UKH

I've just found out I've been accepted for the TDS this year, so am pretty excited to have my late summer 'A' race finalised.

Has anyone else been successful in the draw for that or other races?

On previous threads I know some people have done the TDS before (indeed its partly what encouraged me to go for it as most of the feedback was positive). Do you have any recommendations as to the best place to base yourself? Looking at the route, there doesn't seem to be anywhere that is particularly close to the aid stations where third parties are allowed to meet you. Bourg-St-Maurice is a long drive from Chamonix and by the time you get to Les Contamines it hardly seems worthwhile. 

I'm tempted to tell my long-suffering wife that she can just stay in Chamonix and enjoy the area and not bother joining me, assuming I'll have a drop bag at the halfway point, but interested to hear of any other experiences.

I did the TDS twice (well failed at contamines the first time) and we stayed in St Gervais.  The family just left me to it on race day and only came to watch the finish.   The UTMB comes through the day after so you cheer them on with aching legs the day after

Agree, best just have family meet at the finish. Otherwise a hell of a lot of driving and waiting about and I heard the buses are a bit of a nightmare too. Saying that there was fabulous support at all sorts of places along the route.  Suppose it depends how keen you are to have a friendly face along the way. FWIW i saw people pulling out at checkpoints when they saw their loved ones- they just broke down emotionally! 

There's a drop bag beyond the huge climb out of Bourg. 

I've just stayed in Chamonix valley both times. (UTMB and TDS)

Good luck!

Me and a few of my pals are in the TDS as well. Thinking of trying to stay in Cham, although proving difficult to find at the minute.

Thanks for the responses everyone. After doing the CCC last year the wife met me at Champex, just after halfway and although I was welcome of some dry clothes, a friendly face and some homemade pasta and potato soup, I had to hang around a bit longer than I wanted and got quite cold, and quite frankly I just wanted to get on with running the race so I think with a well-stocked drop bag I would be better to manage myself. One of my goals is to spend less time in aid stations this time.

In reply to dj_brigham05:

Yes, its ridiculously expensive. Last year I found a decent AirBnB place who then cancelled my booking (apparently they made a mistake with dates) about 6 weeks before the event forcing me to pay an absolute fortune for another one.

I learned my lesson and booked a 'free cancellation' apartment in Chamonix on booking.com a couple of months ago just in case I got in. I live a couple of hours drive south of Chamonix so am not planning on hanging around too much either side of the race (I've watched the UTMB as a spectator and enjoyed the spectacle before).

Good luck with finding a place and enjoy (and good luck with) the TDS. 

I would recommend the family stay in Cham so they can see you finish aa nd can entertain themselves with some paragliding or the like while you're out on the course. I've done TDS and UTMB and felt that the TDS was much less spectated (which suited me) than UTMB which did feel a little overwhelming at times.

Well done on getting the place, I loved TDS much more than UTMB. This year however I've been lucky(un?) to get a place with a team in the PTL.......

Chapeau to that - those PTL finishers come over the line with a real 1000-yard stare and for good reason. Good luck.

I find with key events these days, places for accommdation book up 365 days before the event, as people reserve online as soon as the electronic calendar allows them. So you often have to reserve your bed before you even enter the race!