Agoge is an over 60-hour challenge in which students are pushed to their limits, without being able to sleep and with a minimum amount of food. It attracts people from all walks of life who travel to the most distant corners of the world to experience the most physically and mentally demanding adventure once in a lifetime, often blended into the exotic culture of a given country. Agoge is based on the painstaking training of children in ancient Sparta, in which they were prepared to become warriors for future military service. So Agoge is the ultimate test of mind, body and spirit. It is the pinnacle of endurance challenges. This is a unique event that has no analogues. You will gain new experiences that will change your perception of yourself and the world forever.

Are you ready for a brutal 60h journey inside yourself? Please see my story. Aroo!

AGOGE, the pinnacle of Spartan evolution. Always on top of all running and endurance challenges. A dream that was constantly put off due to the feeling of inexperience, unpreparedness or fear of the unknown. Today, standing at the top, I can confidently say that the path to it was not lost. These three intense years spent in a continuous journey, on various running routes, and finally in extreme hurricanes lasting many hours, gave me such a sense of my worth that participation in AGOGE could finally become a fact.

The decision to participate was not easy. Everything seems to be in order in the head, the body was well prepared for many hours of exercise. But there is always a stop sign in front of the unknown. The heart desires, and at the same time the mind inhibits the drive. After all, have any of us spent 60 hours of total effort without sleep, with a limited amount of calories, in the largest desert in the world, far from civilization? Does anyone even have the imagination to grasp it? Sorry, but I’m not. Moreover, how to prepare for it? 1000 questions and no answers. After the place of the event was announced, the terror grew. A desert, an absolute place that does not allow mistakes, extremely hot days and cool nights. Can you survive it at all? I have always said that I feel better in cold or moderate climates, and the temperature of 25 degrees is already a total blast. So I found another great argument to postpone the decision to participate. The second, because the primary one is the love to food. And time was running out. Registration was nearing the end. A special group of participants attacked with loads of information. Most of the enrolled are AGOGE veterans. Experienced, knowing the general rules and laws of the event. By sharing their knowledge, they did not help in making the decision. On the contrary. Their overflow of information pressed me to the ground like a stone of several tons. Time has not been well used in the last few months. Friends saw me struggle with my thoughts, struggle with myself. Instead of getting a grip, full of energy, start training hard, extend trekking, leave the comfort zone, look for knowledge about living in a deserted desert, I totally let it go. Suspended in the „matrix”, I could not cope with it. Each attempt ended in failure. Even the list of mandatory equipment turned out to be a big challenge. It completely cut me off from rational thinking. The fear was deafening the remnants of the will to act. I have analyzed everything, I knew what I have and what I have not yet. What and where to buy. But until the last moment I put off everything. And yet I was already aware of what could happen at the very beginning. The absolutely seething a backpack, which without perfect knowledge of the arrangement of individual elements could have ended in a disaster. A lesson that I treasure from Hajni to this day. More days and weeks passed. In the end, I had to bet on one card, do or a die. I’m flying or not. The final decision was made in the middle of a sleepless night. Exactly the same as the registering for the first Hurricane Heat. Spontan, which was also a well-thought-out decision. Because I knew then that this long road of sleep helped me understand that not the finisher status is the most important here, but the way to get to know yourself. And in retrospect, it was quite an important factor throughout the entire challenge.

And so it’s time to fly. Tickets bought, test done, hotels booked, parking paid for, bags and suitcases packed. I headed to the airport. Unfortunately, the test result did not come on time and I was not departuered in the end. Fuck. Was I surprised by this fact? Not really, I took it like a man knowing that I had personally screwed up doing the last minute test. I sat down with my luggage at the airport and, breathing deeply and calmly, waited a few hours until the airline’s hotline was opened. Panic was not indicated here. Having learned that it was only possible to rebook on Saturday, I started looking for alternative connections to Abu Dhabi, and due to the lack of such connections to Dubai. At this point, there was no force to stop me from the great adventure. The good souls keep watch over me, and new flights were in no time. I know that my friends were more worried about this fact than I was. However, I did have some past experience. So I was hopeful. The one-day delay may not have been comfortable, but it still allowed me to participate in AGOGE. So it happened. A day later I was on a plane to Dubai. Phew! „First preAGOGE mission completed,” I thought.

