Tour du Mont Blanc

Day 1 - Arrival Day
Day 2 - Run from Chamonix to Les Contamines
Day 3 - Run from Les Contamines to Les Chapieux
Day 4 - Run from Les Chapieux to Courmayeur (Italy)
Day 5 - Run from Courmayeur to La Fouly (Switzerland)
Day 6 - Run from La Fouly to Trient
Day 7 - Run from Trient to Chamonix (France)
Day 8 - Departure Day

We start in Chamonix and head down the valley to Les Houches before making our way up over to Les Contamines. Our first night is spent here before we carry on to the steep climb over the Croix du Bonhomme. The views from the Croix back down the valley and towards Geneva are incredible. From there we head down to spend our second night at Les Chapieux, a remote hamlet and our last stop before heading over into Italy. The next morning as the sun rises from behind the Aiguilles des Glaciers you will climb up to the Col de La Seigne. From here the route stretches into the horizon along the valley leading to the mountain pass 25 miles away which marks the border with Switzerland, a point where you will be standing the next day. We sweep down into Italy, staggering views of couloirs and rock buttresses towering on the left, leading up to Monte Bianco. The path undulates on nice smooth trails before a last climb, and then a steep descent into Courmayeur. At around halfway of the total route we will be staying here for pizza and a warm bed!

Leaving Courmayeur early the next day following a steep ascent out of the valley you may see the sun rise over clouds carpeting the valleys far below. After a couple of hours running there will be time to stop for a refreshment at the Rifugio Bonatti hut, dedicated to the legendary Italian climber. Indeed, you will be passing some of his ground breaking first ascents as you run the route. From there we approach the fearsome Grand Col Ferret marking the Swiss border at 2537m. The trails down from the col are perfect. You will hear the cowbells from the lush green valley below, as you descend through the stunning scented mountain meadows into the little village of Le Fouly, our next stop, the first of two in Switzerland.

The trail passes through forests running alongside the river and through tiny Swiss villages and fields of hay and wild flowers before heading up to Champex-Lac. Champex is a paradise in the mountains and sits at the juncture to another famous hiking route and potential running adventure - the Walker’s Haute Route. Three more high points stand between us and Chamonix, and around another 25 miles. The view from the next climb is hard to take in, since you can see all the way down to Martigny, 1500m below. Its broad flat valley leads to Zermatt and beyond. The path descends from here through some rocky and tree root covered trails to the Col de la Forclaz and then steeply down to Trient and its beautiful pink church and backdrop of dramatic glaciers, where we spend our last night on the trail.

Our last day, today we will complete our journey and return to Chamonix. A steep climb up from Trient provides one of the most impressive views on the whole route of the Mt Blanc Massif which dominates the horizon, its glacier pouring over into the Chamonix valley below and the end of our adventure. We trot down through the mountain trails into Chamonix to celebrate. It’s an amazing achievement, 104 miles / 168km and 9,000m ascent crossing over 3 countries.

Overnight accommodation in a 4* spa hotel at the beginning and end of the trip (based on twin sharing)
First night evening meal in Chamonix included from a highly rated restaurant
Overnight accommodation en route (based on twin room sharing or small dormitory, supplement for single room)
Bag transport to each day’s end destination
Packed lunch everyday and refreshment point on the last day
All evening meals and breakfasts, except for the evening meal in Courmayeur and on the last night in Chamonix
A qualified Trail Running Guide for the team, with you every step of the way
Training plan
Run the Wild tech t-shirt
Champagne at the finish
104 miles / 168km of some of the best scenery in Europe

Start from Chamonix, France and run through Italy and Switzerland. You will be running for 6 days, with a day either side for travelling and exploring Chamonix

Transport to/from Chamonix via Geneva can be booked with one of the many minibus operators, such as Chamexpress, Mountain Drop-Offs, Alpybus or Swiss Tours. The journey takes around 1.25hrs and needs to be booked before travelling.

