Snow!!! Set out from Courmayeur in the rain and encountered snow after just an hour. Was not prepared for this at all and I was starting to freeze. Since I still had several hundred meters to climb and a good few hours before I got to the nearest shelter, I decided to turn around :( Sopping wet and chilled to the bone I took a bus back to Chamonix though the creepy 12 km tunnel. The weather was even worse in Chamonix at a little over 30 degrees. All hotels are booked solid with the UTMB so I had to settle for some super lavish 4 star resort a few miles from town costing me a whole 4 nights hostel worth which means only baguettes and boxed wine from here on out (yes, I was happy to find that the french also have boxed wine). Anyway... Weather is so terrible that they had to completely change the UTMB course from 168km to less than 100km because the passes are impassable. I CANNOT imagine what it was like to set out this evening in freezing temps and pouring rain and know that it is only going to get worse. All participants were required to carry 4 layers of clothing and were instructed to at no time stop moving out there tonight right before the gun went off. Have to say the start of the UTMB was unbelievable. People were hanging out of every terrace, on top of telephone booths, swinging from light poles and screaming their lungs out for the 1500+ runners braving the elements. Every cook was out of their kitchen banging on pots and pans and I heard cheers in more languages than I can count. Abso-feaking awesome!!! | 