The arrival in Dubai was as scheduled. After 11 PM I was already checked out, waiting for my companions to travel to the Hotel in Abu Dhabi. I got there after 3 am. The AGOGE start was waiting for us the next afternoon. At 4 p.m. we were supposed to be fully packed and equipped as if we were to start our mission. Passing the stage of checking the list of equipment was a priority for me, although I was aware that I was not 100% prepared. The contents of the backpack are one thing. Knowing how to use it is the latter. Not to mention the compulsory and proposed skills, such as knowledge of star and sun navigation, basic Arabic or a few basic knots. The situation was quite nervous. Considering that an additional element in the form of a compass was added to the list literally at the last minute. But we all passed it. We were given guidelines that we would go to the desert in the morning. We were allowed to return to the rooms. The first joint decision was a common start on the greatest eats of life. This time none of us counted calories.

It was not a quiet night. More a few light naps than a good night’s sleep. Maybe a good thing? After all, it was not fully known what morning meant in the concept of Krypteia David W. As it turned out later, the wakefulness was a good choice. Exactly at 2 am there was a loud knock on the door and the password: wake up – we are starting in 10 minutes. What a military atmosphere! We set off slightly shocked when we suddenly broke out of a nap. We were not the last one, other participants slowly gathered in front of the hotel. The organizers checked the attendance list, divided us into 2 buses and we set off into the unknown. The more than 3-hour ride was marked by the figure out, what will they give us to do? What’s going to happen today? Will I be ready or will I fall? Or more simply, how many times will I die? The whirlpool of thoughts kept us awake, did not allow us to regenerate before the rough ride. After a few minutes, Krypteia Rob gave us our first individual task. Diary. This topic ran through the entire event. We always got one subject to analyze and record our thoughts in front of the camera. It was and is quite difficult for me. Talking about myself, thinking about myself as an individual in the group. What can I be useful for, who am I, how can I help the rest of team complete the mission? In retrospect, it made sense. In a moment of stress, it was a void in my head. What can I offer myself? I can barely get along in English, let alone any substantive help. But being self-aware of my strengths here and now was quite important in the later efforts for the team’s survival. An hour before the official start, we covered our eyes with a black scarf and waited in uncertainty for the further development of events.

The bus stopped and we nervously sharpened our hearing as we waited for further instructions. We moved like the snake holding our arm. We began an attempt to work together, to communicate with the words: forward / backward / stop / go in order to safely follow the direction of Krypteia’s voice. We felt sand under our feet, the warm breath of the air indicated unlimited space. We waited for further instructions, lined up. It was team selection time. 4 people, who were debutants of AGOGE, selected by the commanding officers, were to create their own teams. While pointing to the participants, they asked them a question. The answer allowed the Captain to decide on suitability for the team. Each selected person could remove the blindfold from their eyes. One of these Captains was Magda. I was chosen by her first. And I am very grateful for that. Be the first, for which I thank you very much. I will never forget the moment when my eyes are exposed. There was a beautiful sunrise spilling light over the endless desert dunes. An unearthly moment. In one second, my heart was filled with cosmic energy. I was already satisfied. This moment has rewarded me with all the effort and stress I have been so far. I felt like a young god drawing power from the rays of the sun. Assigned to groups, we listened to the speeches and the applicable rules. We were given the first group task to get to the flags and the map. This is how this desert adventure began. The clock began to count down 60 hours.

The flags were placed on the tops of the opposite hills of the dunes. They were not visible from the starting line. However, we had no choice but to run away from this mountain of sand towards the dry lake and move forward, hoping that the closer we got, the more something would appear to us. We were looking nervously at the other teams, which direction they were going, what direction they would take. At the same time, we started trying to agree our tactics ourselves. The first steps up weren’t easy. The loose sand inhibited the climb, the choice of the nearest road was problematic. We learned this strange version of trekking. It’s hard to compare it to anything. Perhaps for climbing the peaks of high mountains, where reaching the nearest elevation requires going down and climbing the side hills leading to the destination. Such a zig-zag travel meant that the scale on the map was not perfect, because there was no chance of a perfectly straight path at all. To get the team’s flag and colors, the entire team should be at the top. Our trophy was green. The first action is behind us. In addition to the flag, there were vests, a map and a book waiting for us, which was a clue for the next challenges. We put on our armor and began to analyze the map. You could see the brainstorming. Especially with AGOGE veterans. With some experience behind them, they tried to help the team. It was fun to watch these struggles. An idea was given, then it was analyzed, pros and cons. Then another one fell. In the end, we rejected the extremely imaginary, aiming at the least sophisticated. The decision was made that we were going towards the tents of trade exchange. Krypteia Sam nodded and we moved on. The sun was beginning to scorch sharply, and the hike moved slowly through continuous sandy hills or loose descents. This was our standard. Our Bedouin day and night order. At the very beginning, everyone verified their equipment in terms of the current conditions. Shoes, gaiters, and finally T-shirts. As one fit, the other had to be improved. Constant struggle with the harsh desert conditions. The water supply was slowly shrinking. However, we learned how often and how much to drink so as not to become dehydrated and not to use everything. The source of the water was not on our map, and it is not known when it could appear. After a few longer moments, we reached our first destination. We sat down in front of a large Bedouin tent. We waited for the other teams to arrive. There was a fire and tea in front of the tent. As it turned out, this is a Bedouin tradition. We heard a lecture on how the visitors were once hosted, what rite was in force. We were offered hot tea. Believe me, I have not tried such a strong potion in my life. It was a nice change from the water. Besides, I knew that such a strong brew would give a kick, after all, it must contain a lot of theine. At the end of this nice stop, we were given head scarves and another map. Krypteia Sam left us and came to our team Krypteia M.

