The race is defined by three massive climbs. I cleared Sunnegga feeling surprisingly fresh. But it was the second climb to Gornergrat, the highest point at 3,150m, that changed me.
Climbing as a party of three, we roped up and started chipping away at the ridge. The altitude began to show. My fingers and toes were freezing. It was colder than expected for mid-July. Gusts reached up to 60 km/h, and with windchill, it felt like -20°C.