The Best Trail Running Routes in Valais

Marián Podola, creator of Zermatt Rösterei, has a saying: “The best coffee is the one you like.” I’ve decided I like mine best when it’s mid-trail run, freshly brewed on a mountain top, sipped with friends and a Matterhorn backdrop....

Course the first part of the Matterhorn Ultraks route, top out at Zermatt’s most famous lake and finish with a little slice of Zermatt’s culinary best at the Aroleid Restaurant. Save this trail for midway through your week when you need a sublime caffeine hit on your way back into the finish....

As far as dream trail runs go, this route has got to be up there among the best. The combination of an epic Matterhorn backdrop; the flowiest of flow singletrail, traversing the end of the Mattertal; a fast descent, just technical enough to keep you really present and harness that flow state before dropping back into one of the sweetest villages in the Alps....

You could catch the train all the way into car-free Zermatt, or you could enter in style by running from Randa. After all, it would be a shame to miss what is considered one of the most beautiful trails in the Alps....

A quintessential Zermatt trail, where within the same 30 seconds you can awe at Matterhorn views, have a marmot scream at you before running for the hills and get your knee licked by one of the fluffballs endemic to Valais – the Schwarznasenchaf....

This loop connects several of the most famous hiking trails in Verbier into a gorgeous circuit along the crest of the mountains, high above the town of Verbier! Along the way, you’ll pass thundering waterfalls, climb mountain peaks, and run along the shores of pristine alpine lakes....

Beginning from Furi, set off before sunrise for an exhilarating view above Zermatt. An out and back, this route has many options to add extra miles after reaching the hut, which is well worth it for the 360 degrees of mountain awe to take in....

As one of the highest hiking routes in the Alps, the Mettelhorn is as stunning as it is challenging. Check the weather and conditions before beginning as this trail climbs some serious vertical metres, contrasting from the cosy village of Zermatt to high alpine terrain within a few hours....

The OCC begins in Switzerland, spends most of its time on the Swiss side of the border, save for the finish over the French border and into Chamonix. It leads for about 55 km through the Val d'Entremont to Champex and from there to Chamonix, offering runners spectacular views on the eastern flanks of the Mont Blanc....