Our goal now was Bedouin games place with an intermediate stop to replenish water supplies. Whatever that meant, it was time to get up and go. For the next hours we marched through endless dunes. The heat and not very friendly terrain took its toll more and more. The pouring out of liters of sweat washes away the last layers of electrolytes from us, which we tried to replenish, but was it effective? The cramps began to appear more and more often among the team. And ahead of us are the dunes to the nth power. The monotony didn’t make it nice. Everyone probably dreamed that behind the next dune, there would already be the desired goal. Finally the group leaders screamed. We have it! Yes, lucky to see a water container. The legs suddenly sped up. We got to the pot faster than the speed of light, or so it looked like. We replenished our supplies and moved on in a spirit of satisfaction. Somewhere in front of us, our second target was waiting. The fatigue of the material increased with each successive meter, each successive dune. We got to another dry lake. There should be a flag fluttering here somewhere. But there was nothing. We trudged on until we saw it – unfortunately at the top of another hill. There was no way out. With small steps, joint forces, we rolled up. And when we got to the top, we breathed a sigh of relief. There were applause, thanks for the fight and reaching the team without any major damage. We hit the sand, waiting for the remaining teams. Some of us rested while David Watson showed us a Bedouin game of pebbles. What was this game about? Oh the dates! We had a moment to practice while the other teams reached their goal. Thanks to this, we had an advantage over them. In the final competition, we won 3 kg of dates. It was a real joy. The food we obtained gave us an advantage. A fuel that not every team won.

It’s time to choose our next trip. There was a choice: a camping site, but also a little further Oasis and water next to it. The choice was not obvious. The tiredness among the team was visible, the easiest way was to choose the final goal for the night. But the Oasis was tempting. So much so that we were the only ones to move towards it. We wanted to get every point on the map. But time passed mercilessly. It was an unequal fight. Us versus the desert. Imaginations of what the Oasis could offer us grew with every step. The falling sun cooled our enthusiasms faster and faster. We knew that two teams finally moved towards basecamp. The third team went directly to the water point, only we were left with our dream of fruit and refreshing bath. We’ve reached the border of Saudi Arabia. But we did not finally find an oasis. At the moment, we had to make a rather difficult decision. We are looking for water or we are hitting the camp directly. However, supplies were severely depleted by the attack on the oasis. And it was still a long way to the camping site. So we decided to make up some dunes and find the water point first. Navigating in the dark was no easy thing. This is a higher level of skills. We could not clearly define which direction would be better, because the slopes of the dunes were not visible. It’s like wandering almost in the dark. We reached the point with water in total darkness. I don’t know if it’s tiredness or night, but the shadows of the dunes in front of us seemed to be vast mountains, impregnable. It was a hard moment for everyone, I think. We were fed up with the hills, which evidently maliciously appeared every now and then like new fragments of rock during an active earthquake. The only joy that accompanied me at that moment was a wonderfully clear sky full of glowing stars. It took a long time, sweat, pain, but we got there. Despite the choice of other directions, more or less on a par with the fourth team. There was no time to rest, because we had to build a Bedouin tent from scratch, which was to give us a night shelter. Believe me, we knew what and how, but with the execution, and more with getting along with each other, it was worse. 20 hours of continuous activity meant that each „crap” rose to the rank of a big problem. We finally built the tent. We could pick up the brushwood and light a fire.

