Ultra-trail: the Tor de force of Gardois Jean-Pierre Soler, giant of the glaciers

Jean-Pierre Soler, finisher of the 450 km, the Tor tattooed on his body. MIDI LIBRE – E. DZ.

450 kilometers on the Italian Alpine massifs of the Aosta Valley for Jean-Pierre Soler and a little less than 200 hand-picked participants. MIDI LIBRE

Jean-Pierre Soler (49 years old) from Poulx from Gard completed the 450 kilometers of the Tor des Glaciers in 187 hours. We'll let you imagine the difference in altitude… Story of an extraordinary challenge.

He swears he's not crazy. He swears he doesn't like running. Besides, he doesn't run or train often, which may seem… crazy when you look at his track record: the 100 km of Millau in 2012, then, among others, several Veni vici around the Pont du Gard, Mont-Blanc, Euforia (233 km) and the Trailcat (320) in Andorra, the 360 ​​km of the Swiss peaks, the 330 of the Tor des géants in Italy, etc.

And, for the past two weeks, one more endless line: the Tor des glaciers and its 450 kilometers. With 32,000 m of elevation gain. 32,000! "That's almost a hundred Eiffel Towers and 4 Everests", jokes Jean-Pierre Soler from Gard.

One of the toughest races in the world

In the world of running, there is the trail. There is the ultra-trail. And there is the Tor des Glaciers, in the Italian Alps, considered one of the toughest races on the planet. Of those that make you explore another, parallel world: “In general, it is after 72 hours that you switch to the other side, to the dark side, that you become the shadow of yourself. You are as if anesthetized, in a second state. This is where the brain takes over from the legs. For me, these tests are 20% physical and 80% mental”, confides the native of Nîmes, who will celebrate his 50th birthday on February 24.

200 hand-picked qualifiers, 68 finishers

That's what the man who lives in Poulx is looking for: “To surpass oneself, to explore my limits. I'm chasing the challenge. The Tor des glaciers is the hardest race I've ever done physically and mentally. I never came close to quitting, but I suffered a lot. I'm capable of being in pain for a long time. And I like shitty conditions… Snowstorms, fog, rain, cold, we've had it all. It was – 5° at 3 000 m altitude".

Mont Gelé, for example, is aptly named. It was one of the countless passes to be climbed by 200 hand-picked athletes, who must, in order to line up at the start, have completed an edition of the Tor des Géants (330 km, the little brother of the glaciers) in less than 130 hours.

Friday evening, September 6 – “you shouldn't be afraid to walk 10 hours at night”, specifies the Languedoc native – They finally set off at 168 from Courmayeur (Italy), at the foot of Mont Blanc, for a grand tor (“tour” in local dialect) of the Aosta Valley. Equipped with a tracker, their own GPS, without signage.

Sixty-eight crossed the finish line by Saturday 14, same place, the expedition having to be completed in less than 190 hours. Jean-Pierre Soler finished 61st (18th Frenchman) in 187 hours 15 minutes and 12 seconds. Sleeping 1h30 per day on average, and eating a lot of pasta along the 26 alpine refuges and 3 life bases provided by the organization.

“A life adventurer” on his tombstone ?

A little anecdote for the (long) road : “At one point, I was running between the trees and, suddenly, I woke up stuck against a rock face, like a starfish, with water flowing above. I had to drop a stick to free myself. I don't know how I ended up in this position. Sometimes you sleep standing up, moving forward…"

As he says, "it was a building site, the brain was hurt" but… the mason, formerly self-employed and now a team leader in home maintenance at Inclusive Services Nîmes (he supervises workers with disabilities), held on. His heart too. "It only gets excited when I see my wife", he smiles. Anne-Laure will appreciate it.

"There is the Yukon Arctic in Canada, 600 km pulling a sled… I would need sponsors, but it tickles me"

And after ? "On my tombstone, he imagines, I would like it to say: “He was an adventurer in life”" And before ? “I was thinking about quitting, but there's the Yukon Arctic in Canada, 600 km pulling a sled in the snow to tow his equipment. There, I would need sponsors. But it tickles me…" Not crazy, really ?

Behind the scenes of the challenge

CAREER A maçon since the age of 14, the Gardois has never practiced a sport in a club. He started running at foot when his wife became pregnant with their son Julien, about fifteen years ago. One challenge, another, “to quit smoking. I was at 2 packs a day. I started doing the village shopping on Sundays, then my brother José suggested to try trail running”, says Jean-Pierre Soler.

Scrambling instead of scrambling is what he needed. “And the climb began: 25 km to Poulx, then 100, then 160, up to 450! And I never started smoking again!” He still allows himself the pizza-beer combo before the races. And his little guilty pleasures during, Balisto and Tagada Strawberries.

No medications on the other hand, except Doliprane, even with the persistent cough that accompanied him on the course. And lots of Vaseline to protect his aching body. Two pairs of socks to avoid blisters – "I didn't get one!" – only one pair of shoes, one pair of crampons & remove and replace according to the surface, one of the sticks, and the Tor is played. Cost of registration for the qualified: 1,100 euros per week, all inclusive…

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