Tim Tollefson in the Alps
Dates | Duration |
|---|---|
| Jul 26, 2024 - Aug 1, 2024 | 7 days - 6 nights |
Run the Alps is thrilled to be partnering with our friend and one of the world’s best-known trail runners, Tim Tollefson, for a unique and memorable trip!
Tim has spent plenty of time in Chamonix, especially on the UTMB Mont Blanc® route where he has achieved two third place finishes. Tim will share with our guests his favorite single-track trails, including some special, quieter trails. Along the way, we’ll have the chance to summit high ridges and run through quaint villages and beautiful Alpine pastures.
We’ll head into the Aiguilles Rouges mountains, high above Chamonix, taking in dramatic locations like the Aiguillette des Houches, and the Vallée du Berard with its beautiful waterfalls. Most of this area is a nature reserve, so we’re likely to see wildlife – as well as the striking views of the Mont Blanc range across the Chamonix valley.
We’ll have one night in a high mountain hut, the Refuge Albert Premier, perched on the side of the Le Tour glacier. This will be an memorable experience, sleeping high in the alpine zone at 2,702 meters, or just under 9,000 feet.
During the week we’ll take the famed 11.6-kilometer long tunnel under Mont Blanc and spend one night in Italy, staying in the classic Aosta valley town of Courmayeur and running a section of the UTMB Mont Blanc course. Once there, we’ll take a time out at the Pré-St-Didier Roman-era thermal spa.
We’ll learn about all things Trail Running from Tim throughout our time with him. Watch this great film to learn more about Tim:
Book this tour
$400 Single Supplement.
Itinerary
The streets of Chamonix.(Photo: Kim Strom)
Day 1
1.5 hour shared shuttle from Geneva Airport to your hotel in Chamonix, France. Orientation and overview.
Running up to the Aiguillette des Houches (Photo: Daniel Fitzgerald).
Day 2
We’ll trail run in the Chamonix valley, through forest and high meadows to a dramatic traverse passing by the Refuge Bellachat, perched on a ridge, before a twisty, fun descent on single track back to Chamonix.
Morning single track in the Aiguilles Rouges mountains – the quieter side of Chamonix (Photo: Emily Geldard)
Day 3
Today, we’ll run a remote route over to the backside of the Aiguilles Rouges to the hidden Diosaz valley.
Watching the sun go down from the Refuge Albert Premier. (Photo: Kim Strom)
Day 4
We’ll head off on a little-known route up to the Albert Premier hut, a dramatic alpine lodge just a stone’s throw away from the Le Tour glacier. We’ll spend a night deep in the middle of the Mont Blanc massif.
Above Chamonix as the colors start to turn. (Photo: Sam Hill)
Day 5
From the lodge, we’ll run down to the Chamonix valley and the village of Le Tour. There, we’ll jump into taxis to drive through the Mont Blanc tunnel and go to the beautiful and historic Pré St Didier spa.
Lunch time at Maison Vieille di Giacomo above Courmayeur, Italy. (Photo: Tim Tollefson.)
Day 6
Let’s run in Italy! Today, it’s Val Veny, crossing Arête de Mont Favre and running a wonderful balcony section that is part of the UTMB Mont-Blanc route.
We’ll take taxis back to Chamonix in the afternoon, where we’ll enjoy a celebratory last dinner of the tour.
What's included
Accommodations at 3-star hotels and 1 night at a mountain hut; All breakfasts, light lunches, and dinners; Trail nutrition from Run the Alps partners; In-tour transportation; Roundtrip shared shuttle airport transfers, taxi and luggage transfer between Chamonix and Courmayeur; entry to the Pré St Didier Spa in Italy, Run the Alps Guide to Trail Running in the Alps; License-free photography; Guided runs daily with International Mountain Leaders.Plan to arrive the day your tour starts, at the latest. Note that flights from the US usually arrive on the following day, so schedule accordingly. The closest airport is Geneva, Switzerland. This tour includes a shared shuttle pickup at the Geneva Airport. If you’d like to arrive a day or more before the tour starts, the shuttle is still included.
Plan your departure for the day the tour ends at the earliest. Since the Geneva airport is only ninety minutes away by shuttle, it is possible to leave the day the tour ends. If your flight departure time is before 10am, a private shuttle is required at an added cost of $240.
All Run the Alps guests receive a copy of our Guide to Trail Running in the Alps to assist in preparing for their trip.
Terms and Conditions: Read up on Run the Alps’ Terms and Conditions and travel insurance.
Guides for this Tour
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Book this tour
$400 Single Supplement.