The time between sunset until sunrise the next day was the period of fighting between the teams. Each of us wore a belt with three tapes that could be intercepted by other people on the other teams. Any such foreign tape could be exchanged the next day at the market. It was a very valuable thing. It was necessary to devise an appropriate tactic. The first two teams, capturing the camp grounds, found loot with flour, coffee, tea, oil, and finally water. They shared among themselves without leaving us a single gram. We were doomed to their grace. We could not conduct official exchanges, because these could only be conducted with hot tea, which we did not have. However, we got some flour from the team we shared our dates with earlier. This is how we could bake both ourselves and them a few loaves and eat after a hard day, gaining strength for the next one. The night was quite peaceful, although some teams tried various provocations to lure us out of the tent, but to no avail.

Slowly it started to get brighter. The sky above the horizon was starting to lose blackness. It meant one thing. AGOGE is behind us at least 24 hours. And that was the moment when we got the first part of the Trifecta AGOGE with the symbol: PREPARE. What happened during this time was to prepare us for the next, difficult challenges. We were supposed to learn how to act in the team, get along and make common decisions, often despite different opinions. Finally, it’s physical preparation. The heart was kindled again. A tear appeared in the eye. And this thought. I have it. This little piece gave us a huge kick. Like a double espresso in the morning. We were ready for the new day. For a rather difficult and hard day, which we were about to find out about.

After the morning decorations, we went to put together our Bedouin tent. Unfortunately, we already suspected that we would not part with it so quickly and that it would be our additional load today. It was actually so. The captain received a new map which indicated that the next destination was about 6 km away. We managed to put together the tent in three parts. We split into three groups and tried to figure out how to wear it. And it was not an easy topic. It irritated us that we have to stop to rest every few meters. The weight was so heavy that it was cut into the hands. Krypteia M. was very composed and reassured us that it was better to move slowly and stand every now and then, than not to move forward at all. It was like that. And as it turned out, we were no exception. Each team experienced the same. The dunes, the falling sand from under our shoes did not help us at all, and the heat was starting to take its toll again. Each part weighed approximately 80 kg. We had to re-learn our own coordination in jointly negotiating dunes with the weight in our hands or shoulders. Under such conditions, the water was declining at an alarming rate. Initially, we followed everyone in one direction, but at the top of the first dunes we split up. Each team went in a different direction, and yet our goal was the same. And at that moment, we were overcome by serious doubts. Was our choice right? It was difficult to find the answer, because it was not known what was lurking behind the nearest dune. Each team took its own risk. For a moment it seemed like we were in the lead, but over time it turned out that the other teams were catching up with us. Unfortunately, the strength was diminishing with each meter. A terrible heat poured from the sky, causing a rapid dehydration process. And the goal did not come any closer to us. We came to another dry lake and began to wonder which direction to go. One of the teams went in a different direction, another one was behind us, and we inside started to look around and look for some sign, because according to the map we should be very close. We looked with horror at the dunes piled up in front of us, but we knew that we would not avoid a close encounter with them. Eventually we had to take it like a men and move towards them. Believe me, no one was laughing then. Each of us dreamed of a water source and that at the very top there are camels waiting for us to help us transport these heavy Bedouin tents. The peak attack lasted a good half an hour. We no longer had the strength. The weight effectively sucked the last of our power out of us. We tried to trade people to help the whole team reach their destination. We finally arrived last. Tears appeared on their faces. Our bodies were completely exhausted, our minds were plowed, our organisms were exhausted. We dropped like flies. The water supplies were totally exhausted and the source was gone. Unfortunately, the promised camels too. Was that the end of our possibilities? Was this attempt to break us? David W. announced that perhaps the camels will appear at the next point, which, according to the maps, was still more than 10 km away. WTF? Someone got busted here? Typically, during each Hurricane Heat, there is a moment when Krypteia announces a new mission, totally out of space, unreal and incomprehensible. I always say out loud: Really? Of course, my objection is only passive, because I know that I have no influence on what is happening here. You have to acknowledge and move on. To mitigate despair because of the lack of the anticipated camels, we were given chilled camel milk, with the proviso that if you did not drink it, you may experience some stomach ailments. I tried it and when I sucked on it, I couldn’t tear myself away from the cup. I had to break away from the source of a nutritious drink by the strength of my will and reason in order to reach the next point with water without any stomach revolution.

