Tds 2017

[Fellrunner1975]

I'm in for the TDS this year. I did the CCC in 2015 and that was a tremendous event from which I have great memories. Has anyone done the CCC and TDS who can offer advice on the differences between them other than the obvious "it's longer with more climb".
cheers
JB

[Wardy]

Have done TDS twice, can't comment on the comparison to CCC as I haven't done it but really enjoyed it.
It has more technical bits than UTMB and feels much more remote and ground generally steeper.
Big climb up out of Bourg is the killer as it is in the hottest part of the day.
Climb near the end up to chalet thingamajig is an absolute twunt as well, very steep and you never seem to get nearer.
If you are happy with poles and used them at CCC then I'd recommend them for this.
Comfy shoes - I set off the first time in x-talons, big mistake, was in Hoka Stinsons the second time!
Have a good 'un.

[Fellrunner1975]

Thanks Wardy. There were 3 humps at the end of the CCC and the last was a death march. The heat that day was ridiculous too. You must have enjoyed it if you went back for more. Never used poles and wore inov8 trail ultra's for the CCC. I am looking for more cushioning this time though. The profile of the climb out of Bourg looks a beast!!

[Martyn P]

I'm in for the TDS this year. I did the CCC in 2015 and that was a tremendous event from which I have great memories. Has anyone done the CCC and TDS who can offer advice on the differences between them other than the obvious "it's longer with more climb".
cheers
JB

I did the UTMB in 2014, CCC in 2015 and TDS in 2016. I'd agree with Wardy that the TDS is generally more technical, though I think people tend to forget how hard the descent down to Vallorcine is on the UTMB when your legs are knackered and every part of your body is crying out to stop, likewise the following climb up to La Tete aux Vents. This didn't seem quite as big a deal on the CCC

I found the TDS much tougher than the CCC, but I think that was largely down to the very high temperatures experienced at last year's race (and that's saying something). I think I'm right in saying that the TDS descends to much lower altitudes than the other races and as we dropped down the valley into Seez it was around 35c and stifling hot. That's followed - as Wardy says - by that fecking awful climb out of Bourg St Maurice and I'm still not sure how I survived it. People around me were dropping like flies, by the time I reached the top I literally didn't know what to do with myself and it took a while before I was moving at anything like a decent pace. That final climb after Chalets Whatever out of Les Contamines is the Col de Tricot and that's a killer too, be sure you leave something in the tank for that bugger.

As far as footwear is concerned, I wore Cascadias for the UTMB and NB Leadvilles for the CCC and the TDS. The Cascadias were a mistake, it rained for the first six hours and the grip was useless and my feet were rolling around in them, that race cost me six toenails*. The Leadvilles were brilliant and I didn't have a single blister in either race. I don't know how they'd perform in the wet though.

Martyn


* yes, all on the same foot

[MorganW]

As far as footwear is concerned, I wore Cascadias for the UTMB and NB Leadvilles for the CCC and the TDS. The Cascadias were a mistake, it rained for the first six hours and the grip was useless and my feet were rolling around in them, that race cost me six toenails.

I still have the pair of Cascadia 7s that I used for UTMB in 2012. That year, it rained heavily, hailed and snowed and the precipitation finally stopped about 10 hours in. I was one of the few people who didn't fall and get covered in mud. Perhaps the 7s had better grip than the newer iterations, or maybe my balance is better than yours Martyn!* ;-)

* - clearly "used to be" now....