Traverse the rugged mountains of the Gran Paradiso National Park in the Alps of Northern Italy.

The Alps of northwestern Italy are a quiet, rugged diamond in the rough. Literally just off the beaten track, this Aosta Valley region encompasses more than a dozen small, quiet valleys, with less-trodden trails, rustic villages and rugged passes. Our trip to this region follows the first section of the legendary 330 km Tor des Géants ultra endurance event, from Courmayeur to Cogne, Italy.

What's Included

• Daily guided trail runs with a licensed International Mountain Leader
• Accommodation for five nights
  
• Buffet breakfasts, food and premium nutrition on the trail, and multi-course dinners every evening
• Group taxi from Geneva Airport to Courmayeur at the start of the tour and a group taxi from Cogne, Italy to Geneva Airport at the end of the tour
• All taxi and cable car transfers to and from trailheads that are included on our planned itinerary
• Luggage transfers
  
• A copy of our Guide to Trail Running in the Alps, which contains 80+ pages of information and tips from Run the Alps staff and guides

Cost

$4590 per person
$600 single supplement

Itinerary

Day 1 - Courmayeur
After landing in Geneva, Switzerland, you’ll take a two-hour shared shuttle to Courmayeur, Italy, on the “sunny side” of Mont Blanc. After meeting the group, enjoy dinner together in this rustic Italian village.

Day 2 - Courmayeur
We’ll run up to Col d’Arp and onto an exciting ridgeline trail over Mont Fortin. We’ll finish the day by running down to the small mountain town of La Thuile. We get a transfer back to our hotel in Courmayeur.

Day 3 - Valgrisenche
Our day starts with a warm-up, running to the end of the local valley. Then, we move up into the alpine zone, pausing for a treat at Rifugio Deffeyes. Next, we’ll climb to 2,857-meter high Passo Alto, then 2,826-meter Col de la Crosatie. A long descent past a flowing alpine river brings us to our overnight destination, Valgrisenche.

Day 4 - Valsavarenche
Today, we enter Italy’s wild Gran Paradiso National Park. After a break at Rifugio Chalet de l’Epée, we climb over Col de Fênetre, then descend to the village of Rhêmes-Notre-Dame. Our second climb takes us over 3,002 m high Col d’Entrelor. Finally, we coast past alpine lakes and high alp farms, down through the forest to the charming Valsavarenche.

Day 5 - Cogne
After an Alps breakfast, we’ll climb over 3,295 m Col du Lauson, the high point of the Tor des Géants ultra event. The descent is secured by ropes and chains, and brings us through pastures to Rifiguio Vittorio Sella. From there, it’s a long downhill run to the medieval village of Cogne.

Day 6 - Depart from Cogne
Today, we’ll bid arrivederci after our Italian alpine trail running adventure. An 8 am shared shuttle will take guests to Geneva Airport via the Mont Blanc Tunnel.

Prefer to run on your own schedule, without a guide? Go self-guided and let us take care of all the logistics.



Photo credits: Tom Benitez, Doug Mayer, Milo Zanecchia, Rhodes

Event's current local time: 7:39 PM SAT