As a consolation, the source of water was on the horizon, visible from the dune we were on. All we had to do was go down and refill the empty bottles. And so step by step, with a changed configuration of our weight, we covered successive dunes and subsequent meters. This time we joined the tent in two parts. It made this connected piece so damn heavy, but we also had more people to carry it. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to be a good idea in the long run, although it was a solution. Part of the team no longer had the strength to carry anything except their backpack. Magda handed over the role of Captain to our Geronimo and from then on he coordinated the movements of the entire team. And he had a difficult tough cookie. After all, handling the logistics of over 150 kilograms of a tent at a time when each wearer had forearms swollen was a real challenge. Let me remind you that we were in a total desert, and the temperature reached 40° Celsius. I tried to help everyone – the group with the heavier part, and Magda with the lighter part, which we carried together on our shoulders, saving our hands. It was a much better way in the long run. Magda and I found ourselves entertained. Probably the sun warmed us too much, because the sand we were walking on was shimmering in the colors of delicious brulee cream, the taste was still in our memory from the total eating before the start. In fact, these jokes relieved some stress and fatigue.

Time flew and kilometers were flying like a slow trickle. And although we were still the first, we felt breath on the back of the red team. Ultimately, they won this task. Another tactic won. Each of their teams was carrying some piece of equipment. There was no person with an empty mileage. It was different with us. This translated into greater and faster fatigue of those who were carrying. And the weight was playing tricks all the time. It didn’t cooperate with us at all. It kept slipping off the metal bars. It was the hardest episode, requiring a lot of dedication, patience and control of the nerves, but most of all reconciliation with physical pain. Minutes passed, quarters of an hour, and finally hours of hiking. Slowly but steadily we made our way forward, getting closer to the target ahead. The next teams were ahead of us. Finally, the Captain decided to change the load configuration and we went back to three lighter parts, which translated into a faster sand track. That it would not be too easy for us, and probably because of the running out of time, the commanders started to rush us. Ultimately, Krypteia Sam made it clear that if we don’t get to sunset, we’re out of the game. Geronimo, me, Kalman and probably Claudio pulled together and started running with the weight. This saved us, but also showed that we still have some strength to be in this game. We reached another dry lake, where we and the previous team were allowed to rest for a while in the rays of the setting sun. It didn’t take long, but we heard the tents stay here. Our joy knew no bounds. They took pity on us. It was a false belief, but it sounded perfect at the time. The password was given – off you go. Honestly, I don’t really remember this part of the race, as if my head had turned off and my legs were walking by themselves. It got a little cooler, the body cooled down a bit, the muscles rested. I only remember the fact of reaching the next deserted lake, already in complete darkness. There we waited for the other two teams who chose a different path and had 15 minutes 'slips’ to us. While waiting for the others, we had time not only to light a fire (in which Magda turned out to be an expert), but also to rest for a while. I don’t know what time it could have been – 5 pm or 6 pm? It was definitely completely dark now. I suspect that we had almost 40 hours of walking behind us, no time to sleep, no much rest. Believe me, the body was operating in automatic mode. Each lying down made a man fall asleep in a fraction of a second. I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced such a feeling of fatigue. Man is intelligent enough to be able to detach his head while walking so that he has minimal control of moving forward, in fact pulling the body forward, something like levitation or sleepwalking. We welcomed the arrival of the other two teams with applause. When we were full, the commanders decided to speak. Unfortunately, defeating today’s stage with a weight was not too aggressive, so we did not make it before sunset to the place where the games with the bird were to take place. I have no idea if it was supposed to be a hawk or some other bird. Unfortunately, we were too slow and we had to accept that they would not organize attractions for us again. I felt a bit sorry because it could have been a really awesome thing. Because who of us had the opportunity to see how a hawk is trained in life? Noone. We were given a few canisters of water, so we replenished our fairly used resources and lined up in four rows according to the colors of the teams. It got serious. A confusion began to appear in my head. What this time?

