The Cyprus Walkdown – an annual 25-mile race from the Troodos Mountains to the sea. It’s one of the main sporting events in my community and one that I was desperate to do. The question was, could I do it?
I’d heard all the horror stories. People getting hopelessly lost and walking for hours in the wrong direction, people losing all their toenails, people not being able to walk properly for days afterwards. But I still wanted to do it. I hadn’t done any specific training and I couldn’t use a compass or map-read, but I fancied an adventure. The adventure might end with us being helicoptered off the mountain or being taken home in the back of an ambulance, but I figured that there’s no better way to get to know a country than on foot.
It was too late to do anything about training, but I realised that doing the Walkdown isn’t just about fitness. You could be an Olympian and still not manage to do it if you get lost. So a few days beforehand I did a 6-hour reconnaissance of the route. Luckily I had a friend who had done four Walkdowns and she briefed me on the route. Her descriptions were so vivid that when I got home I was able to take 64 Google Earth screenshots of the entire route to take with me on the reconnaissance mission. A lot of the route is along farm tracks and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to drive it, but my Land Rover did me proud and took me almost the entire way. When I reached junctions that I thought would confuse me on the day, I’d park the Land Rover in the correct turning and photograph it to remind me.
I followed the tracks until I got to a narrow valley and couldn’t drive any further. I knew the Walkdown route would take me over a stream at the bottom, so I tried to find the way across on foot. It took ages, until I spotted some police tape tied to a tree. And further along I spotted some more. I followed it and it took me to an almost-invisible path across the stream. I was grateful to people from previous Walkdowns whose markers were still in place. Once I knew to look for them, I found more markers and arrows on roads.
Conveniently, I’ve got a bit of a photographic memory when it comes to routes. So with the route fixed in my head, I turned my attention to knowing how to help my body walk the route. I studied YouTube videos on how to tape up feet to prevent blisters and toenails dropping off. I watched more videos on how to tie up shoelaces properly. And I took advice on which energy foods and gels to take with me and when I should take them. By the day of the Walkdown, I was as prepared as I could be. With the exception of the training . . .
I left home at 5am and was taken by bus to the top of Troodos. Up there we were given a safety briefing and route briefing, and at 8am we set off. There were 64 teams comprising 3-6 team members and the teams were classified as either walkers, run/walkers or runners. We were walkers and had planned on having a relaxed amble down to the sea, perhaps stopping off for a bottle of wine along the way.
We walked down the road from Troodos Square and turned off onto the Caledonia Trail. Somewhere along this trail I realised that the Walkdown wasn’t going to be a relaxing amble for a few reasons:
By the time we reached Checkpoint 1 at the Trout Farm in Platres, our relaxed amble had turned into a very forward-going walk that we’d decided would be done in under 10 hours. And we were going to be the fastest all-female walking team. Right . . .
The route from Troodos Square to Checkpoint 1 was fairly easy. The Caledonia Trail was a bit slippery but it was all downhill and in the shade. Plus it was still early in the morning and at high altitude so the temperature was cool. At Checkpoint 1 I taped up the balls of my feet. Because I’d already driven the route, I knew what was coming and I didn’t want to get blisters so early on. I also didn’t want to get one of my exercise headaches. I always get one when I exercise in the heat and I haven’t found a painkiller that touches it. It’s the main reason why I hadn’t trained over the summer. Apparently low blood sugar as well as dehydration causes them. So I drank continuously and started on my energy bars to keep my blood sugar up.
The route from Checkpoint 1 to Checkpoint 2 was long. We walked down past Platres and took a right turn along a road that went past the Myllomeris Waterfall and the Pera Pedi reservoir. The road was good and partially shaded and we walked it at a good pace, enjoying competing with any other teams in our sights. We tried to overtake any teams in front and made sure none of the teams behind overtook us. Which made stopping for a wee pretty stressful.
We walked through the village of Pera Pedi and took a right towards Koilani. The road took us through a narrow valley and we eventually reached a crossroads next to a leafy restaurant. This was where the route began to get challenging. I knew from my reccy that we had to take the left turn which led us uphill into blazing sunlight. If I was going to get a headache, this would be where it would start. I opened an energy gel and slowly drank it as we climbed upwards. The road became a farm track that followed the side of the hill, climbing over one hill and round the side of the next. I slowed my pace right down and kept drinking. And then, somewhere around the side of the second hill, the energy gel kicked in and that was that! It was my turbo booster – incredible! I did the rest of the route to Checkpoint 2 without any trouble.
By the time we got to Checkpoint 2 the blood was pounding in my head, but no headache so far. I took some precautionary painkillers. One of my team mates had gone beetroot-red so we opened some migraine cooling strips and stuck them to our foreheads. They were amazingly refreshing and we left them on our heads as we continued down the road towards Agios Therapon. I’d been dreading the hill climb to Checkpoint 2 and I was so relieved that the worst was now over.
