Wild Italian Alps: A Taste of Tor des Géants Self-Guided
Anytime from July 1 - September 20
The Alps of northwestern Italy are a quiet, rugged diamond in the rough. Off the beaten track, the Aosta region encompasses more than a dozen small, quiet valleys, with less-trodden trails, rustic villages and rugged passes.
Our trip to this region follows the first section of the legendary 330 km Tor des Géants ultra endurance event, from Courmayeur to Cogne, Italy.
On this level 4 tour, you’ll be running long days through challenging mountain terrain, with little or no option for bailing out. While the huts here are welcoming and cozy, they are fewer and farther between, compared to more traditional trail running routes like the Tour du Mont-Blanc or Switzerland’s Grand Bernese Oberland Traverse. You’ll need to be comfortable in remote and technical alpine settings, possibly during inclement weather.
Top photos: Tom Benitez, Milo Zanecchia
Book this tour
$5300 for 1 person
$3600/person for 2+ people, assuming double occupancy, and a $500 single supplement for single rooms
€4500 for 1 person
€3060/person for 2+ people, assuming double occupancy, and a €425 single supplement for single rooms
Looking for a customized itinerary?
Please get in touch. We’d love to discuss your options with you.
Prefer to go with a guide?
Explore our group guided trips or inquire about our privately guided trips.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Courmayeur
Land in Geneva, Switzerland and take a taxi to Courmayeur, Italy.
After landing in Geneva, Switzerland, you’ll take a two-hour taxi to Courmayeur, Italy, on the “sunny side” of Mont Blanc. Enjoy dinner at a restaurant in this rustic Italian village.
Day 2 - Courmayeur
Trail run from your hotel door through an ancient village, up a high col and down to the mountain village of La Thuile. Taxi back to your Courmayeur hotel.
Starting at the door of your Courmayeur hotel, run through the neighboring ancient village of Dolonne, then up to Col d’Arp, finishing by running down to the mountain town of La Thuile, at 1441 meters, where timber and stone chalets dot the landscape, interspersed with dairy farms. There’s time for a croissant and coffee, or a cold beer, before a scheduled transfer arrives for a short transfer back to Courmayeur.
Day 3 - Valgrisenche
A 20-minute taxi back to La Thuile, and then it’s time for a big day in the Italian Alps, past a high mountain lake, a classic hut, and a grassy, alpine valley. Next comes a technical descent and climb out, complete with cables to secure your safe passage. The day ends with a long descent through high pastures and valley forests to a taxi that will take you to your end-of-the-valley destination.
You’ll get a taxi back to where you left off in La Thuile, then head high into the rugged Northern Italian Alps. After a warm-up along the valley, you’ll move up into the alpine zone, past three dramatic waterfalls and placid Lac du Glacier, pausing for a late morning treat at Rifugio Deffeyes. After running through a high valley and along a glacier-fed stream, you’ll climb to 2857m Haute Pas, descend technical ground to a wild valley, and immediately climb to 2826-meter Col Crosatie, finishing with an airy section using chains and ropes to stay safe. A long descent past a flowing alpine river brings you to a café in the hamlet of Planaval (population: 22). A taxi will meet you here, to take you up the road to your destination, a remote inn far up a wild valley, past the ancient village of Valgrisenche.
Day 4 - Valsavarenche
More remote, wild terrain awaits today! Start with a climb through forests and alpine slopes dotted with cows, past a famous mountain hut, up a col to a memorable, steep descent to lunch at Rhêmes-Notre-Dame. The sequence repeats with dramatic Col d’Entrelor, before a striking descent through pastures to one of our favorite hotels anywhere!
Today, you’ll head through some of the most remote, wild and challenging terrain in Northern Italy as you enter Italy’s Gran Paradiso National Park. The run begins with a climb through the forest and onto grassy alpine slopes dotted with herds of cows. Take a break at Rifugio Chalet de l’Epée, before the final push up to 2854-meter Col de Fênetre.
One of the most dramatic descents of the trip comes next, as you switchback down airy terrain to the village of Rhêmes-Notre-Dame, a perfect spot for lunch at one of the outdoor cafés. Another hefty climb ensues, this time concluding with a vertiginous few meters with iron steps and cables over 3002-meter high Col d’Entrelor. The hard work done, you’ll coast for several hours past alpine lakes and high alp farms, down through forests to the charming, rustic Hostellerie du Paradis in Valsavarenche for a well-deserved gourmet dinner.
