Author Archives: Doug Mayer

Not long ago, I was working with Troy Haines, the founder of Run the Alps’ partners, Alpinehikers, when he posed the question, “If you had an entire month, and you could plan any trail running trip in the Alps you wanted, where would you go and what would you do?” It was a tantalizing question.   Continue Reading →

Operating a business like Run the Alps is often quite fascinating. We deal with all sorts of topics—not just trail running, but mountain safety, international travel, logistics, and much more. Each day challenges us to learn, adapt, and make smart decisions. But I never thought I’d be writing about a virus. Still, here we are.   Continue Reading →

As the owner of Run the Alps, I play a support role. Here’s what I mean. It’s really about our guides. Don’t get me wrong. There are a lot of pieces that have to come together just right, to create a great trail running trip. I started Run the Alps and moved to Chamonix, France,   Continue Reading →

Your trips look really cool! But… I’m not sure I can really handle something that challenging. I’ve run a few trail races, and the longest I’ve ever run was 15 miles. What do you think? Thanks. That’s the most common concern we get emailed to us here at Run the Alps, from prospective guests. To   Continue Reading →

This 8-day/7-night tour is scheduled for July 26 – August 2, 2020—and booking is available now. Learn more and reserve your spot here. We expect this tour to sell out. It’s been said that trail running is an improvement on hiking because it’s possible to cover so many more miles—and thus enjoy so many more   Continue Reading →

When I started Run the Alps five years ago, questions about our environmental impact were never far from my mind. For two decades prior, much of my life had been spent on issues related to alpine stewardship, in my home range of New England’s White Mountains. So when I created a travel company in the   Continue Reading →

“I could tell you my adventures—beginning from this morning,” said Alice a little timidly; “but it’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass What happened out there? That’s the lingering thought that returns whenever I think about last week,   Continue Reading →

Guest Post by Paul Martin CCC, short for Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix, is sometimes referred to as UTMB®’s “Little Sister”– a 100 km trail race that runs over the second half of the UTMB® course, from Courmayeur, Italy to Champex, Switzerland and finishing in Chamonix, France.  In recent years, however, the CCC has come into its own, with a   Continue Reading →

Among the many events that make up the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc weekend in Chamonix is the PTL, or Petite Trotte à Léon. (The name is wink to PTL founder Leon Louvey, a longtime UTMB® volunteer based in Champex Lac, Switzerland.) The stats on the course are simply jaw-dropping: 300 kilometers long, with 25,000 meters of   Continue Reading →

Guest Article by Willie McBride, Columbia Montrail Athlete and co-founder/owner of Wy’east Wolfpack. Traveling to the Alps in Chamonix, France for the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc® week is a very special experience, especially for trail runners from the United States. It’s like going to the Super Bowl– after only watching high school football. The sheer energy,   Continue Reading →