David W. did not make us think long and announced that we would run on the way to the second basecamp. We were not amused, but we had no choice. There is no discussion with orders. The faster the man will accept it, the less it will hurt. Anyway, being in a total wasteland in the middle of the night, it made no sense to resign. At the very beginning, we were told that any withdrawal from the game would be tied either way to the route to the point from which it would be possible to take such a person to the starting point, but from there everyone would have to deal with it on their own. So I don’t think anyone would get caught up in such a scenario. David W. decided to ask us about the length of the route to be covered. Looking at the map, we estimated that it would be about 8 km in a straight line. David denied it and raised the stake to 12 km and added that we will be shuffling at a pace of 3 km per hour. The plan was accepted, and without looking back, we started walking. My head counted that we were going to run four hours in the dark, across the cool sand dunes, and it wasn’t easy to accept. Especially as the pace of the race was constantly increased by the commanders. Muscles were burning, our breathing was cranked up, our heart rate exploded and sweat poured down over us. There was no way out, however, it was necessary to keep walking, escaping from the chasing leaders. Only 12 km? Easy! But believe me, it has been an extreme experience after surviving the last 40 hours. We have nothing left but mutual motivation. We didn’t want to lose any of the team. The conviction that those lagging behind are being watched by commanders and that from time to time one of them is kicked out of the game was extremely mobilizing. So curled up, we did not look back, but rushed forward as much as we could, something like a „Wings for life” run, where the finish line is chasing runners. Not knowing how much we had already run, how much more is ahead of us, somewhere in the middle of the run we started to hear shouts calling for medics. Yes, exhaustion of the body was bearing its fruit. We passed companions who gave advice and it was not a pretty picture to look at. But even among those who continued to run on their own, zombies began to appear. Seeing how much our team was stretched, Dawid W. decided to help the most tired and started the action of pulling them with a piece of rope. A piece of paracord ended with 2 loops turned out to be a very simple help tool and allowed the group to maintain the appropriate pace of the walk. And so we passed more dunes, more dry lakes, until at some point we came to the place where during the day we were to meet the attraction of bird training – just like the Bedouins did. Instead, we were fighting with ourselves to survive. We fought not to lose anyone on the team. More and more people needed help with transportation. This incredibly fast pace meant that each small break in waiting for people walking in the back gave birth to more zombies falling asleep in the microsecond on the sand. Seeing my teammates go through the torments, not having the strength for the next meters, my heart tightened more and more and I felt terribly helpless that I could not help them all. There were times when a man had to choose who to help, who needed it most. Fortunately, as a team, we were able to deal with it, communicating with each other and adjusting the common forces to the capabilities of the entire group. It was a never ending story. In my opinion, it took forever, yet it was only a few hours. We moved step by step, dune by dune, grain by grain, holding together, helping each other as much as possible and watching to see if anyone needed help. Suddenly David W. stopped everyone and divided us into 4 separate groups, lining up in rows like at the very beginning of the run, but we were supposed to be connected to each other holding our backpacks. The slogan was given: 2 km to the finish line of this stage, and from now on we are flying at full speed. At the beginning of our thread stood Captain Geronimo, who set the pace for our entire group, and believe me, I was crying and begging him to slow down. I just couldn’t take it no more… And he still had enough strength to pull our ten behind him. Man – robot. It was the moment for me when I heard the quarrel between the devil and the angel in my head. One urged to stop, to withdraw from the game. The second – to continue the challenge. But there was no end. At one point, I asked Andrew if he could see buses on the horizon. He denied it. It turned out that it was just my brain, so focused on one goal – finish, it drew this picture for itself. If you remember correctly, it was a night and everyone was shining with white or red headlamps. And total fatigue made these lights interpenetrate each other, drawing amazing things in the sky, from which our inner desire tried to visualize what we dreamed about. I don’t know by what miracle, but we made it to the very end. We have come to the second resting place in a terrible state. We lined up in front of the Krypteias, staggering on our feet. Some of us slept standing up with their eyes open, not responding to any calls, others had to be held forcibly so that we would not lie down on the sand. In this state, we waited for what would happen next. Another chase or a moment of rest? We are announced that the next inter-team battle will begin after sunset. There was a water supply in the camp – fortunately, because after these few hours of running our resources were completely exhausted. We set off in search of a place for a fire. We shared the tasks. I went to get water for the whole team, others started collecting firewood. Probably no one was thinking about the war, we were able to move relatively freely around our rest. Each of us wanted to warm up by the fire, dry wet things and eat freshly baked bread. So that was the goal for the next few hours. It was the second sleepless night. Yara warned us about it. The night before she had said that the former was still bearable, while the latter would be an incredible challenge for the psyche, for the spirit, and for the body, and she was right. Everyone in our group was so tired that a second of sitting, reclining or lying position was enough for the brain to completely shut down. Of course, we couldn’t let that happen. 45 hours have passed and we have another 20 ahead of us. It was a pretty cool moment. By the warmth of the fire, we finally had a moment to rest, laugh, talk and gain strength in the light of the fire, forgetting for a moment what still awaits us. All in all, in this state of affairs, no one was tempted to do anything, we did not have the strength for it at all. Only this moment mattered.

