Courmayeur to Chamonix with Max King
We’ve been friends with Salomon international trail running athlete Max King for years, so it’s with special pleasure that we get to announce a unique trip with Max– one that incorporates a visit to the legendary Salomon global headquarters, a chance to race in one of the world’s best-known race series and— of course– plenty of time with Max, too.
It’s not easy to summarize the accomplishments of this resident of Bend, Oregon. Max has accolades that stretch back to World Mountain Running Championships in 2011, and run through to the present day. He’s stood atop podiums around the globe, runs his own trail running camps, has launched a winter ski mountaineer program, and is a driving force for Salomon’s global trail running efforts. Plus, simply, Max is a great guy, deeply admired for his skills, tenacity, knowledge, and willingness to share it with others.
We’re delighted to welcome Max to the Alps in 2024!
Our trip starts in the rustic Italian village of Courmayeur, on the south side of Mont Blanc. Our first day of trail running is along the high pastures of Val Ferret, within full view of Mont Blanc’s glaciers. That afternoon, we’ll have an optional navigation skills session with Max, then we’ll spend the night in the welcoming Gîte de la Peule.
Our route then takes us over the border to Switzerland. We’ll cross Grand Col Ferret and then it’s on to the mountain villages of La Fouly, Champex-Lac and Trient.
From Trient, we’ll run over Col de Balme on the French-Swiss border, and descend to Chamonix, having completed the northern half of the Tour du Mont Blanc. Chamonix is the world’s epicenter of trail running, and no place has more trail running history, or is more alive with mountain runners. We’ll be there for all the excitement of the legendary Mont Blanc Marathon series of trail races, which range from 10 km to 90 km. Many of the world’s best trail runners will be on hand. A limited number of race entries are available through Run the Alps.
Chamonix is known as “La Vallée du Trail,” and we’ll take full advantage, sampling some of the best runs, through the Aiguille Rouge nature preserve, onto the high balcony routes on either side of the valley, and even the thrilling “Kilomètre Vertical.”
