During the second night of the Spine Race, after leaving Tan Hill, I found myself chasing a competitor who had left about 10 minutes before me. Adrenaline and determination drove me to push hard, moving quickly along the trail. I had worked up a good sweat, and for a while, I felt strong despite the long hours on my feet.However, as I approached a confusing section of the trail, I encountered navigation difficulties. The unclear path forced me to stop and spend a considerable amount of time figuring out the correct route. In the frigid -12°C temperatures, the sweat I had worked up earlier turned cold on my body, and I began to feel my core temperature drop. I recognized the signs of hypothermia and knew I was in trouble.Desperate to warm up, I pushed myself to keep moving, but my legs were sore and heavy after more than 40 hours of continuous movement. Despite my best efforts, I struggled to generate enough heat, and after a few more hours, I made the decision to set up my bivvy for some rest.I found a spot against a wall, took off my shoes, and sat them beside me before crawling into my sleeping bag. My face was freezing, so I tucked it into the bag, hoping to warm up. Exhausted, I fell asleep quickly.When I awoke a few hours later, I was freezing cold and soaking wet. The condensation from my breath had turned to frost, wetting the inside of my bivvy and sleeping bag. I was shivering uncontrollably and knew I had to act fast to avoid the onset of severe hypothermia.I managed to get my Jetboil going and melted the ice blocks that had formed in my water bottle. I prepared a hot dehydrated meal and ate it quickly, hoping to raise my core temperature. When I tried to put my shoes back on, I discovered that they had frozen solid, compressed by the cold with large blocks of icy bog water encasing the knots. Panic set in as I bit at the ice, trying desperately to free my shoes.After what felt like an eternity, I finally got the shoes on. I quickly packed up my gear and started moving again, knowing that staying still any longer could have been dangerous. The experience was a close call with hypothermia, and I realized just how precarious my situation had been.This experience was a stark reminder of the dangers of ultra-endurance events in extreme conditions, and it reinforced the importance of preparation, awareness, and quick decision-making in the mountains.
