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Freezing temperatures hold few fears for plucky adventurer
Brunswick man embarks on ultra-marathon to raise $70,000 for charity
Mark Phillips
TREKKING by foot across a frozen lake in sub-zero Mongolia is not most people’s idea of fun, but Phil Evans is made of stronger stuff.
Early next month, the Brunswick man will spend four days running and walking the 160 km length of Lake Khovsgol in the country’s north along with several dozen other extreme adventurers taking part in the Mongol 100.
Evans and his fellow competitors will travel the equivalent distance of a marathon each day on the frozen lake, potentially encountering blizzards and camping overnight in temperatures that at this time of the year average about -25.
He has been preparing for the challenge for more than two years and is hoping that a dodgy knee will survive for the four days.
But this is not the first time Evans has pushed himself to the limit: eight years ago he participated in the Marathon Des Sables in the Sahara Desert, where conditions were at the opposite end of the spectrum from those in northern Mongolia.
Evans, 41, whose day job is as a business coach, says the point of ultra-marathons is to push himself physically and mentally for what he describes as the greater good.
When he took part in the Marathon Des Sables in April 2018, which involved running 250 km across the desert in six days, he was at a low point in his life.
He had migrated to Australia from England (Evans was born in Liverpool) but life had not gone to plan professionally and he was struggling for motivation.
“It took the confidence and the self-esteem out of who I thought I was, and I felt really quite low, sad, withdrawn.
“I wasn’t diagnosed with depression or anything like that, but I guess it was along those sort of lines.
“It took about two years worth of training to prepare myself for that [the Marathon Des Sables], but it was all with a view to feel like I was in control of something in my life, like it was something that I could really throw myself into, almost a way of trying to process what was going on and almost take back a little bit of confidence and a little bit of self-esteem.”
Along the way, Evans came across an organisation called Pencils of Promise, which builds schools, trains teachers and improves sanitation in Africa, South America and Asia.
He dedicated his Marathon Des Sables experience towards supporting the charity, ultimately raising about $30,000.
The ultra-marathon did not go entirely to plan. Evans was expecting the extreme heat of the desert which at times reached more than 45 degrees in the middle of the day, but he suffered dehydration, hallucinations and debilitating foot blisters and ripped toenails.
“My feet were just in total agony, but I managed to complete it and raised about $30,000 at the time,” he said.
For the Mongol 100, he has set himself a target of raising $70,000 for Pencils of Promise. A week before departing for the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator, he has raised about a third of that total.
The race will begin on March 4 at Khank, situated on the northern end of Lake Khovsgol and then travel south, making camp each night on the shore in traditional eight-person Mongolian tents.
Competitors can walk/run, cycle or skate across the lake, and must carry all of their own kit and food which they cook themselves.
The final destination on March 7 will be the village of Khatgal at the lake’s southernmost tip.
Lake Khovsgol is one of the world’s 17 ancient lakes. Located near the Russian border it reaches depths of 262 metres. In winter, the entire lake freezes over with a metre of ice strong enough to bear the weight of heavy trucks. But although a lake, the surface is not smooth or totally flat.
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Apart from the extreme temperatures and potential blizzards, other hazards include wild wolves that roam the lake’s shores.
Preparing for an ultra-marathon in the hot Australian summer has posed challenges for Evans not faced by most of the other competitors who live in the northern hemisphere where it is still winter.
He has been training in the gym at the Brunswick Baths and spent plenty of time cycling and running.
In addition, he is still recovering from surgery for a torn patella tendon in his right knee.
But having spent about $20,000 on air fares, insurance, clothing and other kit for the adventure – including a sleeping bag that can cope with temperatures of -25 degrees – there is no chance he will pull out.
“I committed to this two years ago but postponed [for a year] because of my knee.
“I can’t push it back any further … I think at the moment, my plan is to hike and run. So it might be five minutes running, three minutes walking to try and cover the distance.
“Maintaining a reasonably steady body heat is quite important so you’re not sweating or over over-heating.
“It’s cold and windy and clearly running on ice is going to be a very different experience. I have to run in studded shoes, which I’ve ordered from Scandinavia.”
Preparing mentally for the ultra-marathon is another challenge.
Evans says his mother is naturally worried and some people have questioned his sanity for signing up for the event. Fortunately, Evans has a background in sports nutrition and sports psychology which has helped him prepare.
“I guess my mindset is I want to feel that discomfort. I want to feel uncomfortable, you know, being away from home, being away from family …
“There’ll be a moment on the ice where I’m probably not going to be able to see anybody at some point and be in the middle of Mongolia with extreme weather, thinking, what am I doing here?
“And it’s at those points that then you realise, well, this is exactly why you’re here, because you’re trying to challenge [yourself] on how to deal with those types of emotions and situations.”
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