Rules for the 2013 PTL

IMPORTANT WARNING

The itinerary taken by the Petite Trotte à Leon includes technical passages which are more difficult than those encountered in the majority of Trails (notably the UTMB®). This means that that those who wish to take part require a good knowledge of the ‘middle’ mountain environment and also good navigational skills.

Some parts of the route can present objective dangers: steep slopes, risk of falling rocks, very narrow paths,  scree or bolder fields and firns (snow pockets), and at intervals no clearly defined path or track...

The route is not  WAY-MARKED and is mostly FAR FROM INHABITED ZONES. It is to be realized IN COMPLETE AUTONOMY. All assistance is forbidden except at the three “resting posts” set up by the organisation where the competitors may find bed and board as well as their spares’ sacks.

In order to progress in security the competitors must be able to master the navigational techniques with a GPS and have sufficient knowledge of how to read a map using a compass and altimeter.

THE KEYS TO SUCCESS : making a preliminary study of the route in order to build a true race tactic, and also to be capable of facing bad weather conditions, lack of sleep, the cold, the heat, hunger, thirst…

I. ORGANISATION

The Petite Trotte à Léon (PTL™) is organised by the Trailers du Mont Blanc (association of the ‘loi 1901’ as announced in the official paper of 29/11/ 2003 under n° 1627, Club FFA n° 074060), within the framework of  The North Face® Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®.
The participants of this event have to know and accept the current regulations and agree to adhere to, without reservation, the ethical charter which covers the entirety of the event, available for consultation on www.ultratrailmb.com

II. PROGRESSION

The 2013 PTL™ will start from Chamonix taking the form of a circuit in the middle and high mountains with a distance of about 300 kilometres and 25 000 metres of positive height gain.
The start is fixed for Monday, August 26th, 2013 at 22:00 from the Place du Triangle de l’Amitié  in Chamonix, the finish will be judged in the same place until Sunday, September 1st, 2012 at 14:00, that is a maximum time granted of 136 hours to realise the complete route.

III. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EVENT

1. The Petite Trotte à Léon can not be considered as a competitive event and as such, official rankings can not be given.
   
   
2. It is open to teams of 2 or 3 persons of whom at least one must have finished, in the past, the UTMB® or the TOR DES GEANTS, one of the previous PTL™ or even the 2012 TDS™. Dispensations may be granted upon the decision of the race direction upon presentation of a prize list for the last three years, as well as for holders of certificates for state or federal diplomas (high mountain guides, walking guides, instructors…)
   
   
3. The initial composition of the teams can only be modified during the period August 1st  to 19th 2012 by conforming to the conditions in paragraph 2.
   
   
4. Teams are principally inseparable, nevertheless the abandonment of one team member doesn’t stop the others continuing on the condition that there is no security risk.
   
   
5. Following an abandonment, a competitor who finds themselves alone may, in this case, continue with another team upon the decision of the race direction, they must keep with them their GPS tag, and the all the team material (maps, road maps).
   
   
6. The route is to be completed in complete autonomy; the teams manage, as they wish, their refreshments and their rest time. Outside of the three “resting posts”, set up by the organisation, they may use the infrastructure of mountain huts. A comprehensive list of the partner establishments will be posted on the website www.ultratrailmb.com .
   
   
7. The organisation will supply the teams with all the necessary information about the route (maps and detailed guide) as well as a GPS tag which will allow them to be located via the GSM network.

IV. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

1. The PTL™ is open to anybody born in or before 1993 (categories ‘espoirs’ (promising) to veteran), licensed or not.
2. A medical certificate dating from less than a year or a sports licence (FFA or Triathlon) is necessary in order to definitively validate a registration. A copy, of which, must be sent by post, or posted on each team member’s runners’ page on the website www.ultratrailmb.com, before May 31st 2013.
3. Each competitor must, before the start of the race, be in possession of an insurance policy which will cover any eventual costs of search or rescue in France, Italy and Switzerland.