Slowly the sun began to brighten the horizon. I’ve been waiting for this moment. I remembered that many of the previous AGOGE participants had said that every time the sun rises, our body – despite being totally exhausted – wakes up and tries to restart itself. I had it in the back of my head, and I wanted it to happen very much. Unfortunately, the increasing heat radiating from the sun’s rays caused quite the opposite effect. My brain seems to have received the signal: „time to sleep” rather than „get ready to fight.” It scared me a bit because it was going to be a hard day. Each squat ended with closing my eyes. I had to get up and start walking in circles. Sunrise – just like the night before – began trading with the acquired bands and trading goods. We managed to get some tea and replace the unnecessary items for a kettle. I did not participate in it. I was totally cut off from reality. I couldn’t get out of the void. Magda tried to ask me something about tea, but from what I remember, I think I was anti. Rather anti everything. A strange feeling of helplessness, as if I cannot control my body and mind. A sip of tea helped me wake up a bit and sharpen my eyesight. And this one noticed four camels trotting on the horizon. Yes, it was not an illusion. What a joy in the morning! And even though we had nothing else to carry except our backpacks, the awareness that we would touch camels was enough to motivate us to wake up. Before we had a chance to approach the camels, however, there was a medal ceremony. It was the second part of the Trifecta called ENDURE. Looking at the last 24 hours, I think none of us had any doubts that it was quite a hardcore game and we deserved this piece of the medal.

After a short ceremony, we returned to the fire waiting for the map and another camel challenge. We were given 15 minutes to get to know the camel’s keeper, learn what the camel’s manual is, how to call it, how to drive it or how to run with it. We also used this moment for each of us to get on a camel and walk a few meters. A moment of total joy. And that’s good, because we felt as we had received the coolest gift for Children’s Day. The time has come for the AGOGE Games. But the place was a few kilometers away from our present position. So we packed ourselves into small backpacks, throwing on them in a panic some water and the most necessary things, and the remaining large bags were placed on the hump of our camel. So packed, we took our green flag and headed to the starting point of the competition. Fortunately, the road was fairly flat, with no dunes. After all the teams had arrived at the starting point, we started the first game. It was a run with a camel. Our team turned out to be the winning team. Working with a camel seems to be very easy, but remember that if you don’t like each other, the camel will stand still and deny its weight. So dragging a camel which is standing, is almost a miracle. Fortunately, our players liked with our camel each other and we managed to win. The second game was a riddle, which we also solved. And the prize was a map as another clue leading us to the finish line. I wasn’t very active during the competition. Better competitors signed up for the running competition bidding on their records per kilometer. You have to compensate for the fact that after 50 hours of total „hard work”, personal results have little driving force, and what counts here is more happiness and, in a sense, self-denial. Still, not wanting to be the fifth wheel, I took over the map and moved ahead, overtaking my group and the red group. I don’t know from where, but suddenly my strength bursts into me, like after a magic Panoramix drink.

The map directed us to the evening rest area, led us to the water source, but then we went again towards the endless dunes. Knowing what might await us and having the experience of the previous day or night, we immediately began to select candidates who could lay off the group to help them overcome the next hills. It was not without hesitation, because it is known that any such help may cause commanders to look at a given person a bit less graciously during the awarding of medals. And everyone took a punt of honor to cover the greatest possible distance on their own. And it was not easy, because it was probably the hottest day in all of AGOGE. The temperature was slightly above 40° and it was not as windy as the day before. The conditions are Spartan, it caused terrible exhaustion and quick dehydration of the body. The awareness that there would be no more water source added to our fears, because we didn’t really know how many kilometers we had to go to the finals. The fight started from the first meters of ascent. Our groups began to focus more on helping their teammates than on proper navigation. I think there was a person on every team who knew more about navigating. Other people were stronger, willing to help others. Still others tried to motivate. Each of us was more or less predisposed to a given task, but in a situation where the navigators were involved in helping the team, dragging weakened people, the attempt to properly bounce the route was a problem. At one point, the leaders stopped us and we were taken beatings and insults from them. There was no discussion. One person in command had to be chosen, navigating both teams, and the rest had to deal with the help of the others. And so we trudged forward, passing more descents, more dunes, more descents and dunes. Strength and commitment decreased with each successive meter. It was the moment when I started to doubt if I could make it. Physically it was ok, but unfortunately the terrifying heat, running out of water and the realization that you could not help everyone caused the morale to drop. In addition, the commanders began to increase the pace even more, playing again in the line that was chasing us. For them, it didn’t matter whether you were walking alone or helping someone else. I had more and more doubts as to whether everyone would actually be able to finish this edition of AGOGE. The condition was to reach the finish line before sunset, and it started hiding sharply behind the rising dunes to the west.

