Mounting madness
Only 19 days till you get to sprint, walk or crawl up and down five volcanoes in a couple of hours.
Now where could you do such a crazy thing? Where indeed.
Auckland. And you thought New Zealand's biggest city was a bit dull? Well, maybe it is, but we have 49 volcanoes and you don't. (Scroll down for the map of the Auckland field.)
If you're wondering why anyone would attempt such a stupid feat, remember that this is the country that brought you Edmund “knocked the bastard off” Hillary. And this is the country that popularised bungy, Zorbing, parapenting and other madness.
They're not active volcanoes, of course. That would be really stupid. And far too much fun. Mind you, Rangitoto, the magnificent mount out in Auckland's Waitemata Harbour, only went up a few hundred years ago, so there's hope yet.
There's no set course. You just figure out the fastest way up, down and between the cones of One Tree Hill, Mt Eden, Auckland Domain, Mt Hobson and Mt St John. And because there's no course, you don't really know how long it is. It's called a half marathon, though I would think it's a bit less than that if you plot the shortest route. It takes the best runners about 1hr 06, though some of us take a little longer. Like half an hour longer. Still, it's the taking part that counts, right? Like hell it is.
The best bits? The views of Auckland's two quite brilliant harbours, glistening in the mid-winter sun, and freefall running down each beaten peak towards the next one.
It should be underlined in every fitness freak's diary.
Now where could you do such a crazy thing? Where indeed.
Auckland. And you thought New Zealand's biggest city was a bit dull? Well, maybe it is, but we have 49 volcanoes and you don't. (Scroll down for the map of the Auckland field.)
If you're wondering why anyone would attempt such a stupid feat, remember that this is the country that brought you Edmund “knocked the bastard off” Hillary. And this is the country that popularised bungy, Zorbing, parapenting and other madness.
They're not active volcanoes, of course. That would be really stupid. And far too much fun. Mind you, Rangitoto, the magnificent mount out in Auckland's Waitemata Harbour, only went up a few hundred years ago, so there's hope yet.
There's no set course. You just figure out the fastest way up, down and between the cones of One Tree Hill, Mt Eden, Auckland Domain, Mt Hobson and Mt St John. And because there's no course, you don't really know how long it is. It's called a half marathon, though I would think it's a bit less than that if you plot the shortest route. It takes the best runners about 1hr 06, though some of us take a little longer. Like half an hour longer. Still, it's the taking part that counts, right? Like hell it is.
The best bits? The views of Auckland's two quite brilliant harbours, glistening in the mid-winter sun, and freefall running down each beaten peak towards the next one.
It should be underlined in every fitness freak's diary.
posted by Mark Broatch at 3:52 PM
3 Comments:
Or, for the terminally unfit, there's the jog around the extinct fag end, happening almost every night outside a bar near you.
Why hasn't this Mark Broatcchachio guy uploaded a profile of himself? Who is he anyway? Or is he even a 'he'?
Whoaaaa! Who spends their weekend's running up mountains? Suppose you don't go out drinking on a Friday night. Probably stay in and watch "House" or somethin.
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