Never before had so many competitors lined up at the start of the Trofeo Mezzalama, 18th edition: a full 1,080 participants, that is 360 roped teams of three members each, but also never before so many retirements and disqualifications for arriving late at the time gates, a sign of severe conditions, tougher than usual.
Of the eight editions of the “modern” glacier marathon, which since 1997 has been run every two years from Cervinia to Gressoney across the summit of the Castore and the Naso del Lyskamm above four thousand metres on the Monte Rosa massif, this was probably the most demanding edition, both for the athletes and for the organising staff.
Nothing unusual for the historic ski mountaineering “glacier marathon” founded in 1933, already famous as the highest race in the Alps, which requires every athlete to have solid experience as a mountaineer and just as much as a skier. But this time, more than usual, the weather factor made itself felt, in the form of polar cold, sharpened by the north wind.
“I’d say that at high altitude we had a perceived cold of 15 to 20 degrees below zero, says mountain guide Adriano Favre, the technical director who coordinates the complex Mezzalama machine. – A fairly normal condition in the high mountains in mid-spring, but undoubtedly more severe than in other editions. Perhaps similar to that of 2003.”
The winners were the Franco-Spanish team, the top favourite on the eve of the race, of Kilian Jornet Burgada, William Bon Mardion and Didier Blanc in 4h 33′ 58″, who beat almost in a sprint finish, by just 18 seconds clawed back on the last short stretch without snow, the trio of Lombards Daniele Pedrini and Pietro Lanfranchi and Alain Seletto from the Aosta Valley.
Surprising third place, in their first Mezzalama, went to the young Michele Boscacci, from Valtellina and “born into the sport”, and Robert Antonioli with the Spaniard Marc Pinsach Rubirola. And then six more teams under 5 hours, confirming a hard-fought race.
Big disappointment for the Alpini team of Matteo Eydallin, Damiano Lenzi and Dennis Trento, among the big favourites, forced to withdraw because of the cold even before the Castore.
Clear-cut and surprising was the women’s victory of Aosta Valley mum Gloriana Pellissier, an Alpini corporal back in competition after her second maternity, with her close-knit Valtellina teammates Francesca Martinelli and Roberta Pedranzini in a time of 5h 28′ 36″. The Italians finished 3 minutes and 25″ ahead of the international team of the Frenchwoman Laetitia Roux, with Spanish revelation Mireia Miro and the Swiss Nathalie Enzensperger.
With an abysmal gap of more than an hour, third place went to Tatiana Locatelli, Laura Besseghini and Raffella Rossi with a time of 6h 33′ 50″. As for the winners’ time, about half an hour slower than the record set in 2009 by none other than Alpini Eydallin and Trento with Reichegger, it should be noted that the course underwent a significant variation on the Naso del Lyskamm, decided by Favre, to cope with the worsened conditions of the traditional passage, which has now become a wall of ice. The variation, mountaineering in character, guaranteed safety at a key point and was warmly welcomed by the athletes. Thanks in part to the free lifts in Cervinia and Gressoney, the race was followed by a large crowd like never before: almost two thousand spectators between Plateau Rosa and the Colle del Breithorn in the initial phase and a great many ski mountaineers in the Capanna Gnifetti area following the final phase.
Despite the difficulties, the Mezzalama trophy has once again proven to be one of the most fascinating Ski Mountaineering races!
Photos courtesy of: Monterosa Ski
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