Run the Alps Guide
Alistair Crompton
HometownArgentière, France
A bit about me
I grew up in rural Worcestershire in the UK and spent my childhood riding my BMX and motorbike on the lanes and farmland that surrounded my home. At the age of 11, I was lucky enough to go on a school ski trip. I was immediately hooked.
On leaving school and before university, I worked as a trainee ski instructor. I trained as an alpine ski leader in 1995 and spent the next eight years working as a ski instructor for school groups throughout the Austrian and Swiss Alps during my vacations. At the same time, I furthered my career in motorsport and international events.
By 2012, I was tired of international travel and decided my heart was in the mountains, so I moved to the Austrian Alps, then Whistler in British Columbia the following winter. Finally, I ended up in Chamonix, where I am happily settled.
My other life
I am a qualified yoga teacher, and regularly teach yoga in Chamonix.
In my free time
I spend my winters ski mountaineering, and my summers trail running, hiking and paragliding. I love cooking and have been working part-time as a plant-based chef during the winter.
Fun Fact
I was once mistaken for a Russian diplomat on a visit to the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest! I was taken into a meeting with the Parliamentary Minister of Defense, who thought my English accent was rather good. I soon got escorted out!
Favorite Alp trail run
I love the more remote places close to Chamonix. My favorite trail is the Tour du Mont Ruan, which is a high mountain route on the border of France and Switzerland, starting and finishing from the Emosson dam. To add excitement, the route can be turned into a two-day run by incorporating Mont Buet, Le Cheval Blanc and the Haute Cime.
Guiding sinceI've been teaching alpine skiing since 1995, and guiding running and hiking since 2020.
