Agnes Katalin Papp, a Hungarian in Italy

Agnes and I have known each other for several years, thanks to the connection created by social media that deal with the common passion for Trail-Running.

I think that we met in person for the first time along the paths of the Val Pellice (Val Pellice – Wikipedia) perhaps in 2014 or 2015. However, subsequently, we met many more times especially on the occasion of the Ultra Trail Lago d’Orta – UTLO (ultratraillo.com), where Agnes is an important element of the organization.

Agnes belongs to the “Emigrantrailer” category, because she has both “emigrant” and “trailer” requirements. In fact, she moved from Hungary to Italy in 1992 and she is a great lover of trail running.

So tonight, after several unsuccesful attempts due to committments of both, we were finally able to talk and see each other during a pleasant video call Hesse (Germany) <-> Aosta Valley (Italy), talking about the hiking and walking of the weekend, the current restrictions and finally concluding with my five TRAIL questions.

T like Time

“Agnes, you are a person who likes to spend free time outdoors, walking on some paths in the mountains. Where does this passion comes from? what else do you do in your free-time?”

“It is a passion I’ve always had, which has then increased since I have been in Italy (amost 30 years). I’ve always been hyperactive and I’ve always enjoyed sport. When I am walking along the paths, I like to have time to focus on myself and at the same time enjoy the surrounding environment. For me it is not necessary to reach the peaks or make a route within fast times. It is not what I want when I’m on the trails or in the mountains“.

“About free time? During the week it is very limited since I am busy in the office between 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Whenever I can, I read a book or take a bike ride. My excursions are concentrated on weekends or on holidays”.

R like Route

“What would you recommend as trail-running route to do in Italy and in Hungary? Can you name one for each country?”

“I have to be honest and tell you that it is easier for me to answer about Italy. However in Hungary there is a nice Ultra Trail event (Salomon Ultra-Trail Hungary – Start) that offer several distances. Coming back to Italy, I often like technical and wild paths. One of the alpine trail/route that I recommend is the Tour des Combins | Trekking tra Svizzera e Italia, an itinerary that develops around the Gran Combin massif. It is a very well marked route, which can be covered by well-trained excursionists in 2 or 3 days. I did it a couple of years ago and I highly recommend it since it offers a great view over the high surrounding summits between Italy and Switzerland”.

A like Adventure

“Apart from Trail-Running events, you spent a lot of time enjoying the beauty of the mountain and nature. I remember that you have done the https://www.tourducervin.ch . Would you like to spend few words about that adventure?“

“It is a technically more difficult route than the Tour des Combins. There are several glacier crossings. But if offers beautiful view and it is an experience that stays with you forever. A little more generally, the beauty of these adventures is that you are free to follow your own pace, to calmly see everything around you, without the hurry that sometimes you have in a race. And then I like to sleep in mountaineering huts and stay outside at night watching the starry sky”.

I like Injuries

“We both share the experience of injuries. I learned a lot from my mistakes and now I am able to manage it. Of course I also try to avoid injuries, but it is not always possible. How do you usually deal with them?”

“Andrea, if I stayed behind all the pains I have, I wouldn’t do anything anymore. I can only say that I live with it, knowing my limits. As you say, certainly the experience accumulate with sporting activity gives me the opportunity to find the right balance”.

L like Limitations

“2020 & 2021 are strange years, which require a completely new lifestyle approach due to COVID-19. This is also causing several limitations compared to the past. For a lover of outdoor life, how does it mean? Have you found the right balance?”

“In Italy with the first Covid-19 wave the restrictions were very strict and the fact of not being able to leave home for more than 150 meters was very hard. I respected the rules but I did not resign myself to being at home all the time and I did my laps around the house, within the limits set. In the following months with new rules I then found my spaces and things went better. But I tell you that I lack a little the motivation for the races that I have not attended since 2019. So I do what I feel like doing, with no weekly targets. And then if I want to sign up for a race it will be a decision at the last minute”.

“And it seems to me an understandable position. Thank you very much Agnes and we hope to see you on some path in the coming months”.