How to Prepare for the Via Valais
For Europeans experienced in moving through the Alps, and especially the Valais, they know what’s coming… vertical, and lots of it.
Americans visiting the Alps for the first time tend to greatly underestimate just how much vertical there is and how to manage it. We’ve seen strong American runners get shut down on the unrelenting 1600 meter climbs. For those not used to the Alps, there seems to be a wall around 600 meters. In the Alps, 600 meters is just the warm-up.
So, how to prepare for this?
- Pack light: Your pack weight is going to play a huge role in your experience. Go light! Extra weight is going to take its toll if you are really trying to run. That cozy extra fleece you'd love to take along for the huts is going to be something you loathe on the trail each day. Leave it behind and embrace living simply. If you take too much, it's highly likely you'll be hiking the Via Valais.
- With all the food available at the huts, eating and drinking enough is not a problem in the Alps. But, do plan accordingly each day, have a refueling strategy, and stay hydrated for those big climbs.
- Pay Attention: Take care of yourself when you aren’t running to give your body what it needs to recover; take a nap at the hut, maximize sleep time, stay hydrated, stick to a known nutrition strategy that works best for your recovery, stretch and do body work at the huts, get your legs elevated, and tune into what your body is telling you with any aches and pains.
- Train: Ideally, you spend a lot of time in similar mountain terrain while preparing for the Alps. Time spent going up, up, up, and just as importantly, down, down, down. But we know this is not an option everyone has out their door. Our friends at Uphill Athlete have created a 16-week, Advanced Mountain Running Training Plan for running the Via Valais, and it may well be what's going to make the difference between cruising or suffering through.
No single stage is very hard on the Via Valais, but nine of them in a row takes a toll on the body. Managing your preparation and effort is as important as understanding the route and logistics. A nine-day trail running tour is a big package, consider all the pieces well for the best overall experience. With vast experience doing multi-day trail running tours in mountains all over the world, here are some personal tips:
- Again, keep that pack weight down. A light pack isn't just going to be more comfortable and allow you to run, it's going to do less damage to your neck muscles. Nearly everyone we do these tours with does not consider this and typically experiences severe neck pain for the first few days.
- Everything you take, from your socks to your hydration mix, should be well proven to work for you. No surprises! Pay special attention to your shoes, nutrition, and running pack.
- Train for these big tours, don't just exercise. There is a difference. If you're just running aimlessly in the hopes that you'll be ready come day 1, you may well have to face a sad reality. Either get a coach to help you prepare with a custom program, or seek out a training plan you can use to best help you be where you need to be. We're coached by the team at Uphill Athlete and cannot say enough good things about what they do.
- Don't underestimate the Alps, both in terms of weather and terrain. A good, week long, forecast when you launch may not be so good when you get a few days into it. Thunderstorms are big and violent and it can, and does, snow, a lot, every month of the year.
- If you use the bag transfer service, have an assortment of extra gear at the ready should you need to continue in worsening weather.
- These tours are not a race. Take your time, enjoy the process, and arrive to the hut with legs that can be on repeat the following day. When it's all done you aren't going to remember your times but you are going to remember all the little things you didn't fail to notice along the tour.
Clare Gallagher, Via Valais stage 7, early September, heavy snow - be prepared!
What to Pack for the Via Valais
The beauty of the Alps’ hut system is that you don’t have to carry much for long, multi-day tours. Savvy European hikers will use 20-30 liter packs for week-long tours. But that’s for hiking, where it's okay to carry a bit extra. For running tours, you’ll appreciate the lightest possible pack. Part of staying light is accepting the fact that you won't be in a fresh shirt and socks every day. Your choice of gear is critical to maintain the ability to keep running and not have to switch to hiking due to too much weight or a bouncing pack.
Let’s look at how best to make this work.
On the Via Valais, you’re overnight schedule looks like this:
- Night 1: Cab. d’Essertze
- Night 2: Cab. d’Aiguille Rouge
- Night 3: Cab. de Becs de Bosson
- Night 4: Cab.de Moiry (shower)
- Night 5: Zinal, hotel in town (shower & wellness)
- Night 6: Turtmann Hut
- Night 7: Randa, hotel in town (shower & wellness)
- Night 8: Mountain Lodge Seewijnu (shower)
- Night 9: Zermatt! Hotel in town (party time!)
The first four days have you using huts, and there is little to no food available during these days. You need to carry all your special nutritional needs for four days, but you can get lunches for each stage at huts prior to launching each morning.
The huts are very comfortable, offer the ability to wash up, and have great food and drinks. Going to dinner in your tights is pretty standard evening wear.
Having a fresh pair of ultra-light pants for each evening is advisable, it’s just up to you if you want to carry a hut outfit. When you look at what gear Dan chose below, you can replace his camera weight with a clean outfit and still have about the same pack weight and size.
Something to consider for packing is that a nine day out forecast is not super reliable. You might get the weather that's forecast for the first few days, but beyond a few days of starting, it can all change. So, if you don't take a puffy or rain jacket because the forecast is all sun when you start, on day seven, it might have completely changed to heavy precip and cold temps. Be prepared for anything. We were on the Via Valais in 2019 for the first week of September and it snowed 60 cm up high with full winter conditions.
You can use the Swiss train system (SBB) to send bags by train for holding at stations. Using this system, there is the option of having bags transferred to Zinal, that way you’d have fresh kit about midway through, and then transfer all your bags, along with the dirty clothes, on to Zermatt for pick up. Visit the Luggage Section of the SBB site for details, planning, and costs.
