Madeira Island Ultra Trail

The Confraria Trotamontes( the club portuguese responsable for the Trails races) with the Clube de Montanha do Funchal ( Madeira) is going to organize on 20th September 2008 the Madeira Island Ultra Trail.
With 100 km and + 3.300m positive at 24 hours limit to cross over that beautiful island of the Atlantic.

http://gcorp.com.sapo.pt/Por%20Sol%2...%20%282%29.JPG
The lighthouse of Ponta do Pargo - start location of this beautiful crossing.

http://gcorp.com.sapo.pt/Por%20Sol%2...%20%284%29.JPG
The Sunset at Ponta do Pargo

http://www.reisetipps-portugal.de/bi...lder//7912.jpg
Machico ( by day) - End of Madeira Island Ultra Trail

http://img.olhares.com/data/big/111/1118692.jpg
Machico (night)

Confraria TrotaMontes, Clube Desportivo
Morada: Rua Sá y Melo, 377 4470-115 Gueifães Maia Portugal
www.madeiraultratrail.com

Jose Moutinho

The route

http://www.cmofunchal.org/fotos/albu...essia_2006.jpg


Jose Moutinho

The web page of Madeira Island Ultra Trail.

www.madeiraultratrail.com

http://www.garba.cz/madeira/IMG_5802.JPG

http://www.garba.cz/madeira/IMG_5805.JPG

Jose Moutinho

During the Ultra Trail the athletes will pass for plenty of tunnels.
The Biggest have 2.300 meters !!!!!

http://www.garba.cz/madeira/IMG_5854.JPG

http://www.garba.cz/madeira/IMG_5857.JPG

http://www.garba.cz/madeira/IMG_5846.JPG

http://www.garba.cz/madeira/IMG_5862.JPG

Maybe the most beautiful Trail in the world.

Jose Moutinho

Fond memories of walking in Madeira - but might give the race a miss!

The most dificult part of this Ultra Trail is between the 46th km Encumeada (1007), Pico Ruivo (1862) and Pico do Arieiro (1815m) and the 65th km.
there are more than 5000 stairs.

http://www.clasohm.com/photodb/img/2985-md.jpg

http://www.clasohm.com/photodb/img/3541-md.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Pico_Ruivo.jpg

http://home.scarlet.be/%7Etsd62459/m...os/uithouw.jpg

Jose Moutinho

To see a little bit of the beautiful island of Madeira - and the trail Pico Ruivo and Pico do Arieiro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SHbBDiTUHE

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/137/3...d164b8f4_b.jpg

Jose moutinho

The start will be at the lighthouse of Ponta do Pargo.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1393/...0be80c2e_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1305/...d295680d_o.jpg
The lighthouse of Ponta do Pargo.

Jose Moutinho

The finish will be in Machico.
Coming down the mountain the I Madeira Island Trail Aventura will finish in the city of Machico at complete night.
This show is something that you want to see.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1191/...541dcca5_b.jpg

see this small video of Machico.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkW0QwUKhPI

Jose Moutinho

Looks great, hope you hold it in 2009, as we can't make this one. We may both come then.

This is starting to look even better - I fancy some of those paths full on at night :D

The entry is open in www.madeiraultratrail.com

http://www.amigosdalevada.com/fotos/...1002/foto4.jpg

http://www.amigosdalevada.com/fotos/...002/foto13.jpg

http://www.amigosdalevada.com/fotos/...1002/foto9.jpg

http://www.amigosdalevada.com/fotos/...1002/foto5.jpg

Jose Moutinho

Hmmm... do I detect next year's plans being hatched?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Boy Wonder

Hmmm... do I detect next year's plans being hatched?

---

The Missus has just said........ Ooooh Yes!

This looks FAB!

Qualifying Course for UTMB 2009

MIUT 08 is one of the qualifying courses for the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) 2009. The Finishers of MIUT 08 in Ultra Trail - 100 km will collect 3 points.

http://madeiraultratrail.com/miut08/logo_qual_utmb.png

Jose Moutinho

Never mind the UTMB qualifying, points and all that stuff :mad:.

The essntial thing is... ..... where's the nearest pub to the finish of your run?

And while you are at it, how many pubs are there on the route? These details are important to some of us :)

And more importantly - no bicycles involved!!:D

Had an excellent walking holiday in Madeira a couple of years ago - some serious mountains and big climbs - and walking the laverdas, the water channels, is quite spectacular - they're cut in the sides of cliffs with big drops and no handrails.

