Temporary Tattoos and Good Views: Running the Monte Rosa Circuit
by Max King
Top photo: Sam Hill
To really bond a group together, turns out there’s nothing better than a good temporary tattoo of your guide.
That was the theme of the 2025 Monte Rosa Circuit. Unbeknownst to this trip leader, two of the group purchased several temporary tattoos prior to the trip, and proceeded to show up each morning with new Max King tattoos. Embarrassing, absolutely. Funny, heck yeah. Something to talk about. Yup.
The first Run the Alps Monte Rosa Circuit, which follows the route of the Tour Monte Rosa (TMR), was nothing short of spectacular. This was a new location for me as well as Run the Alps, so even before we began the tour, we (myself and Giles our guide) had a bit of unfamiliarity and trepidation about what we might encounter on our trip around the massif. One can compare it to the Tour du Mont-Blanc (TMB) but it is really quite different. I liked that the TMR route would be a little unknown and rugged compared to the TMB. We would be “fastpacking” the first three nights around the mountain, meaning that we would be carrying all our necessities (clothing mostly) for three days before getting our bags again in an accessible valley. This included one night in a mountain hut, a must for me on these tours as a quintessential part of the European tour experience, and a couple nights in hotels in small Italian villages.
More TMR vs TMB
What surprised me the most compared to the TMB was just how much time we spent in alpine areas. This meant better views of the surrounding mountains, an unobstructed view on the first and last days of the majestic Matterhorn, and a sense of vastness that you just don’t get quite so much on the TMB.
The other surprising aspect of this route is its technicality. We spent a few days traveling up and over 2700m (9000ft) passes, and one pass at 3295m (~11000ft) with a non-technical glacier traverse, another thing you don’t get on the TMB. It’s a difficult route, but it rewards you with spectacular scenery around every corner, enough technicality to keep it fun and interesting, and throws a few curveballs your way to keep the route from becoming too similar from day-to-day. Each day holds a special challenge and has a much more profound change in character from one stop to the next. For example, it really is a different culture as you travel from Zermatt, Switzerland to Alagna, Italy. People, food, and accommodation vary from one night to the next rather than just catering to the tour groups traveling through. The pasta lunch on Theodul Pass at 3295m (~11,000ft) setting foot in Italy is like nothing you’ve ever had before! Mmm.
And that reminds me, packing for this trip is a bit more challenging or fun, depending on how you look at it. Dressing in Zermatt deserves a bit more style than your ragged trail shorts and a dirty t-shirt you’ve been wearing for several days. I love that you can get away with it, but it’s also kind of fun to pull out a nice shirt and pants for wandering around after some days on the trail. And while you’re traversing through Italy with literally just the clothes on your back, I really liked having a change of casual clothes to fit in at the pre-dinner apertivo at the local watering hole. Sitting in the town square of Macunaga watching the local kids doing laps of the plaza on their strider bikes while drinking a Campari Spritz with the locals has a way of transporting you into a culture as only few experiences can.
Unfortunately for us, all good tours come to an end. While I think back on all the amazing scenery and culture we experienced, it really comes down to the group of people I was able to share it with that made it special. I’ve done a lot of this type of travel on my own, and it’s fantastic, but I’m realizing that experiencing this with a group of people that like to do hard things like travel up and over mountain passes, immerse themselves in the character of locals, and open up and talk about life back home is really what makes these tours special and meaningful.
For future tour participants
This is a route that will test your endurance, but also one that rewards you with a sense of solitude, wilderness, and accomplishment in completing a route that circumnavigates a magnificent range of the Alps. And as a side note, if you ever want to make an impression on your guest runner or guide, and maybe embarrass them a bit, I would highly recommend coming prepared with a few temporary tattoos for an unexpected dose of fun.
Monte Rosa Circuit with Run the Alps
Starting in Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn, the Tour Monte Rosa is a challenging and varied trail around the Monte Rosa and Mischabel mountain ranges. This level 4 tour includes back-to-back long days, often on technical trails with over 25 km of running, and over 1,500m of climbing.
Join us next time!
Max King was the guest runner on the Monte Rosa Circuit for its first Run the Alps go-round. He lives in Bend, OR, running, training, and race and camp directing, surrounded by all things running. You can find him on Instagram and Strava, and his youth camps at MaxKingTRC.com.