Below are photos of the gear we used. Consider it your packing list and lesson on what to carry for multi-day trail running tours in the Alps. You can see the original story about our packing, and get some additional hut tips, here. Or, see what other trail runners are saying on our Via Valais Community page. In Switzerland, the top trail running shop, in fact the top mountain sport shop, is Bächli Bergsport. The closest Bächli shop to the start of the Via Valais is in Conthey, between Sion and Martigny. Treat yourself to a day of shopping and see how much pack weight you can save.
His Via Valais Trail Running Gear
Total pack & gear weight, not including all food & water: 3.35kg
We update the list as we discover lighter gear.
- Sun Hat - Breathable and fast drying
- Running Shoes : Tested and proven prior to the tour, you’ll be in them for long days with lots of down, lots of up, lots of running, and lots of technical terrain. Know that what you go with will work for you. I love the Scarpa Spin Planet.
- T-shirts : Two shirts that are fast drying and made of minimal stink material. You'll want a dry shirt when you reach the hut, ideally one washed the day before.
- Long sleeve shirt that serves as a sun shirt : I like a hood as it’ll be on for cooler temps and serves as sun protection. The Patagonia Airshed Pro Pullover is the best long sleeve running shirt on the market. It has sleeves made to be pushed up, a long front zip to get you some airflow, a wind proof front panel, super thin, breathable material, and a form fitting hood.
- Running shorts
- Socks - Merino for less stink.
- Light Puffy - As light as you are comfortable with, or something best suited for the forecast. Pictured here is a Patagonia test piece. Sorry, it's not on the market and has no name yet.
- Ultralight Pants : Something that’ll be for added warmth and dress up at the hut.
- Wind Shirt : Patagonia’s Houdini does the trick.
- Arms : White, ultralight, ultra breathable, sun covers.
- Headband
- Rain Jacket : Patagonia’s Storm Chaser is ideal. With a solid forecast, consider leaving it behind in favor of the Houdini.
- Buff
- Gloves - I use a light Merino
- Sun glasses : Julbo’s Frequency or Density with Reactive lenses 1-3
- Coros Apex 2 Pro
- Coros Heart Rate Armband
- Phone with maps & track downloaded
- Nipple tape or band-aids!!!
- Menthol Inhaler : A trick I learned at elevation in the Himalaya. Clears the nose and wakes you up.
- Lip Balm with sunscreen
- Gourmet Instant Coffee : Mountain life is considerably less rad when you have to drink Nescafe at the huts.
- Trail Butter - my choice for calories, reviewed here
- Tailwind Endurance Fuel : Consider some with caffeine and some without. Caffeine does miraculous things for fatigue.
- Sticky Wrap Cloth : For injuries, cuts, ankles.
- Tape : For toes or cuts
- Nut Butter : Not to be confused with Trail Butter. This has a very different application.
- Headlamp : The Black Diamond Deploy is just right.
- Silk Sack : Mandatory at the huts.
- Poles : Black Diamond’s Distance Z Poles.
- Charging Plug : Best with two ports to speed things up when you get a plug to yourself.
- USB and Coros Cables as needed.
- Sony RX100
- Sony spare batteries and film cards
- Toilet Kit : Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, Ibuprofen or Volteren, and a few Compeed blister pads.
- Small knife with scissors and file
- Ear Plugs : Wax plugs that go in deep and mold to your ear canal. Available at Euro pharmacies and worth any amount you have to pay. Huts often include loud nights.
- Water Filter : Katadyn BeFree
- Water Flasks
- Cash (Approximately CHF1800 to be safe for 9 days on tour) and wallet with credit card. The huts don't take credit cards, pay with cash, use the credit card in towns. One 1000 Franc note is less bulky than ten 100 Franc notes. Avoid 5 Franc coins, they're like bricks in your pack.
Her Via Valais Trail Running Gear
Total pack & gear weight, not including all food & water: 3.25kg
- Long sleeve shirts: I prefer lightweight wool, no stink. 1 for running and 1 for sleeping
- T-Shirt
- Running shorts
- Pants: tights or lightweight pants, like the Patagonia Terrebone Joggers - great for at the huts
- Gloves: light gloves with a built in windstop cover
- Rain jacket
- Windshell: Patagonia Houdini
- Buff
- Undies and sport bra
- Headband
- Socks: one to wear with a back up
- Sun hat
- Puffy
- Silk liner for huts
- BD Carbon Z Poles
- Headlamp - Rechargeable, it's easier to carry a cable than extra batteries
- Watch & Heart Rate Monitor: Coros Apex 2 Pro
- Phone
- Phone charger
- Sunglasses
- Lip balm/sunscreen
- Toilet kit: Toothbrush, toothpaste, medications, wax earplugs
- Hair brush
- 2 soft flasks - 1 with a filter top
- Cash (Approximately CHF1800 to be safe for 9 days on tour) and a credit card. Many huts don't take credit cards, pay with cash, use the credit card in towns. One 1000 Franc note is less bulky than ten 100 Franc notes. Avoid 5 Franc coins, they're like bricks in your pack. Use a small plastic bag for a wallet.
- Sony RX100 with 2 back up batteries in a waterproof cover
- Favorite energy food - I love Pulparindo!
- Trail Butter, as much as you are willing to carry. Great for running and a nice addition to the typical bread and jam breakfast.
- Gourmet instant coffee, unless you like Nescafe in the morning.
- Hydration mix: Electrolytes for the trail and protein for recovery - as much as you are willing to carry.
- Shoes
- Patagonia Sloperunner 18 liter pack