UTMB Mont-Blanc - TDS

TDS 2022 (150km+ 9000h+) | Sur les Traces des Ducs de Savoie

The TDS is IMHO harder and more difficult than the actual UTMB despite being shorter. The Ascents and Descents are steeper, some are even technical and the midnight starting time means an even larger sleep deficit. The race is also significantly longer than the advertised 145km and there is a long (3-4h) stretch without an offical aidstation after Saint Maurice but an "unoffical" one that charges 5 euros per 0.3L bottle of water. That being said, running a couple of minutes with Pau Capell who probably was on his last training run before the UTMB made it all worth it. Will be back next year for the UTMB luck of the draw permitting.

My race went reasonably well. Due to weak knees I wasn't too sure about making it to the finish line in Chamonix but it turned out those werent the biggest issue. After starting towards the back in Courmayeur we quickly made it through the field to around place 240 at the Petit St. Bernard. On the climb from Bourg Saint-Maurice sleep deprivation struck and I had to take multiple 15 minute naps culminating in a 45 minute nap in La Gittaz. I had to continue the very unpleasant cycle of falling asleep beside the trail and waking up shivering 15 minutes later through the cold and windy night from Beaufort to Notre Dame de la Gorge. Shorty before passing the church the sun rose again and I suddently felt better than I had at the start. Subsequently I passed around 130 runners from Les Contamines to Les Houches finishing 428 in Chamonix after being towed by Pau Capell on his training run for a couple of minutes.

Thanks to the organizers and the army of volunteers making magnificent experiences like this possible!

0:00 Bustransfer from Chamonix to Courmayeur
0:15 TDS Start in Courmayeur
2:06 Climb to Arrete du Mt. Favre
2:30 Checrouit
3:10 Lac Combal
3:53 Col du Petit St. Bernard
4:09 Bourg Saint Maurice
4:55 Passeur de Pralognan
6:04 Cormet de Roselend
6:38 La Gittaz
7:34 Pas d'Outray
7:41 Beaufort
9:28 Col du Joly
9:42 Notre Dame de la Gorge
9:56 Les Contamines
10:11 Col de Tricot
10:46 Encounter with Pau Capell
11:07 Finish in Chamonix

#TDS
#UTMB