There are rocks, and there are rocks; but the rocks of western Sweden are like no other rocks on earth – well, not like any I’ve ever seen anyway. And as my feet pound over them in the arduous (yet achievable) IcebugXperiance I learn to love them for their beauty and grip, but despise them for their unforgiving nature.
The shoreline of western Sweden is one of the most sterile places on earth. The limited difference between tides means that the same glacial smooth rocks are exposed to sea spray 24/7, and as such, the salt in the sea stops almost everything from growing near the shore line.
So - with a coastline of smooth rock and an almost unbroken access to it, what else would the manufacturers of Sweden’s fantastic running shoes, Icebug, do? Organise a race, of course!
The IcebugXperiance is a three-day running and hiking event, which covers 74km of the west coast of Sweden’s Bohuslän region. 74km doesn’t sound that long, especially over the course of 3 days, but even so, I opted to just tackle the last leg - a 27km run broken into two bite-size sections. At least that’s what I was thinking, standing on a pier, next to the chilly waters of the North Sea, at the starting line in the small harbour town of Kungshamn.
It was a gloriously hot day with only a slight sea breeze chilling my bare legs. A shout of “Go!” from one of the race organisers, and there’s a small jostle for positions as the small group of runners head off the pier and out of town along a high band of rock, which curls away from the sea and into a high section of vegetation, which somehow eeks out an existence in the cracks of the smooth granite.
This is one of only two sections of the race which leave the coast for a prolonged period, and as I venture deeper into forest, I start to miss that cooling sea breeze. It’s starting to get hot, and, as is often the case, I’ve possibly set out a little quicker that I should have; the terrain I’m running through is stunning, but hard going. I run over fallen trees and often find myself using my hands to scramble up short rock pitches. By the time I reach the first water station at 10km, my head is beginning to boil - I’m running without a pack, which means I am reliant on the three water stations across the whole 27km for refuelling.
The first glass of water went over my head, a second and third soon followed it; I then munched a few biscuits and drank my fill before setting off around a bay and back uphill into another section of dense forest, before breaking out into the open and seeing the ferry to Bohus-Malmön Island around two feet from the jetty. Deferring a ‘James Bond’-esque leap for the boat, I take solace in the fact that the next sailing is in 30 minutes, and recoup some strength with a bowl of soup, supplied by Icebug.
The last 10km of the race is a circumnavigation of the holiday retreat island of Bohus-Malmön. There’s a small resident population on the island, and many second homes, many of which can be rented, along with a few hotels. Its 10km of coastline make for a brilliant – standalone - running and hiking route. Feeling reborn after my 30 minute rest and soup, I make a slow steady pace along the sea shore rocks, passing small upturned fishing boats, towards the finish line in the island’s main town.
After wolfing down a large chilli with rice, I stumble into the icy sea to soak my feet, and more importantly, my knees. It had been a fantastic race through the stunning landscape of western Sweden, and the comradery of the runners was both supportive and fun to be a part of, but wow, it was tough going underfoot!
This year’s ICEBUGXPERIANCE will be held between 4-6 September; for more info see
vastsverige.com or icebug.com
