tower, continuing towards the chapel of San Bernardo between Rifreddo and Envie. So step by step, now in the light of the just past dawn on this day among the shortest of the year. Some videos shot along the way but without ever stopping the pace I arrived in the Motetto area in the direction of the Po along the plain. Back up to Rocchetta I took the woods again to go downhill towards the Belloni plain at Paesana. Here I quickly crossed the town continuing from via Crissolo towards Ghisola. As soon as I entered the hamlet I started the climb which would never let me go until the end. I also met a four-legged 'travel companion': a cute little dog with one brown eye and one blue, already seen around Crissolo a few months earlier. A true globetrotter connoisseur of all corners of the Po Valley, apparently! A last paved stretch in the Pian Lavarino area and then take the dirt road for the rest of the way. Among a network of paths and abandoned villages I reached the ridge at Punta Selassa. The 2000m are always a 'pride marker', also because the right side of our valley is characterized by a sequence of peaks all above that altitude, for an 'up and down' between deserted pastures with a constant cold below zero. Apart from the dog that day, I didn't meet a living soul along the entire journey, which had a certain flavor of 'true nature'. It almost seemed not to be in Italy but in a remote place in who knows what part of the world. The kilometers flowed fast under my feet, even if energy decreased as I approached Frioland, but to compensate there was the apprehension of the imminent darkness that kept up the pace. The ridge that precedes the summit is really steep, a clear and narrow watershed between the Po valley, Infernotto and Pellice. The view is absolute By now I was near the 35th km mark on the verge of 2700m. Last steps, a first tip with a pylon, then a second later and here is the top of Frioland! There I shot a ritual video, with some photos. A 'drink' with the little snow that there was given the chronic lack of water on the route and off to the descent with sunset just around the corner...

 

It's amazing how when you get to the desired peak you think it's 'all done'. It hadn't been like this because the objective had been reached at 16.03, for a total distance from the start of 8 hours and 43 minutes. In fact, to return to the 'civilized world' it took me a lot of time to close the scarce 7km of descent that separated me from the car passage set in Borgo di Crissolo. There were countless mistakes on the road due to the darkness. Luckily I had the 'trusted gps' with me which always guided me, except those times, when due to fatigue, I forgot to monitor the route on the instrument. In reality, I realized several times that the dog that accompanied me from Ghisola knew the streets better than me despite the dark, so it was enough for me to follow him. Incredible!
After all the stress of the whole adventure and especially for those last kilometers of return, I arrived at 18.10 in Borgo for the now desired return by car. It all ended with a journey of about 42km over a timescale of 10 hours and 50 minutes.
There is also a LIVE video shot during the journey on youtube at this address:

 

All the preparation always refers to the mono-training strategy referred to the book published by Fusta Editore.

An article on TargatoCn follows: https://www.targatocn.it/2015/12/28/sommario/saluzzese/leggi-notizia/argomenti/saluzzese/articolo/da-revello-a-piedi-ai-confini-della-valle-po-il-monte-frioland-natalice-business-of-bartolomeo-dav.html

Thanks to the help of a friend, now the book 'Ultratrail with weekly Monotraining' is translated into English, I apologize for the approximation of the translation but it is a precious gift that was offered to me and I hope that the concepts are all understandable . All the material and EBOOK is available at this link: http://www.bertinettobartolomeodavide.it/ultratrail/index-ing.html

Hoping you enjoyed it, I thank everyone in advance for reading.
Davide

Below is the detail of the reference links related to my ultratrail and trail articles:

Very long distances | Routes | Competitions | Solo adventures | Publications | Training strategy | UltraTrail eBook  

 

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