Ready to go for a run?



Ready to go for a kinda-exposed, three-minute run with an 800-foot drop on your right-hand side? Welcome to trail running in Switzerland.



Okay&#8230; mind you, it&#8217;s not always like this. Most of the time, a mountain run here means pastures, snowfields, herds of cows and flocks of sheep. Café au lait and a sandwich fromage. But, every now and then, if you pick the right trail, you get to cruise along some pretty cool arêtes, hang on to chains alongside of sheer cliffs, and climb rebar ladders up alpine gullies.



Champéry&#8217;s Galerie Defago is the tourist version of those challenges, but the exposure is still pretty cool!



A few historical details, courtesy of <a href="http://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/infra_anlagendetail.cfm?rkey=808&amp;instance=1015244&amp;art=Adventure%20parc%20-%20Nature%2FLandscape" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Myswitzerland.com</a>:



In 1862, Emmanuel Défago made accessible the rock wall at the Rives by cutting a ledge along most of the rock wall.



This gallery is more than 600m long and in certain places had to be cut into the rock. It follows a natural cornice almost horizontal where tufts of denostyles with leaves of&nbsp;petasite (Adenostyles albifrons) flourish. The magnificent view widens as one heads on. At its extremity (1127m), one finds oneself directly opposite Champéry. Without&nbsp;doubt from this point one enjoys the nicest view of the village extending itself graciously over the lower mountain slopes into the valley, which opens up towards the plain.&nbsp;One can distinguish well the church tower of Illiez and the village of Troistorrents.



&#8220;Looking with interest at the big rock wall that raises high facing Champéry on the other side of the river Vièze, one is struck by the word &#8220;Galerie&#8221; written in big letters on&nbsp;the stone, like a shop sign. This sign, that one does not expect to find on a bare wall, points out one of the most interesting and enjoyable walks in the surroundings of&nbsp;Champéry&#8221;. (Arthur de Claparède, &#8220;Champéry, le Val d&#8217;Illiez et Morgins&#8221;).&nbsp;

Ready to go for a Run?

We love Janji. We share the same desire to leave the world a better place than we found it - holding ourselves accountable to deliver high quality products that do good for people and the planet. So after Janji President Mike Burnstein came on a Run the Alps trip, the conversation flowed naturally. The result? This collab! Here in the Alps, there’s often a cool breeze. It blows off the rivers that flow along the valley floors or from the snowfields and glaciers up high. That’s where a lightweight, long sleeve layer is useful. It’s the kind of piece that stays in our running vests all season, because you just never know when it’ll make the difference between a quick chill and pure coziness. Features: Ultra fast-drying with excellent moisture dispersal for sweat-wicking performance Designed to resist cling even when soaked with sweat HeiQ® Fresh odor control treatment Raglan sleeve design combined with flatlock seaming and minimal neckline give you unhindered movement with zero chafing UPF 25 sun protection Run the Alps logo and icons on left arm Janji reflective logo on left chest and arm + “watermark” on back increase visibility in low light 100% recycled polyester, made in Vietnam Models: Sheridan Stride: Manages the RTA Chamonix Shop, she works for a transfer company, and is also a pet portrait artist. She live in Chamonix and runs around. Sheridan is 5'1 (155cm) and wears a size XS. Mike Murray: Guide at Run the Alps. He's also a navigation tutor and first aid teacher. Mike is 5’11 (180cm), and wears size M. Photos: Olly Bowman

We love <a rel="noopener" href="https://janji.com/pages/our-responsibility" target="_blank">Janji</a>. We share the same desire to leave the world a better place than we found it - holding ourselves accountable to deliver high quality products that do good for people and the planet. So after Janji President Mike Burnstein came on a Run the Alps trip, the conversation flowed naturally. The result? This collab!
Here in the Alps, there’s often a cool breeze. It blows off the rivers that flow along the valley floors or from the snowfields and glaciers up high. That’s where a lightweight, long sleeve layer is useful. It’s the kind of piece that stays in our running vests all season, because you just never know when it’ll make the difference between a quick chill and pure coziness.
Features:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Ultra fast-drying with excellent moisture dispersal for sweat-wicking performance
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Designed to resist cling even when soaked with sweat
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
HeiQ® Fresh odor control treatment 
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Raglan sleeve design combined with flatlock seaming and minimal neckline give you unhindered movement with zero chafing 
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
UPF 25 sun protection
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Run the Alps logo and icons on left arm
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Janji reflective logo on left chest and arm + “watermark” on back increase visibility in low light
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
100% recycled polyester, made in Vietnam
</li>
</ul>
Models:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Sheridan Stride: Manages the RTA Chamonix Shop, she works for a transfer company, and is also a pet portrait artist. She live in Chamonix and runs around. Sheridan is 5'1 (155cm) and wears a size XS.
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Mike Murray: Guide at Run the Alps. He's also a navigation tutor and first aid teacher. Mike is 5’11 (180cm), and wears size M.
</li>
</ul>
Photos: Olly Bowman