A few years ago, a thunderstorm forced us to DNF this route. Ever since, I knew I had to come back and finish what we started. This time, I had the chance to return solo and spend the night in the mountains.
Carrying all my water for this 51k route, as everything is closed at night and early morning, I wandered through the dark with everything I needed on my back.
The weather was great—ideal conditions and not windy, even in the higher parts.
I planned the start of my run carefully to reach the summit of Sněžka—Czechia’s highest peak—just in time for sunrise. So I shaved the first 30k and most of the climbing in the light of my Petzl. Running through the darkness was a magical experience. The silence, the wildlife, the cool night air… it all felt surreal.
Instead of focusing on my splits, I found myself constantly checking the map to stay on track. That made it all the more surprising when I realized I’d managed to steal a minute from my good friend Adam. I’m sure he’ll take it back soon enough.