And the moment came when our colleague Claudio and a colleague from another team were escorted to the medics’ tent due to total dehydration, fatigue, exhaustion and, I think, also overheating of the body. Believe me, it was the moment that totally beat me. All work, all my heart, all my strength – not only mine, but our whole green team, which we put together helping Claudio up to this point, has been wiped out. It’s not that I felt sorry to sacrifice myself and put a lot of effort into helping someone. But about the fact that I didn’t put much more me into the process to get him to the end. The moment we waited for the decision to resume walking, my head was buzzing, my thoughts were racing, and I was really thinking about giving up as well. But who would take me away from here? Either way, I only had one choice. If I quit, I would still have to follow the team towards the finish line. I was aware that the body could still, the problem was the head. Burdened with a sense of personal failure, my head was unable to cope with further motivation. And that was my biggest problem, a total crisis. I told myself that I had no choice. I have to go as long as I have some strength left, at most I will not come. As I mentioned at the very beginning, my motivation was not to finish, but to participate. From the very beginning, I assumed that there is a possibility of resignation, but also that I would be 100% committed. For myself and my team. Only a murderous effort verifies our desires and resolutions. So we moved on, unsure and threatened with the ever-approaching sunset. But we walked with the hope that it would not be a disgraceful end and the first AGOGE that no one would finish. It was also the moment when the tired brain started playing tricks. I began to feel incredibly real „dejavu”. I asked Magda. She felt the same! Was it all about? She and I had the feeling that we’d been here before, together. Moreover, we knew exactly what was about to happen. Totally strange feeling. Yes, I had the feeling of „dejavu” in the mountains, but here it was terribly real. I am glad that we agreed on this topic then, because it stopped being scary anymore. We started laughing as we tried to understand the situation. We were aware that what was happening in our head could not be true. Such a split personality while awake. But thanks to our playful conversation, somehow we pushed forward. In the last kilometers, Krypteia Rob began to accelerate strongly. At one point, he came up to me and Magda and said: „Hey Poles, I will overtake you again and you are out of the game. Remember that.” I, a calm person on a daily basis, exploded internally. The situation was made worse by the fact that my brain claimed that the circumstance had already happened. This increased the aggression towards Rob, as if he criticized us a second time. Shameless! How can he dared to suggest that we Poles are not strong enough and do not deserve to complete this challenge. This one thought was constantly raging in my head, not allowing others to come to it. “How can he treat us like this when he knows how much effort and sweat we put into helping the team. Why doesn’t this fact count? ” I was so angry at him. Today I digested this and I am very grateful to him. Rob wanted to motivate us very much so that we would not hesitate and use the last strength just to get to the end. And what was happening in my head was just a self-fueling spiral of anger produced by an exhausted organism. Perhaps this is how the interrupt instinct works. While the storm was still going on in my brain, suddenly something loomed on the horizon. I looked, the palm trees! Real palm trees! So, finish. My heart squeezed and the tears started to fall on my own. I did it discreetly, I don’t know if Magda noticed it or not, but the emotions took over. Even now, when I write about it, I am deeply moved. I think I have no words to put on paper what I felt then. It was intoxicating to know that I had experienced something so unimaginable that, along with other madmen, I made a journey, not only deep into the desert, but also into myself. Of course, we didn’t know yet whether we were finishers or not. But that was not the most important thing at the moment. We covered the last meters as a team, singing the AGOGE anthem together, repeating the words after Yara. We have it! We are done! Unfortunately not whole team. We lost Israel on the way. He was almost at the finish, he had less than 2 km to the finish line. And he couldn’t make it. But I still think that it is not about the medal, but the whole experience and range of emotions that you gain during the entire event. It is a treasure that will nourish our mind, enriching our personality throughout our lives. I would like to dedicate this message to all those who thought, think or are about to take part in AGOGE. AROO!

We received the last part of the Trifecta in the evening during a Bedouin dinner. The part SUCCESS brought all our efforts together. Someone once said that success is the result of our preparation, hard work, and learning from failure. And I agree with that. AGOGE beautifully emphasizes each of these elements. It teaches humility, commitment, and learning from failures. It is also an amazing cultural journey. The whole chore is woven into the scenario of getting to know local life, often reaching the distant history of a given place. And that is why AGOGE is something worth experiencing at least once in a lifetime. Perhaps one of the future editions will take place in a place that is your secret dream? Then the decision to participate will be much easier for you. And this is what I wish for you. I feel something that the emotions accompanying me during AGOGE have become a little addiction, and what will I do about it? Who knows…