So..... the 2009 crew:

Molehill and The Missus
Wheeze
Boy Wonder

A levada (Portuguese for "led") is an irrigation channel or aqueduct on the island of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean (about 500 miles (800 km) southwest of Portugal).

The levadas originated out of the necessity of bringing large amounts of water from the west and northwest of the island to the drier southeast, which is more conducive to habitation and agriculture (such as sugar cane production). In the sixteenth century the Portuguese started building levadas to carry water to the agricultural regions. The most recent were made in the 1940s. Madeira is very mountainous, and building the levadas was often difficult. Many are cut into the sides of mountains, and it was also necessary to dig 25 miles (40 km) of tunnels.
Hiker on the path of a levada
Hiker on the path of a levada

Today the levadas not only supply water to the southern parts of the island but provide hydro-electric power. There are over 1,350 miles (2,170 km) of levadas and they provide a remarkable network of walking paths. Some provide easy and relaxing walks through beautiful countryside.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2081/...d71aa525_b.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...da_Madeira.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/61/20...2f0e20a2_b.jpg

Jose Moutinho
Grão-Mestre da Confraria Trotamontes

http://madeiraultratrail.com/miut08/perfil_MIUT08.jpg

Jose Moutinho

Looks brilliant, I've entered the 55km Trail which seems to do the best bits

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by darkpeak

Looks brilliant, I've entered the 55km Trail which seems to do the best bits

---

Well done Mike, 1st Brit and 2nd vet 50.

If you want company for next year I'm up for it, Derby Tup what about you?

this looks like the nuts, i may have to enter 2009!!!:D

Highly recommended race, great terrain. Makes a change running in subtropical scenery, but their bracken and brambles are just like ours.

Weather conditions on the day were pretty severe with howling gales, thick mist, torrential rain - so I felt perfectly at home. I noticed there were a lot of DNFs in the 100km race.

Race organisation was excellent, food and drinks varied and plenty. Route signing was brilliant, didn't need a map.

The mountain section is spectacular and I'm sorry I didnt see much of it on the day (but I've been before) - the drop offs are terrifying and there are some sections of Stone Bridges -teetering along a knife edge with vertical sides which makes Striding Edge look like the M1

I reccyed the first 47km in the days before the race, temperatures varied from 25 - 15 C, and no rain. There were some spectacular and challenging bits, including a 2km tunnel (beats Chew!) and lots of 300mm wide concrete channel edging which you wouldnt want to fall off!

Put it in your diary for next year

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by IanDarkpeak

Well done Mike, 1st Brit and 2nd vet 50.

If you want company for next year I'm up for it, Derby Tup what about you?

---

You been reading my mind Ian?! ;)

This looks fanatastic and I was only saying yesterday that I'd love to do a Davos, Jungfrau or similar event next summer. I'm very interested :)

Just stumbled across this thread, read through replies indepth, fantastic photo's, linked to website......Brilliant........will be there in 2009...

Already entered for Sierre-Zinal in Aug 2009 so a further race abroad Sept 2009 would be great...

Same Photos and videos of MIUT 08

http://picasaweb.google.com/jaume.so...landUltraTrail

http://picasaweb.google.com/jordi.fo...Mm2008Madeira#

http://picasaweb.google.es/maripau.a...eira#slideshow

http://picasaweb.google.com/ballesta65/MIUT#

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fzbK...727D8D&index=0

Continue....

Looks like an FRA charter flight will be in order for 2009 :D.

Moley and the Boy Wonder will be on board, and the Missus, mustn't forget her :eek:

And Mr Wheeze (or so he said yesterday!)

I might be on the same FRA charter flight in 2009 just got to mention this to the missus.
We went on hols there in 2002 walking and loved it, some of those levadas are pretty scary though.

Likewise, was walking there a couple of years ago - levada's were great fun, very exposed, and some of those tunnels go on a long way!

Looks like its on, she said yes, better start saving up and more to the point get some longer training runs in :).
Just remembered that airport runway, is it long enough???

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ambrosia Kid

.... get some longer training runs in Just remembered that airport runway, is it long enough???

---

Is that a wise idea? :eek:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by molehill

Is that a wise idea? :eek:

---

:D as long as I stay around the perimeter fence:D

Just to push this back to the top - to remind us of what we're meant to be doing next year!!

I've got a cold, but should have cleared up by then. Passports at the ready :)

Hope the cold has now gone!

I've run in Madeira and have to say that some of the levada's are distinctly lacking in protection.

Currently in Changi airport, Singapore, waiting for the long flight to Heathrow ...... mind now moving on to Madeira. And the Missus saying "I want to come as well", will have to remind her there is no wild boar chasing over there :eek:.