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Ultra Trail - Tour du Mont Blanc
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I think I'll get it though just to start getting a feel for the area
If nothing else I'm sure the pictures will be inspirational!
It is an amazing place!
i'll lave my wallet at home I think or I will be in trouble but I can browse for hours in there!
I am definatly doing the event, barring any major mishap.
I wont register until early next year (ie when I have some cash).
I'm going to do the Grand Union Canal Race as well in May- which should serve as a good (if flat) warm up.
In for a penny in for a pound!
well they take Euros in the alps so I should be ok!
Didnt you just run round a track for 24 hours?- If you can dp this you can do the GUC at the very least.
The longest (duration wise) I have gone for is 16 hours- how I will fair when doubling that I dont know- I'll have to find out
I need to buy a pair of rose tinted glasses from ebay!
Hey Caspar - glad to hear that the book opened your eyes. Believe me - it's even better when you see it for real. Btw life is actually much cheaper over here than in UK so you shouldn't worry too much about that aspect. Getting here? - now that's another question all together.
One word of advice - if you can afford both time and money it's a good idea to get to Chamonix a week before the race - that way you have time to do some height acclimatisation. Chamonix is at 1000m asl and you can get easily to 3000+ and back in day tours. Considering that the race is mostly between 1000m and 3000m (where oxygen starts getting scarse) it could be a good idea to have at least some acclimatisation.
Me? I'll very likely be in Chamonix for most of August, walking, running, biking, climbing.............and resting.
over to you guys!
I'll have to bring the missus along to laugh at me at the end.
Can you recommend any good websites for accomodation etc
Yes I was thinking about making a trip of it, at least 3/4 days on either side if possible.
Fost time in the area and am looking forward to it already
what sort of accomodation are you after?? depending on what you want I can recommend some places in Cham.
There are some great camp sites in Cham if you want to rough it a bit, alternatively there are loads of Gites d'Etape which should have free rooms at end August. Going up market a bit there are also loads of good, cheap hotels. By staying out of town (2 or 3k) you can save quite a lot of money. For instance I always stay in a place called Les Praz which is close to one of the cable cars (Le Flegere). This is a really nice little village within 20/30 minutes of walking to Cham along a nice footpath. If you have a bike of course it takes even less along the same path. This is a really good place to go running or biking from as well plus you'd have the opportunity of going up to the Lac Blanc on the cable car to see the last part of the course (great views of Mont Blanc from up there).
Chamonix has a really good website with hotel accomodation but I'm afraid I don't remember the address. I'm sure that a google search would turn it up quite easily though.
or www.chamonix.net (English site with loads of info)
or www.leshouches.com (Les Houches tourist office)
fm - where do you stay in Les Praz? Friend of ours is one of the partners at the Hotel Eden there (www,hoteleden-chamonix.com)
Les Praz sounds the ticket
My first sight when I look out of the window or the door in the morning is the summit of Mt.Blanc. If I poke my head out and twist it a bit I can see the whole Aiguille de Chamonix range until the Mer de Glace tributary and up to the Dru. Beats looking at the appartment buildings in front of my home (that's very unfair to my home cos I can also see the wheat fields just behind the building).
Caspar there are quite a few hotels in Les Praz which fit your description. You should have a look at the site as recommended by fb.
"Always seem to be on holiday" - but why work when the weather is nearly always great, food is wonderful, wine is cheap and girls are beautiful.
Make holiday while the sun shines (that is the correct quotation isn't it??) - anyway with the government that we've got we better enjoy it now because we sure ain't going to enjoy it when we retire.
do you reckon I'll get preferential treatment then if I do the event in one of these fur coats then?
oh - and talk with your hands
If I break through that though then I am definatly going to be heading over end of august
I'm also injured (big time). After doing three marathons and two halves between mid September and mid January I now have a slipped disc with assosciated severe sciatic nerve pain. I've been stopped for a month and a half month now and there is absolutely no chance of doing any running until May/June at the earliest.
So that puts shot to the event - for this year anyway.
On the bright side I am able to swim so I'll be using this period for improving my swimming - may finally get to do a triathlon or two later in the summer.
i have tendontitis /rsi on my ankle - or at east no one can quite make up there mind - cant run for more than 20 mins
-slowly getting back into swimming and have been doing some turbo bike.
has been hard to motivate as I had put triathlon off for a year to conecntrae on some trails
i am still hopeful about entering though.