Day 5 - Cogne
This might be one of the best days in the Alps, period. Climb through the wild Gran Paradiso National Park, over famous Col du Lauson, then descend a vast valley to one of the best lunches in the Alps at Rifugio Vittorio Sella. Finish with 10km downhill to Cogne.
After a classic Alps breakfast at the Hostellerie, it’s on to one of the most dramatic days you could find anywhere in the Alps. You’ll climb up and through the wild heart of Gran Paradiso National Park, over 3295m Col du Lauson – the high point of the Tor des Géants. The descent includes an airy traverse secured by ropes and chains. After that excitement, run down switchbacks through wide-open pastures to Rifugio Vittorio Sella, one of Italy’s most historic and famous mountain lodges and well-known for its wonderful meals. After lunch outside at this high pasture rifugio, it’s a downhill run for about 10km, ending in the medieval village of Cogne, surrounded by the high peaks of the Italian Alps.
Day 6 - Depart from Cogne
Arrivederci! Shuttle from remote, medieval Cogne to Geneva Airport via the Mont Blanc tunnel.
Today, it’s time to bid arrivederci to your Italian alpine trail running adventure. A shuttle will take you to Geneva Airport via the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Or, if you want to extend your stay in the Alps, we are happy to provide recommendations.
What's Included
- 5 nights accommodations in 3* hotels and mountain inns
- All breakfasts and 3 multi-course dinners
- Taxi from Geneva Airport to Courmayeur at the start of the tour
- Taxi from Cogne, Italy to Geneva Airport at the end of the tour
- Additional 3 taxi transfers to and from trailheads that are part of the planned itinerary
- Detailed daily run descriptions, GPX files and all the resources you need along the way are provided via our app (see a sample here). A printed copy of the run descriptions and maps can be mailed to you for an additional fee of $70.
- Luggage transfers (available all nights)
- Run the Alps’ Guide to Trail Running in the Alps, which contains 80+ pages of information about where you’ll be running, what to pack, how to train, and plenty of other insider information from Run the Alps staff and guides
- An in-country welcome pack – includes trail nutrition and a Run the Alps T-shirt (Note: You can choose to opt out of the T-shirt during registration; if you do, we’ll donate the savings to one of our 1% for the Planet partners instead.)
- Personalized support before your tour
- In-tour support through our WhatsApp Helpline
- 20% discount in the Run the Alps store
- Contribution to our Net Positive initiatives
What's Not Included
- Flights
- Transport to and from trailheads if you shorten a run
- 2 dinners in Courmayeur; recommendations provided
- Lunches and trail snacks
- Drinks at dinners
- Extra charges made at accommodations such as room service or laundry
- Trip Insurance
Arrival
The closest airport is Geneva, Switzerland. Run the Alps will arrange your private taxi from the airport to your hotel in Courmayeur, Italy. If you arrive a day or more before the tour starts, the taxi is still included.
Departure
We’d suggest departing from Geneva Airport (GVA) on the afternoon your tour ends. It’s about a 2 hour and 30 minute taxi ride, but could easily be a bit longer if there are traffic delays at the Mont Blanc tunnel. We recommend planning a flight departure no earlier than late afternoon. If you’d like hotel recommendations for an overnight stay in Geneva, please let us know.
Good To Know
- Want to extend your trip with more running? We can help provide self-guided run descriptions for nearby regions of the Alps, and/or trail race options.
- Concerned about being ready? We’re here to help. Check out our Alps Training Resources or get in touch if you’d like to be put in touch with a coach.
- Can a non-running partner join me on this tour? Yes – read how hiking and sightseeing companions can come too.
- Celebrating a special occasion? Each year we get a number of guests who are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or retirement with a Run the Alps trip. If this is you, let us know!
- Alumni Discount: We love welcoming our alumni back to the Alps and offer a 10% discount on all standard Run the Alps trips. Simply check the Alumni box on the registration form and we’ll apply the discount when we invoice you.
- Tour Balance: Your tour balance is due 90 days before your tour starts. We will send you an invoice about a month before that due date. However, you can pay your balance at any time. If you’d like the simplicity of paying in full sooner, or would like to pay in installments, please contact us.
- Tour Grants Program: Run the Alps is committed to making our trips more inclusive. If you’d like to join this trip, but don’t think you can afford it, please check out our Tour Grants Program.
- Trip Insurance: Life can sometimes throw us a curveball and wreak havoc upon the best laid plans, which is why Run the Alps requires trip insurance. Learn more here.
- Terms and Conditions: You can read up on them here.
Regional map
Interactive map with 6 point(s): Courmayeur: Tour start point; ; ; ; ; Cogne: Tour end point.
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