Having passed through farmers’ fields, we power up the tawny moorland, our blood pumping, drawing deep breaths of the rich fresh air. The gentlest route, if there were one, follows the steadily emerging sea cliff and cuts into the mountain from the south side. Pól, by far the fittest of the group, barely breaks a sweat, while the rest of us shed layers of clothing. However, Pól has not always been in such great shape; the change came when, upon looking in the mirror one day, he decided there were aspects about himself he wanted to change. His physical fitness, for one; because, as Jonhard says, “he looked like a marshmallow”. But Pól also craved a challenge. So he tied up his running shoes, pulled on his walking boots, and overhauled his lifestyle. From casual jogs to long distance competitions, from evening walks to summiting peaks, Pól has since continually pushed himself further and further. “It is important that everyone sets themselves goals in life. The easiest thing is just to quit. About a decade ago I started to set myself goals; my first major goal was to run 100 kilometres on a small island in Denmark, a hilly island in a flat country. The following year I challenged myself to run seven marathons in six days – which I don’t think anyone has done before.”
Now, at age 58, he runs 14 kilometres each morning and walks in the mountains almost every day, while still finding time to hold down a day-job. When asked, “does he not tire from all this exercise?” Pól, with a timid smile, casually shrugs with a shake of his head. Jonhard speculates that Pól’s combination of both hiking and running equally conditions his body, and that’s how he has built up such strength and stamina. Proud of his friend, Jonhard beams that “Pól recently joined me on a 77-kilometre charity run, which he followed the week after with climbing all the mountains on the island of Vágar in just 30 hours. That’s 41 mountains in one trip, without any sleep.” Incredible for a guy who before 2004 didn’t do any hiking or running!
His challenges have intensified since, and his latest was to run 525 kilometres in just six days. “The amazing thing is that when he started in 2004, he was twelve years younger than he is now and he still keeps upping the challenge”, says Jonhard, reaffirming his and Pól’s belief that age should not be a barrier nor an excuse. Pól’s activities, however, have become fuelled by more than just fitness and challenge: he’s fostered a deep love for the Faroese landscape and found that being in the mountains is, as he puts it, “good for the soul”.