Run Fast, Eat Slow Women’s Retreat with Elyse Kopecky 

You’ll arrive at the Geneva, Switzerland airport and take a 90-minute shared shuttle to Chamonix, France where you can settle into our chalet accommodations and get to know each other.

The centrally located luxury chalets each have a hot-tub, sauna, and terrace for outdoor dining – and wonderful views!

In the evening we’ll meet up to go through an overview of the tour, before enjoying a delicious catered dinner.

Chalet Sanaz – one or our luxury chalets in the heart of Chamonix valley. (Photo: Mountain Base).

It’s time to explore some mountain trails! We’ll head up to Lac Blanc and run the Grand Balcon Sud – an iconic, winding single track traverse facing the enormity of the Mont-Blanc massif. We’ll stop at the quaint and colorful Chalet Floria, with plenty of time en route to take photos. We’ll have many options to extend our runs, or use gondolas to skip an ascent or descent.

We’ll return to our chalets with time to relax before enjoying another nutritious and tasty dinner. Tonight, our group will be joined by top mountain athlete Hillary Gerardi, who will share her experiences and training tips. Hillary will stay for dinner, allowing plenty of time to get to know this remarkable person. 

Outside Café Floria, on the way up to Lac Blanc and the Grand Balcon Sud. (Courtesy photo.)

Today, we’ll explore the other side of the Chamonix valley, taking in another high alpine path beneath the granite spires, called aiguilles, of the Mont Blanc range. We’ll pass the century-old Montenvers hotel high above the Mer de Glace glacier, before climbing to Signal Forbes, a dramatic viewpoint, then we’ll continue running above treeline to join Claude and his team at the Refuge Plan de L’Aiguille for their locally-famous fresh tarts. The descent to Chamonix winds down through forest, or you can ride the legendary Aiguille du Midi cable car down to town! 

Enjoying hot chocolate at the Refuge Plan de l’Aiguille, above Chamonix. (Courtesy photo.)

This evening we’ll head into Chamonix for another top-notch culinary experience, this time sampling some traditional Savoyard cuisine.

Today we’ll explore the other side of Mont Blanc in Courmayeur, Italy. We’ll traverse smooth single track above treeline, with stunning views of the Mont-Blanc range. At Rifugio Bonatti, we’ll stop for a delicious authentic Italian lunch, then head down into the wild Val Ferret. We’ll travel by taxi to the Roman Pre St Didier spa and finally back through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Chamonix, for a shared catered dinner.

Elyse running alongside Lac Blanc. (Courtesy photo.)

We’ll head off on an little-known, unmarked dramatic route up, up, up to the French Alpine Club’s Albert Premier hut, a dramatic alpine lodge just a stone’s throw away from the Le Tour glacier. Here, we’ll spend a night in the middle of the Mont Blanc massif, where we can take in the tranquility and watch the alps turn pink as the sun sets. We’ll need to carry a bit extra in our packs for our stay up here – you’ll get a packing list to ensure you bring the essentials.

Watching the sun go down at the Refuge Albert Premier. (Kim Strom).

After a classic climber’s breakfast at Albert Premier, we’ll take a high traverse to the Col de Balme, a mountain café on the Swiss border, where we can pause for a cafe au lait. Then it’s time to run back down to the valley! From the quiet village of Le Tour, we’ll run through pastures towards Chamonix. An optional two-stage gondola descent offers the chance to rest your legs.

We’ll visit a small farm to learn about alpine cheese-making before heading back to Chamonix.

Tonight we’ll have a wine-tasting featuring wines of the Alps, followed by a memorable catered dinner in our chalets, where we’ll celebrate our shared adventure in the Alps.

We’ve made new friends, learned new tips for trail running through mountain terrain, enjoyed some wonderful regional meals, and benefited from Elyse’s culinary expertise. Now it’s time to head our separate ways after a breakfast of french baguettes and croissants at our chalets.