No Picnic

I simply have to post some extracts from an email I received from the Tour de Mont Blanc this morning. I'm sure that some of their intended meanings have been lost in translation, but that aside, they have some rather strict rules that make North American ultras look like an unsupervised Sunday picnic. I can't believe they are going to weigh my bag at the exit of aid stations, and I'm not sure why I would need to carry a needle and thread with me; perhaps for some self-administered sutures?

The email opens with:

"Our regulations are precise in all imaginable dimensions: the ultra-trails in the mountains are difficult races. You must be totally aware of the difficulties of the event before leaving, be autonomous, know how to deal with difficult climatic conditions, not to cry when you fall, and it is not the role of the volunteers to deal with muscle pain, digestive problems or any other minor aches and pains. As we’ve said it is an adventure. It is not an organised trip but a race. We must therefore concentrate our efforts on the quality of the assistance. "

I think this means that their budget for medical assistance has been reduced. It continues:

We have altered a certain number of regulations. This is the same for everybody, whether you be in front or behind, large or small, man or woman. Read carefully, because the adventure starts here.

1. One back-pack only for the entire course

Tagged at the distribution of race bibs, your pack will faithfully follow you everywhere. Its weight must be a minimum of 2 kg, including at least 1 litre of water. It will be necessary to have this weight at the exit of all of the refreshment points, where there will be controls. The weight of the pack must never be less than 1kg at any point in the race.

2. Under the benevolent eye of the volunteers

As in previous years, the volunteers are there to help you, but also to make sure that the rules are respected by everybody. Amongst them the GCV (‘kind flying stewards’) have precise orders to follow, notably that which concerns the immediate application of time penalties when the rules are not respected.

3. The obligatory equipment is obligatory

It is obvious, but you must at all times be carrying your obligatory equipment yourself. Question of security, and once again, to be fair vis-à-vis the other contestants.

Obligatory material:

• personal cup or tumbler 15cl minimum

• stock of water minimum 1 litre,
• two torches in good working condition with replacement batteries,
• survival blanket,
• whistle,
• adhesive elastic band enable making a bandage or a strapping (mini 80cm x 3 cm),
• food reserve,
• protective raincoat for bad mountain weather,
• running trousers or leggings (au minimum pedal pushers covering the knees),
• cap or bandana.
• Required by the frontier police forces: identity papers

Very strongly recommended:

• mobile phone with option enabling its use in the three countries (put in one’s repertoire the security numbers of the organisation, do not hide one’s number and do not forget to set off with recharged batteries)
• gloves, warm clothes indispensable in the case of cold weather forecasts

Advised (list not definitive):

• telescopic sticks
• change of clothing
• compass
• knife
• string
• sunscream
• vaseline
• anti-overheating cream
• needle and thread

I can see this is not going to be like the as-long-as-everyone-crosses-the-finish-line-upright-we-don't care-how-you-got-there attitude of ultrarunning in North America. I am certainly glad that there will be some Kind Flying Stewards on hand, because I am already feeling some mild anxiety over what I have to keep in mind when my brain is a little starved of oxygen five hours into the event.