SUMMARY
Solo, unsupported FKT of South Delhi Trail Corridor.
BACKGROUND
With minimum temperatures of 28-30 degrees Celsius and extremely high humidity levels (60-90+ % on most days), July to September is one of the toughest time of the year in New Delhi, especially for outdoor activities. The idea behind this attempt was to challenge myself, physically and mentally, in these tough conditions and also to set a FKT time, which had not been done since we conceptualized the route.
DESCRIPTION
Start got delayed by 30+ mins as I forgot the bladder for my hydration pack. After driving back home and returning to the trail head, the sun had already come out (paid for this later!). Since I created this route (in collaboration with Kshitish), most of the route was familiar. I also loaded the .gpx file on the phone (Gaia app) to avoid going off-route.
For the first 25+ kms, the run was mostly uneventful except for a couple of (possibly leopard) growls few feet from the trail. That was a first ever experience over the many years of running these trails and a bit scary. Had to take a slight detour at the Tughlaqabad biodiversity area as a seasonal water body had come-up along the original route.
The mess up happened at Jahappanah city forest, where I took the trail section rather than the tarmac section through the city forest. This resulted in an additional 2.5 kms through a much harder trail section. Other than the extra distance covered, rest of the route was followed as per the original gpx file.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
All fuelling needs, from hydration to gels / energy bars, were carried with me in my hydration pack. No other form of support was taken during the attempt. The entire route experience was documented with photos and videos.