The route from Checkpoint 2 to Checkpoint 3 was also a long section – and the section where people were most likely to get lost. As we set out from Checkpoint 2, I was aware that we were missing a major shortcut. But I hadn’t had time on my earlier reccy to walk the shortcuts, so we decided to play it safe and walk the longer way round on the road. We walked along the road for an hour, eating, talking and drinking. Then we turned off onto farmland and followed a track into the Confusing Bit. Thanks to my earlier drive, the route was imprinted on my brain, so we didn’t get lost. How people managed to navigate their way along this bit with just a compass and a map I’ll never know – really impressive. There were lots of potential turns and, of course, the hidden path across the stream. As we walked down into the valley, the breeze stopped and it was sweltering. We walked past a car graveyard full of cars abandoned by fleeing Turkish Cypriots in 1974. Thankfully I’d stopped to take photos on my reccy.
We climbed down a steep track to the stream, taking care not to be seen by the other teams. Then we crossed the hidden pathway and followed the track up the hill on the other side. There was still no breeze, it was boiling, and one of my team mates was beginning to suffer in the heat. We carried on eating and drinking and I opened another energy gel. Really, this stuff is amazing! I must remember it next time I have to parent with a hangover.
We walked along the farm tracks until we reached abandoned Kato Kivides. We were feeling too knackered and competitive to stop and take photos but I will go back another time to get some. At this point our goal was now to complete the Walkdown in under 9 hours and we’d been setting our own deadlines for reaching the checkpoints. We walked up the last steep hill and came out onto the road that runs through Pano Kivides. Finally we reached Checkpoint 3.
I’d always planned to drink some booze on the Walkdown and Kivides was my last opportunity to buy some. As I ran into the mini-market I was aware that I was off my head on energy gel and adrenaline. I just had to keep moving. I bought a bottle of Smirnoff Ice, the only thing I could find. I didn’t have a bottle opener so the shop opened it and I had to carry it the rest of the way. We still had a long way to go and it was very hot so I didn’t want to start on the alcohol yet and risk a killer headache.
We set off for Checkpoint 4. I was in high spirits because I knew the rest of the route was on an easy gentle downhill gradient. We stormed off determined to achieve our under 9 hours goal. My Extra Special Motivation powered me along as much as my energy gels. I blew it up to panoramic, technicolour proportions in my head. I could hear my team mates talking, but my Extra Special Motivation was all I could focus on. Finally I heard my team mate behind saying ‘I think this pace is too fast for my knees’ and my brain had to shout at me to listen to her and to slow down. The Walkdown is a team event and I have no experience of team sports. When I ride or swim or run I only have to think about me. The Walkdown is different – you have to cross the finish line as a team otherwise you are disqualified.
We finally got to Checkpoint 4 and my team mate had to lie down. Once I stopped I could properly take in how awful she looked. Whereas earlier she’d looked red with exertion, she was now as white as a sheet and looked really unwell. She felt sick and didn’t want any of my energy gels and bars. I felt awful for not realising earlier just how unwell she was. I’d been so in my zone in order to be able to keep going. I realised that while we had prepared for all the practical issues of the Walkdown, we hadn’t prepared for how to help each other psychologically. My way of coping is to keep going and to not stop – and definitely not to sit down. I’m not sure whether I’d get up again. For my team mate, she needed to stop and rest in order to go on.
Which is exactly what she did. She lay down for 5 minutes, waving on the ambulance who stopped to ask if she was okay. She then got up and managed to walk the final few kilometres down the side of the hill to the finishing line by the beach. She looked so pale and sick. I was worried she had heat stroke and would collapse. Where she found the strength from to carry on walking I don’t know. She is an incredible person.
Finally, finally, FINALLY, we reached the valley that led to the beach. We crossed a playing field and entered the stadium area. The stadium was full of people, bouncy castles, food stalls, a voice coming from the loud speakers announcing our arrival. I spotted my family and waved to them. And everyone – everyone! – was clapping us as we crossed the finishing line. It was the most wonderful, supportive atmosphere. Such an incredible end to an incredible walk.
We did the Walkdown in about 8.5 hours, so we achieved our goal. We weren’t the fastest all-female walking team – one amazing team did it in just over 7 hours. But, we were the third Overall All-Female team, which included the runners and walk/runners!! We even got a trophy. Utterly gobsmacked!!!! My first sporting trophy.
The Walkdown was a fantastic challenge and one that showed how preparation and strategy is as important as fitness and training. It taught me so much about teamwork and I could never have done it without my wonderful team mates – Katy and her competitive drive, and Angie’s brilliant timing and goal-setting. I want to do it again next year, perhaps with some training, and sussing out all the shortcuts. I now have a new time to beat and someone else to compete with – myself!
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