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Goat and gingham curtains
Goat and gingham curtains
Goat and gingham curtains
Switzerland

Eiger Trail

Dates
Difficulty
Moderate – Challenging
Guests
1 - 10
Type
Guided
CO2
126kg / person
Trail run from Mürren and Grindelwald in full sight of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, through some of the Bernese Oberland's most beautiful terrain. Participate in one of the four classic Eiger trail races, or cheer on the runners!

The Swiss Alps could be considered the home of trail running. Mountain runners have been weaving their way along alp paths for decades, and are exalted here. Be prepared to be greeted with an “Allez-Allez!” or an “Hop Hop!” when you run by local farmers. With a fantastic network of trail and huts and a long history and appreciation of mountain running, the region is a trail runner’s dream.

Running downhill towards Grindelwald. (Photo: Yuji Yanaru)

The Eiger Ultra race series is just six years old, but already it quickly fills to capacity. It’s understandable why – consisting of a 16-km, 35-km, 51-km, and an epic 101-km course, the series offers something for everyone, with unrivaled mountain scenery on highly runnable trails. Run the Alps reserves entries for our guests, available at an additional cost. There’s a distance for every level for those who want to try a European trail race.

Our week includes four nights, with two days of trail running in and around the car-free mountain village of Mürren, with alp pastures and huts easily within our reach. Then, it’s on to nearby Grindelwald, literally at the base of the famed North Face of the Eiger. We’ll run through some of the most scenic terrain Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland has to offer. Saturday is race day, as trail runners from around Europe converge on Grindelwald. You can participate in a race, or simply hike and run to cheer our crew on!

Our typical day starts with a continental buffet breakfast at our inn – delicious fresh baked bread, local cheeses, cereal, fruit, coffee and juice – which gives us the energy needed for a full day of inn-to-inn trail running. Soon we’ll be out on the trail, perhaps 6 miles for those who want a more casual day, or an all-day outing of 10-12 miles with a few challenging climbs for the more ambitious among us. Each morning, we’ll bring out a variety of trail snacks from which you can choose, and many of our runs will include stops at mountain huts or alp farms where we’ll stop to enjoy soup, sandwiches, or fruit torte.

A typical “aid station” in the Swiss Alps. (Photo: Yuji Yanaru)

Each day, we make sure there’s plenty of time during our runs to take photos, and rest and soak in the scenery. We’ll finish each day with plenty of time to relax. You will have your own bedroom every night. In the evening we’ll enjoy dinner together at our hotel. These are multi-course feasts, often featuring local Swiss specialties, and will definitely be hearty, filling, well-earned and very delicious. We will leave one dinner in Grindelwald free, where you will have a chance to explore on your own.

Guiding this trip will be lead guide Becki Penrose. Read more about her guiding experience here.

Book this tour

Cost
$4,050 per person
$500 single supplement
Dates
Jul 15, 2024 - Jul 21, 2024
Guides for selected date:
Make it private guided
Your companions, your dates, your tour– we do the rest. Inquire here.

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive in Switzerland and transfer by train and cable car to our meeting point in the mountain village of Mürren, which is quiet and peaceful, and has remained blissfully car-free.

Accommodations: Hotel Bellevue or Hotel Edelweiss

A summer swim in the Swiss Alps. (Photo: PatitucciPhoto)

Day 2

A range of daily runs will be offered, as we explore the mountains and trails around this clifftop village. One favorite run takes us to the back of the Lauterbrunnen valley, a nature preserve, to the idyllic Obersteinberg inn, surrounded by mountains and waterfalls.

Accommodations: Hotel Bellevue or Hotel Edelweiss

Trail running above Grindelwald, Switzerland with the Eiger in the background. (Photo: PatitucciPhoto)

Day 3

Today, we’ll transfer to the mountain town of Grindelwald. Our bags will move separately, and we’ll be free to pick a route and run to Grindelwald via a number of interesting options. We might even decide to give the Chamois Trophy Run a try, in the village of Wengen!

Accommodations: Hotel Gletschergarten

Trail running along Schynige Platte above Interlaken, Switzerland. (Photo: PatitucciPhoto)

Day 4

Today’s classic trail starts with a historic cogwheel train ride to Schynige Platte, perched high on a ridge with incredible mountain views to the south, and birds-eye lake views to the north.

Accommodations: Hotel Gletschergarten

A steady climb up to Tanzbödeli, Lauterbrunnen. (Photo: Heather Ohly)

Day 5

We have many choices for our trail run today depending on the weather and the mood. The Eiger trail is a popular choice, starting from the small mountain inn at Alpiglen, and weaving high into the mountains to the base of the Eiger’s dramatic North Face.

Accommodations: Hotel Gletschergarten
Eiger cheering

Smiles and cheers and plenty of cowbell at the Eiger Ultra Trail, Switzerland. (Photo: Becki Penrose)

Day 6

Today is race day! We have a limited number of spaces available if you want to join one of three Eiger Ultra races (16, 35, and 51 km). Or, if you like, take the day off to relax, watch the races, or try a solo run around another valley.

Accommodations: Hotel Gletschergarten

Day 7

Today we say our good-byes before hopping on the train to either Geneva or Zurich.

Meals: Breakfast

Regional map

What's included

Six nights at three-star hotels, all breakfasts, trail snacks, five dinners, guided runs daily, all transfers to and from trailheads.

Tour category

Village-based

Good to know

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Tour stories

Eiger Trail: Fortune Favors the Bold
After a week of running, bonding, and storm dodging, race day dawned with perfectly clear skies and hot weather for the races at Eiger Ultra Trail by UTMB.® ...
Read more

Guides for this Tour

Tour dates: Jul 15 - 21, 2024
Becki Penrose, Run the Alps Guide
Run the Alps trail running guide, Astrid Renet
Lead guide: Becki Penrose
Assistant guide: Astrid Renet

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Need a hand preparing?

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We offer pre-trip coaching as a benefit to our guests for a reasonable fee. Spaces are limited.