V. SUPPLIED BY THE ORGANISTION

1. Race bib (one for each team member).
2. GPS tag (one for each team, 500 Euros payable if lost).
3. Set of detailed maps 1:25 000.
4. Detailed description of the itinerary (in French and English only; one for each team member).
5. Files with the tracks and waypoints to download on to your personal GPSs (the provisional files are available from your runners’ page; the definitive files will be downloadable a fortnight before the start of the event).
6. Telephonic support 24/24 with the race HQ, follow-up on Google Earth and on the website www.ultratrailmb.com.
7. High carb meal on Monday evening, August 26th, before the start of the race, at the refuge de Véran 40km, at the rest areas of Plan de L’Aar 80km, Morgex 165km and Champex 245km (spares’ sacks available and the possibility of rest).
8. The rest bases are equipped with medical kits allowing the treatment of minor infections (blisters, small wounds….).
9. Rest area, medical assistance, meal in Chamonix at the end of the race.
10. Ultra-Trail® t-shirt for all the participants.
11. Souvenir present for all the finishers.
12. Personalised certificate for those who finish having completed the complete route.

VI. OBLIGATORY EQUIPMENT

For the obvious reasons of security each participant must agree to keep with them at all times the obligatory material listed below...

Individual obligatory equipment

• Water reservoir, minimum 1 litre.
• 2 torches in good working order with spare batteries.
• Survival blanket minimum (140x210cm).
• whistle.
• Mobile/cell phone with international roaming (without the number on withhold)
• 1 t-shirt, breathable fabric.
• 2 warm long sleeved tops in breathable fabric.    
• 1 thick fleece jacket with long sleeves.
• breathable and 100% waterproof jacket & trousers.
• 1 pair full length sports trousers or leggings.
• 1 pair of sun glasses.
• 1 pair of gloves.
• 1 hat.
• Compass and altimeter.
• Pen-knife.

Obligatory equipment for each team

• GPS with the route provided by the organization
• The log-book and route maps supplied by the organisation
• A  bivouac tent or a survival shelter (100% resistant to rain and wind and sufficiently large to shelter three people in the case of very bad weather conditions)
• A first-aid kit which allows the treatment of small injuries and minor infections (non-exhaustive list attached)

Required by customs officers

• ID, i.e. passport

Other recommended material (non-exhaustive)

• Stove and saucepan
• walking poles
• other spare clothing
• String, wire, sun-cream, Vaseline or anti chaffing cream…

VII. RACE BIBS

Each race bib is distributed individually to each competitor, upon the presentation of photographic ID, after having had his/her obligatory equipment checked, and having signed an engagement of honour which must be kept with him/her throughout the event.

The race bib must be worn on the chest or stomach from the start to the finish of the race.
It must be presented at any organised control en route.
In Chamonix the race bib is the "pass" required for using the shuttle buses, buses, refreshment areas, treatment rooms, rest areas, showers, areas of drop-off and collection of left bags

VIII. TRACKING AND CONTROL

A GPS /GSM tag is supplied to each team. This tag emits a signal every 20 minutes indicating the team’s position (within the limits of the available GSM coverage). This information will be made available to the race HQ who continually follow the progression of the teams, ensuring that they follow the route. This information will be available on the internet. In order to avoid any controversy the teams must register their track on their GPSs throughout the event and be able to supply a copy to the organisation upon demand.

IX. SECURITY AND THE PROCEDURE TO FOLLOW IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT

The race HQ (PC Course) based in Chamonix and the controllers along the route will be the runner’s only interlocutors to whom they may turn concerning any problems they encounter. If necessary, they will be responsible for alerting and co-ordinating the public rescue services.

In the event of an accident:

• the runners should initially use their first aid kit,
• should they need to consult a doctor face to face they should go to the nearest village
• In emergency or when it is impossible move, alert the race HQ and the rescue services by any way possible 

In the case of abandonment, there is no specific transport designated for the PTL™, runners must organise it for themselves.

In the event of bad weather conditions, and for the reasons of security, the organisation reserves the right to modify the route, to stop the event or to modify the time barriers.

