PTL 2012 Regulation

WARNING

The route taken by the la Petite Trotte à Léon contains passages which are technically more difficult than those met on most Trails (in particular the UTMB®). Those wishing to participate require a good knowledge of the ‘middle’  mountain environment.

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, every team adapting its progressional tactics to suit the profile of the ground and conditions of  the moment.

To progress in safety competitors have to master the techniques of navigation with a GPS and possess the necessary knowledge in order to use a map, compass and altimeter.

KEYS TO SUCCESS: being able to cope with facing bad weather, lack of sleep, fatigue, the cold, the heat, hunger, thirst…

I. ORGANISATION

The Petite Trotte à Léon (PTLTM) 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 2012 PTLTM will start from Chamonix taking the form of a circuit in the middle and high mountains with a distance of about 290 kilometres and 22 000 metres of positive height gain.
The start is fixed for Monday, August 27th, 2012 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 2nd, 2012 at 16:00, that is a maximum time granted of 138 hours to realise the complete route.

III. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EVENT

  1. The aim of the Petite Trotte à Léon is to complete the event within the given time. It can in no way be considered as a competitive event and for this reason there is no final classification.

  2. It is open to teams of two or three persons among which one at least must have already finished the UTMB® or the TOR DES GEANTS (this clause is widened for 2012 to include competitors who finished the 2011 «Défi de l’Oisans»)

  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. The teams in principle are inseparable, but the abandonment of a team member will not inhibit the others from continuing on the condition that it does not have a negative affect on the security of the individuals.

  5. Further to abandonment, if a competitor is left alone they will automatically eliminated from the race. Exceptionally he may continue with another team depending upon the race directors’ decision. In these conditions, they will have to keep possession of the beacon(tag), the GPS and their team documents (maps, log book) and they will be obliged to stay with this team.

  6. The event takes place with total autonomy; the teams manage their own refreshments and their rest time.

  7. The organisation equips the competitors with all the necessary information on the route, the rest and eating possibilities (notably by proposing a list of refuges or inns who in partnership offer set rates), also a GPS per group (to be returned at the end of the event).

IV. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

  1. The PTLTM is open to anybody born in or before 1992 (categories ‘espoirs’ (promising) to veteran), licensed or not.
  2. A specific medical certificate is necessary for the definitive validation of your registration. A copy must, obligatorily, be sent by each competitor, by mail or via their runner’s file of at www.ultratrailmb.com, before May 31st, 2012.
  3. Each participant must obtain, before the start of the race, an insurance policy which covers all the possible costs of search and 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 or English only; one for each team member).
  5. Files of downloadable plans and waypoints for personal GPSs (these files will be downloadable from each competitor’s runner’s file a fortnight before of the beginning of the event).
  6. Round the clock telephone contact with the race HQ and follow-up on Google Earth via the GPS tags provided.
  7. An energy meal on Monday, August 27th in the evening before the start of the race and at the bases of Champex and Morgex (also spares bags and the possibility of resting).
  8. Rest area, medical assistance, meal in Chamonix at the end of the race.
  9. Ultra-Trail® t-shirt for all the participants.
  10. Souvenir present for all the finishers.
  11. Personalised certificate for those who finish having completed the complete route.

VI. CANCELLATION

All registration cancellations must be made by e-mail or registered mail. No cancellation may be made by fax or telephone. Reimbursement for registration deposits will only be made as follow:

Date sent and Amount reimbursed, in % of the amount of the registration fee, without costs
Before 15 March:  60%
From 16 March to 15 May:  50%
From 16 May to 31 July:  40%

After 31st July no reimbursement is possible...

VII. 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.
  • 1 breathable and 100% waterproof jacket.
  • 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…

VIII. 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 at the start and 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

IX. TRACKING AND CONTROL

A GPS/GSM tag is given to each team, with sufficient batteries for the duration of the event. Around every 15 minutes this tag emits a message which indicates the position of each team (within the limits of the available GSM network). This information is displayed at the race HQ to follow the progress of the teams, ensuring that they are respecting the route and watching that the event runs smoothly. This information will also be available on the internet and allows one to follow the progression on www.ultratrailmb.com.

To avoid any disputes the teams must register their GPS track throughout the route (according to the possible number of points which can be registered at one time on their GPS) and be capable of giving a copy to the organisation when requested.

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

A race HQ will be established in Chamonix for the duration of the event and will follow the progression of the teams continuously by; speaking uniquely to the runners who call with a problem which they encounter en route or if necessary calling and co-ordinating with 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 arranged for the PTLTM : the runner should try to use public transport or that of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®.

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.

XI. 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)

XII. INSURANCE

Public liability:
The organisation pays public liability insurance for the duration of the event. This public liability insurance is a guarantee against the financial liabilities of its responsibility, 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.

XIII. 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®, TDSTM and PTLTM 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.

XIV. 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.

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