The North Face Ultra-Trail du Tour du Mont-Blanc.

La "Petite Trotte à Léon" is an event for “inseparable” teams of 3 people (of which at least 2 finishers in the UTMB®) with the aim of covering the full circuit of Mont-Blanc, which means 220 km for about 17,000 metres of positive altitude change. This “ultra-hike” takes place in complete autonomy with rest and refreshments in the different refuges along the way.

This new event must be completed inside the maximum given time of 100 hours; from Wednesday 27th August at 8am. (Start) until Sunday 31st August at midday (last possible arrival).
This event is without ranking. In fact to finish this circuit is already an exploit in itself and a ranking could cause safety problems. However a diploma will be handed out to each team member having finished the course. The team of three is inseparable from the start to the end of the event.

The organisation is communicating intensively with the runners to make them aware of the difficulties and dangerous objectives of this new event. The Petite Trotte à Léon will take place on paths far more “committed” than those of the UTMB® : narrow paths, very steep slopes, stone falls, crossing heaps of fallen earth, risks of getting lost. Often taking place at altitudes of over 2,500 metres, the course can be far from any huts and in the case of poor weather, meteorological conditions can be difficult. Finally, there will no other assistance other than that usually supplied by the huts, except for evacuations where necessary.

Race Control set up from the Start and through the entire event will permanently follow the progress of the teams. Each team will be fitted out with a GPS/GSM radio beacon sending out a signal approximately every 15 minutes. This information will also be available on the Internet and will enable a permanent follow-up of the teams on Google Earth.

A little walk which has nothing to do with a little walk…

The course will follow mapped paths, but will not be specifically sign posted.
A 100% mountain and country course (less than 5km of made-up roads).
A specific road book, with all the maps at 25,000th of the definitive course of the Petite Trotte will be communicated to each runner in June 2008.

The course actually planned is as follows: Chamonix - Bel Achat - Servoz – Prarion - Col de Voza - Col du Tricot – Miage - Refuge de Tré la Tête - Col du Bonhomme - Col des Fours - Col de la Seigne - Refuge Elisabetta - Col des Chavannes - Mont Fortin - Col du Berrio Blanc (2848m) - Col de la Youlaz - Col Chécrouit – Courmayeur - Refuge Bertone - Mont de la Saxe - Col Sapin - Entre Deux Seaux - Col Malatra (2930m = the highest point on the course) - Col des Ceingles (2817m) - Col de St Rhémy - Col du Gd St Bernard - Col des Chevaux - Col du Bastillon - Lacs de Fenêtre - Col de l'Arpalle - Col du névé de la Rousse - Combe de l'A – Bavon - Praz de Fort – Champex (chez Léon) - Fenètre d'Arpette - Col de la Forclaz - l'Arpille - Le Trétien – Emosson - Col de la Terrasse - La Loriaz - Col des Montets - Lac Blanc - Col de la Glière - La Charlanon - Chamonix

Equipment

A list of obligatory material (not exhaustive) per team and per person will be controlled at the Start. Advice for complementary material will be communicated for a good adaptation to the mountain world in which the event is taking place. For the team, the obligatory material includes in particular a bivouac tent, a rescue pack, a digital device vouching for the presence of the three runners at obligatory points and at least a portable telephone with international option…
The team of three will have to remain inseparable (therefore united!) from the Start to the Finish of the event.