All competitors eliminated by the organisation and who wish to follow the route do so at their own risk.

X. TIME BARRIERS

Time barriers will be defined, and transmitted, for certain points of the course before the event. (they will be sent to the competitors two months before the beginning of the event)

XI. INSURANCE

Public liability:
The organisation pays public liability insurance for the duration of the event. This third-party insurance guarantees the pecuniary consequences of its responsibility, that of its employees and participants.

Individual accident :
Each competitor must be in the possession of individual accident insurance covering all eventual costs of search and rescue in France, Italy and Switzerland. Such an insurance can be taken out  with any company the competitor wishes, in particular with the French Federation of Athletics via a subscription for a license or even the French Federation of  Mountain and Climbing or the French Federation of  Alpine and Mountain Clubs (Air Glacier map for Switzerland).

NB: Evacuation transported by helicopter in Switzerland and in Italy are always at your expense, in France if it is a private operator then it is also at your expense.

XII. PHOTOGRAPHIC RIGHTS

All competitors expressly renounce their rights to photographs taken during the event, just as they renounce all recourse in opposition to the organiser and its agreed partners in the use of their image... 
Ultra-Trail®, Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®, UTMB®, CCC®, TDS™ and PTL™ are registered trade marks. All communication about the event or the use of photographs from the event must be made with respect to the name of the event, the registered trade marks and with the official agreement of the organisation.

XIII. APPENDICE: First aid kit

By consulting your GP before leaving home you can obtain prescribed medicines that are best adapted to the situation and also verify that they will not give any side affects or allergies...

We suggest that you have the following (the list is not exhaustive and does not take account of any habitual treatments):

Dressings, bandages, creams : (all brand names given are available in France)

• Self-adhesive elasticised bandage (6 cm)
  Eg : elastoplast with out dressing strip…
  For ankle strapping or to hold a dressing in place
• Support bandage (8 cm)
  Eg : Cohéban 
• Sterile dressings
• Small capsules of antiseptic
  Eg : Chlorhexidine 
• Sterile compresses
• Butterfly strips
  Eg : Steristrip
  To close small wounds that don’t need stitching
• Gel dressings
  Eg : Urgomed
  To protect damaged skin(blisters, abrasions) after having disinfected them
• Anti-inflammatory cream
  Eg : Voltarène Emulgel
  To use in the event of tendonitis, strains...
• Nok cream (Akiléine)
  To prevent blisters, don’t hesitate to re-apply cream during the race
• Coalgan
  In case of nose bleeds
• Bépanthène
  To treat irritation of the buttocks or between the thighs
• Antiseptic eye-wash

To treat blisters if one of the runners in the team is able to do the following : éosine +  5cc syringe + subcutaneous needle

1. Draw the éosine into the syringe then pierce right through the blister
2. Draw the serous fluid into the syringe
3. Re-inject the mix of serous fluid/ éosine back in to the blister
4. Re-draw the mixture and remove the syringe
5. Remove the remaining fluid with some cotton wool and then use a protective plaster or apply some Nok d’Akiléine.
6. If there is blood present in the blister then there is tissue damage so disinfect the area carefully.

Medicines :

• Analgesics
  Eg : straight paracetamol (example : Doliprane, Dafalgan…) or mix (example : Di-Antalvic…)
  For muscle aches, articulation …
  Avoid using aspirin or anti-inflammatories, they are toxic for the kidneys or the stomach which are already in heavy demand from due to the exigency of the race
  Respect intense pain which may be a sign of a serious problem which could necessitate stopping the race and seeking medical advice.
• Antiemetic
  Example : Vogalène lyoc
  In the event of nausea or vomiting
• Ant diarrhoeic
  Example : Lopéramide
  In the event of diarrhoea 
  Do not forgot the advice of hydrating your food in the event of a digestive problem
• Antispasmodic
  Example : Spasfon
  In the event of stomach ache
• Antireflux
  Example : Ranitidine 
  In the event of heartburn

Always ensure that you have on you some type of glucose or energising bars in the event of hypoglycaemia.