Accommodation on the first and last night in Chamonix will be in the 4* spa hotel, Le Refuge des Aiglons (or an equivalent standard hotel) including breakfast on both mornings. This beautiful hotel is located in the centre of Chamonix with stunning views of Mt Blanc. Amenities include the spa (treatments at extra cost) which has a heated pool and sauna, the hotel also free WiFi. Accommodation is based on a twin room sharing basis unless you request single occupancy, which if available will be at extra cost. The evening meal on the first evening is at one of the best restaurant's in Chamonix, this is included in your booking and is a great chance to meet the team and your guide. For the 6 stages there will be a mixture of village hotels and possibly mountain refuges, we pick the best available on the route, these will include breakfast and evening meals (except for Courmayeur) as well as packed lunch each day you are running. Transport to and from Geneva to Chamonix can be booked via one of the many minibus operators that provide a regular shuttle service.

This trip is 6 days of running with an average of around 18 miles / 29km per day. It's not always that easy to run these routes particularly quickly, trail running is often a leveller! So be prepared to be out on the trails for most of the day, we walk the uphills so there is time to soak up the scenery. Clients are always surprised by how much hiking can be involved in the Alps but this is inevitable in such steep environments. We endeavour to run a couple of trips each year of the TMB adventure in order to cater for different running speeds, so we ensure everyone is of a similar ability before they sign up. The trails on the TMB cannot be underestimated, and therefore it's important to do some training before you arrive, particularly multi-day hikes, have run marathon distance in 4 hours or less and have some experience on trails. We also do a kit check on the evening before we set off and highly recommend bringing poles. The Trail Running Guide will route find and as with all our running adventures you will be running as part of a team. If you want to run the route quicker - please get in touch we can do this as a bespoke trip. It's possible to do it in 3 days self-guided and we can provide all the logistics.

Drinks at the accommodation or additional main meals
Personal insurance (required)
Transfers to/from Geneva to Chamonix
Travel to Geneva for the start of the holiday
Travel from Geneva at the end of the holiday

UK MANDATORY KIT LIST

COVID-19 SAFETY:
Face covering (e.g. mask or buff)
Hand sanitiser

CLOTHES:
Wicking top and shorts / leggings
Socks
Trail running shoes (sufficient tread)

ACCESSORIES:
Fully Charged Mobile Phone including the number of your Run Leader and Event Director (charge before use and make sure it's in a waterproof case or bag)
Whistle (normally found attached to your bag)
Personal first aid kit (eg: blister packs, sunscreen, inhaler etc)
Water bottles or bladder (if distance or weather requires it)
Snacks (if distance requires it)
Lightweight, comfortable running pack, max 12 litres (if distance requires it)

WEATHER DEPENDENT ITEMS:
Lightweight waterproof jacket
Sun hat / cap
Warm hat and gloves
Waterproof bags / dry bags
Please note: we will not be checking your kit on the day, unless there is adverse weather conditions. We highly recommend you bring these items for your safety.

EUROPE MANDATORY KIT LIST

COVID-19
Face covering (e.g. mask or buff)
Hand sanitiser

CLOTHES:
Lightweight waterproof jacket (preferably Goretex / Event – must have a hood and sleeves)
Lightweight waterproof trousers or leggings (optional for Intro to the Alps and Running & Yoga trip)
Wicking top and shorts / leggings
Sun hat / cap
Warm hat and gloves
Additional warm layer / thermal top (for when we stop or it gets cold)
Socks (eg: Injinji)
Trail running shoes (sufficient tread)

ACCESSORIES:
Fully Charged Mobile Phone including the number of your Run Leader and Event Director (charge before use and make sure it's in a waterproof case or bag)
Lightweight, comfortable running pack (5-12 litres ideal for our weekend trips, 11-15 litres for longer trips)
Water Bottles / Bladder with minimum of 1 litre capacity in total
Sunglasses (the sun is very strong in the Alps)
Snacks to sustain you for the planned route (eg: TRIBE bars, trail mix, chocolate)
Salt Tablets (e.g. Nuuns, especially in hot weather)
Emergency cash
Waterproof bags / dry bags to keep stuff dry
Headtorch (only on multiday trips eg: TMB for use in accommodation)
Whistle (normally found attached to your bag)
Personal first aid kit (eg: blister packs, sunscreen, asthma inhaler etc)
We will be checking your kit for our European adventures.

POLES

Although not mandatory, we highly recommend trail running poles for our European adventures, especially if you are taking part in the TMB or similarly longer trips. They have been proven to help! We recommnend Leki's lightweight trail running poles due to their comfort, durability and design. We demonstrate how to use poles correctly on all of our trips, including in the UK