Monthly Archives: September 2015
A Sure Sign of Autumn: DDM Trail
Autumn is my favorite time of year in the Alps. The busyness of summer has subsided. Cowbells echo over frost-covered hills. Désalpe, the annual celebration when herds of cows move down from summer pastures, is starting to take place throughout the region. In the mountains, a thin mantle of snow comes and goes with each Continue Reading →
Running the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc. Year… After Year… After Year
This past month saw the 13th annual running of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) trail race, arguably the most famous trail race in the world. The race course wends its way for 166 kilometers around the Mont Blanc massif, from Chamonix, France, into Italy, Switzerland, and finally returning to Chamonix. For many runners, the UTMB Continue Reading →
The Allure of Running Sierre-Zinal
Sierre-Zinal is a 31-kilometer long mountain race that climbs over 2,200 meters from the valley town of Sierre in Switzerland’s Valais region to the mountain village of Zinal. The course brings you along mountain trails and dirt tracks, and passes small hamlets and historic points like the Hotel Weisshorn. It has been happening every summer Continue Reading →
