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New for 2017, Trail Running in the Portes du Soleil

400km of signposted trails with 48 different routes across the 12 towns and villages of the Portes du Soleil. This is a big project that should be ready for summer 2017. It is one of the results of the drive by tourist offices around the Alps to diversify from a focus on alpine skiing.

It’s a great idea. The Portes du Soleil is ideally suited to trail running, it’s not a new activity, in fact fell running has been around forever, it is however a new idea to “package” it like this, providing signposting and resources to open it up to more people.

There is a website up and running http://tracedetrail.fr/fr/portesdusoleil and there will be leaflets available in the relevant tourist offices. An app is available for iOS and Android that will help with the mapping and tracking of each trip.

http://trailconnect.run/fr/applis-de-territoire/trail-running-portes-du-soleil/

The trails are all graded from easyish valley trails to some fairly extreme “skyrun” trails

It looks like they have wisely missed out an obvious candidate for the “Skyrun” routes, the “Roc d’Enfer” pictured below.

This is all part of a bigger network of Trail Running centres that can be seen here.

http://tracedetrail.fr/fr/user/portails 

There are already a couple of trail races in the area

http://en.morzine-avoriaz.com/agenda-hauts-forts-trail-race.html

and this

http://www.traildescretesduchablais.com/

and of course the crazy KMV in Montriond now in it’s 7th year

http://www.savoie-mont-blanc.com/offre/fiche/kmv-de-nantaux-portes-du-soleil/196583