Trail Ticino

[MorganW]

After 3 years of turning up in Chamonix the last weekend in august for the UTMB series of races, I have decided to venture to pastures new in 2013.

For those of you who may or will be going, I hope my own thought process that it is my presence that accounts for the shocking weather these last 3 years turns out to be true!

On the strong recommendation of Michel Poletti, the UTMB Race Director, I have entered Trail Ticino which starts in the village of Airolo late on 2 August 2013.

The race website is here:

http://www.trail-ticino.ch/EN/trail_ticino_133.html

Major attractions for me are:

400 runners only
133 kms
9,600 metres of climb
A rugged looking course.

Some video clips here. The shorter 58 km race which takes the last part of the longer course:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xuk0RdxTjmg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRLQ_nmK8xQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr-nQpnHa9Y

The map of the course is here:

http://www.trail-ticino.ch/EN/index_...s/totalmap.pdf

and it expands nicely from the 10.4% setting at which it is posted. Excellent Swiss maps!

Looking forward to it already.

[MOUNTAIN MAN]

Yes looks good Morgan. While the razzmatazz of the UTMB is great to experience I am sure there are lower profile routes like this that have as much to offer in a different kind of way. The likelihood of only one night out makes it attractive as well. I look forward to hearing more about it

[MorganW]

Tony

The route looks like a belter.

I am planning a 2 day recce at some point, which would be excellent training for anyone with UTMB/TDS/CCC aspirations.

I'll detail my plans as they emerge in case anyone wants to join me!

[MorganW]

Sadly, I've decided to pull out of TT.

A nasty patellar tendon issue is causing trouble. All my own fault for being seduced into running without my orthotics for most of 18 months. It won't be fixed in enough time to allow me to do the training I want to do to tackle this monster. (133 kms and 9,500 metres.)

But the organiser has kindly allowed me to roll my entry forward to 2014, which gives me something to look forward to.

[MOUNTAIN MAN]

Sorry to hear that Morgan I was looking forward to your report on it. These days I am not confident of entering any long continental runs as I can't keep going long enough without injuries to get the required fitness. Anyway good luck for 2014.

[MorganW]

Trail Ticino has had to switch locations from the Valle Levantina into Valle di Blenio (to the east) because of access/local difficulties.

So it will be a new set of races this year.

The area is very beautiful, the mountains are peppered with small lakes and tarns and the "long" race weighs in at a hefty 130 kms with 10,000 metres of climb (that's not me mis-typing!) More climb than UTMB in 35 kms fewer.

3 shorter races, similarly testing one suspects.

Website here:

http://www.ultrarace.ch/