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Years ago, I saw a photo of a high alp mountain hotel. It looked like it had welcomed guests to its corner of the Alps for a century or more. Weather beaten pine boards showed the consequences of facing mountain storms over many years. In reality, the look wasn’t all that unusual for the Swiss

The Eiger, with its world-famous North Face, towers over the Swiss village of Grindelwald. The foreboding rock and ice wall looms large in the storied history of Alp mountaineering. And, now, the name has been bestowed upon one of the great new trail races in Switzerland, the Eiger Ultra. A few weeks ago, the race attracted

It’s 4:30 in the morning, and I am lost, wandering through a construction zone in the middle of Grindelwald, Switzerland. I am surrounded by concrete and rebar. Across Dorfstrasse, the latest watches from Tissot and Breitling are expertly arranged, ready to catch the eye of cash-burdened tourists arriving daily from London to Dubai. I am

Last year, I went to Montreux to see Leonard Cohen at the city’s famous jazz festival. This year, I decided to visit this picturesque city again, but this time to race up a huge mountain overlooking what’s commonly referred to as the “Swiss Riviera.” What was I thinking? Intro to Trail Running Since moving to

I’ve observed over the years that Euro trail runners tend to be quite a bit more fashionable on the trails, than my American trail running pals. Well, I finally have some good news on that front. We’re catching up! (I know you’re all greatly relieved.) Okay, maybe I’m overstating the case here, but I am