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Sep 2022
11:37am, 2 Sep 2022
17,207 posts
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NDWDave
Well UTMB was pretty tough... Not sure I will do it again - the drag from Champex onwards was something that drained my reserves and I needed the carrot at the end of a novel finish.
One thing I only realised today is the TDS is outside the scope of running stones unlike OCC/CCC/UTMB. Will be interesting too see if that suddenly attracts a lot more applicants
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Sep 2022
11:42am, 2 Sep 2022
9,107 posts
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Northern Exile
UTMB absolutely IS pretty tough Dave, well done on finishing the damned thing. How would you say it compares with other races you have done?
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Sep 2022
11:48am, 2 Sep 2022
3,446 posts
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flyingfinn
Well UTMB was pretty tough... Not sure I will do it again - the drag from Champex onwards was something that drained my reserves and I needed the carrot at the end of a novel finish. One thing I only realised today is the TDS is outside the scope of running stones unlike OCC/CCC/UTMB. Will be interesting too see if that suddenly attracts a lot more applicants
I noticed that as well and wondered the same. What I think what may well temper that is the extended TDS route now in use is arguably much harder than UTMB but completing it doesn't earn the same recognition from the wider world.
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Sep 2022
2:46pm, 2 Sep 2022
17,209 posts
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NDWDave
NE - I would say the first third of Lakeland 100 is harder than any third of UTMB but Lakeland eases after Seasthwaite whereas in and out of Courmayeur and onwards is brutal plus altitude kicks in.
Took an extra 10 hours for UTMB running on empty with a tough finish
Lon Las was probably easier for me but 250 self supported miles on the road isn’t for everyone - that was a different challenge
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Sep 2022
3:58pm, 2 Sep 2022
908 posts
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Maccathecracker
As I’ve got no stones but an index, TDS does interest me. It initially didn’t fill up this year so they opened it up to people rejected in the other ballots. I think it’s a first come first in basis.
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Sep 2022
12:19pm, 3 Sep 2022
9,113 posts
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Northern Exile
NE - I would say the first third of Lakeland 100 is harder than any third of UTMB but Lakeland eases after Seasthwaite whereas in and out of Courmayeur and onwards is brutal plus altitude kicks in. Took an extra 10 hours for UTMB running on empty with a tough finish Lon Las was probably easier for me but 250 self supported miles on the road isn’t for everyone - that was a different challenge
That's really interesting Dave, I have heard the Lakeland 100 compared to the UTMB before and I always thought it an unjust comparison, but I suspect my judgement is coloured by familiarity of the Lake District and of course these things are very subjective. I thought the route out to Seathwaite is mild by comparison with the massive climbs that the UTMB throws at you, so what is it about the LL100 that makes you think that? Is it because the ground is a wee bit rougher and unmarked? We're all different in our attitudes to terrain I think.
I know what you mean about running on empty on the UTMB, I felt that the food at Courmayeur wasn't exactly sustaining and I struggled to get enough real calories on board, from La Fouly onwards it was a real struggle. I was never in any danger of not meeting the cut-offs (they were a bit tighter in 2014 when I did it), but you do feel the pressure.
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Sep 2022
5:38pm, 3 Sep 2022
17,215 posts
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NDWDave
I think it was a couple of the descents in the first night where loads of people fell over that I found tough. The climbs are massive on UTMB but I don’t remember struggling with any descents - other than them taking several hours
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Sep 2022
6:27pm, 3 Sep 2022
9,114 posts
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Northern Exile
I think it was a couple of the descents in the first night where loads of people fell over that I found tough. The climbs are massive on UTMB but I don’t remember struggling with any descents - other than them taking several hours
That makes sense, I understand what you mean. And to be fair, there are some nasty descents in that first section, I hate going down Scarth Gap to Buttermere in daylight, never mind darkness.
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Sep 2022
8:13pm, 3 Sep 2022
17,217 posts
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NDWDave
That sounds like the section. I don’t remember any of the UTMB descents being that sketchy.
As a comparison to finishing sections, valorcine-tete aux vent-finish was massively challenging for me. I thought the last climb on Lakeland would take some beating…
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Sep 2022
8:30pm, 3 Sep 2022
9,115 posts
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Northern Exile
God, yes. I found it hard to lever my arse out the chair at Vallorcine and when I actually did and was half a mile up the road I realised I'd left my sodding poles in the check point. I went back for them and thankfully they were there. I managed this trick at the Cormet de Roselend CP at the TDS too 
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