HIT NEW HEIGHTS
Presenting our ultimate mountain events for climbing your way to success in 2023…
A turquoise lake swim flanked by jagged peaks. A bike leg through verdant valleys untouched by modernity. A skyline run where you can touch the clouds. It’s strange to think that much of society used to consider mountains as pretty darn ugly up until about the 18th Century. But yes, mountains can still arouse facial pain, yet for triathletes that comes from the calf-shredding climbs and hair-raising descents, with the widescreen views and soothing air just two of the payoffs of taking on the demands of a mountain triathlon.
Similar to their cheese-making prowess, the French excel in mountainous triathlons, with the famous trio of Ironman France (25
June), Embrunman (TBC Aug) and, especially the Alpe D’Huez
Triathlon (28 July) certified classics of the genre. The latter, held in late July, boasts a swim in a mountain reservoir that’s open once a year, a hairpin-ridden bike course that’s played a mighty role in the Tour de France, the world’s highest transition area and a run that takes place at 2,000m above sea level.
Similar to our own fromagemaking skills (hello Stilton), British mountain races shouldn’t be discounted. While they can’t compare to the Alpine metresabove-sea-level stats, the likes of the XTRI Series’ gruelling longdistance triathlon of the Celtman (17 June) in Wester Ross, Scotland, the long-standing classic of Helvellyn (3 Sep) in the Lake District, Snowdonia’s Olympic-distance-ish belter The
Slateman (10-11 June) and its fellow Llanberis-set The Brutal (9 Sep) all load up on the elevation gain, widescreen views and tri torment.
The Brutal, which had a glorious return in 2022 after pandemicenforced cancellations and was named as 220’ s toughest tri in the world in 2017, tasks triathletes with running up Wales’ highest peak of Snowdon – and, almost as painfully, back down again – at the finale of the run leg for the Half and Full distance events (a Double Brutal is also on offer – we’ll let you take that one on!), where both the views and physical demands will leave you gasping for air. But the satisfaction of completing a mountainous triathlon is possibly without equal in multisport. Just remember to cut your toe nails…