Whether you want to go further, faster, for the love of a challenge, because your legs were itching, or simply because you wanted to wear a bib and claim your very first finisher medal with friends: whatever story lies behind the day you transitioned from simple hiking to mountain running, in Anzère you’ll find everything you need to fuel your passion for effort with a panoramic view!
Trail running in Anzère, in brief
- 5 marked routes for beginners, intermediates, and experts
- A progressive level of difficulty (from 3 km to 26 km; from 80 m D+ to 1841 m D+)
- Varied terrain (4x4 tracks, dirt single tracks, or more technical sections…)
- Spectacular mid- and high-mountain landscapes (lush alpine meadows, forests, rocky settings, majestic peaks…)
- Many other hiking trails to explore nearby
- A double trail event to add a finisher medal to your collection
The Vita trail: an easy route to discover trail running
Trail route or fun fitness course? Both at once! The Vita trail is a loop of just under 3 km with 80 m of positive and negative elevation gain (in other words: nearly flat), combining running with optional exercise stations along the Grand Bisse d’Ayent. Perfect for getting accustomed to the feel of trail running if you're used to road running—or even if you're not a runner at all.
Two smooth routes to improve in trail running and enjoy yourself
Are you used to running in the mountains? Looking to extend your distances on smooth trails with ambitious but not overly intimidating elevation gain? The Alpages Trail and the Bisses Trail are perfect for you!
These two scenic loop trails will take you from alpine pasture to alpine pasture (Tsalan, Duez, Serin) and from bisse to bisse (Bitailla, Sion, Grand Bisse d’Ayent) in a charming setting that’s bound to make you hungry and thirsty. It’s impossible not to think of the cheese and wine waiting at the finish as you pass by grazing herds and the water channels irrigating the vineyards below…
⛰️ Trail des alpages : 16.7 km | Approximately 635 m D+ and D-
⛰️ Trail des bisses : 19.7 km | Approximately 880 m D+ and D-
Two trail routes with steep elevation gain to challenge yourself
Ready to test your endurance? Feel the burn in your thighs both uphill and downhill? Take things up a notch with the Audannes Trail (and its even more demanding variant, the Sé Rouge Trail). These incredible routes will help you refine your stride on varied terrains, amidst breathtaking mid- and high-mountain landscapes (which is a great excuse if you actually find yourself short of breath…): lush alpine meadows, rocky passes and ridges, a mountain lake, and ancient glaciers (with stunning views of the nearby Wildhorn Glacier).
⛰️ Trail des Audannes : 24.9 km | Approximately 1535 m D+ and D-
⛰️ Trail du Sé Rouge : 26.3 km | Approximately 1840 m D+ and D-
📅 Mark your calendars!
Want to add a finisher medal to your collection? Line up at the start of the Tour des Alpages or the Audannes Trail! This forty-year-old double trail event, which also happens to be the second-largest trail gathering in Valais, takes place every year in mid-July on the trails of Anzère.
Two courses to choose from: the Alpages Trail or the Audannes Trail; plus a kids’ course for the joy of racing as a family.
Convenient: you can even train on both routes before the race (the markings remain in place all year round*).
Run in the mountains with peace of mind
- Mobile network coverage is reliable on nearly all routes (airplane mode? That’s only when you choose to!)
- The trails are marked year-round* (no risk of getting lost if you decide to run in autumn: the signs will still be in place).
- Worried you may have been too optimistic in choosing your route? You can shorten your outing thanks to the many nearby hiking trails (especially on the two intermediate-level routes: the Bisses Trail and the Alpages Trail).
*Obviously, in winter, the trail markings are buried under the snow… From December to April, swap your trail running shoes for ski touring gear!