Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Earlier this month, I called up my friend Jimmy Elam and asked if he’d join me for a 3–4 day fastpack of the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) course. Jimmy knows this route well — he raced UTMB in 2022, finishing in a blazing 22:36 — and I wanted to see the trail again for myself before we kick off our 2025 UTMB media coverage in Chamonix.
UTMB is the crown jewel of ultrarunning: ~170 kilometers, 10,000 meters of climbing, and a loop around Mont Blanc through France, Italy, and Switzerland. Every summer, thousands of athletes from around the world come here for what’s become the sport’s de facto 100-mile world championship.
In this video, we share our course preview from the trail itself — highlighting key sections like Col du Bonhomme, Col de la Seigne, and Grand Col Ferret, as well as the towns of Les Contamines, Courmayeur, and La Fouly. We also show what makes fastpacking the Alps so unique, from refueling at mountain refugios to managing big climbs and descents.
Whether you’re racing UTMB this year, planning a future attempt, or just curious about fastpacking in Europe, we hope this video gives you an authentic look at the terrain, challenges, and beauty of Mont Blanc’s legendary trail.
Partners:
* Norda - check out the 005: the lightest, fastest, most stable trail racing shoe ever made (nordarun.com/)
* Gorewear - use code SINGLETRACKPOD30 at checkout on their website to get 30% off your purchase.
* Naak - use code SINGLETRACK15 at checkout on their website (naak.com/) to get 15% off your purchase.
* Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains (raideresearch.com/)
Follow Singletrack on Instagram:
instagram.com/runsingletrack
Subscribe to Singletrack on Apple:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/singletrack/id1572382413
Subscribe to Singletrack on Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/7jAsWCRNSCU8nh81vrAaC2?si=3ac02e4e32b946c4
Earlier this month, I called up my friend Jimmy Elam and asked if he’d join me for a 3–4 day fastpack of the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) course. Jimmy knows this route well — he raced UTMB in 2022, finishing in a blazing 22:36 — and I wanted to see the trail again for myself before we kick off our 2025 UTMB media coverage in Chamonix.
UTMB is the crown jewel of ultrarunning: ~170 kilometers, 10,000 meters of climbing, and a loop around Mont Blanc through France, Italy, and Switzerland. Every summer, thousands of athletes from around the world come here for what’s become the sport’s de facto 100-mile world championship.
In this video, we share our course preview from the trail itself — highlighting key sections like Col du Bonhomme, Col de la Seigne, and Grand Col Ferret, as well as the towns of Les Contamines, Courmayeur, and La Fouly. We also show what makes fastpacking the Alps so unique, from refueling at mountain refugios to managing big climbs and descents.
Whether you’re racing UTMB this year, planning a future attempt, or just curious about fastpacking in Europe, we hope this video gives you an authentic look at the terrain, challenges, and beauty of Mont Blanc’s legendary trail.
Partners:
* Norda - check out the 005: the lightest, fastest, most stable trail racing shoe ever made (nordarun.com/)
* Gorewear - use code SINGLETRACKPOD30 at checkout on their website to get 30% off your purchase.
* Naak - use code SINGLETRACK15 at checkout on their website (naak.com/) to get 15% off your purchase.
* Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains (raideresearch.com/)
Follow Singletrack on Instagram:
instagram.com/runsingletrack
Subscribe to Singletrack on Apple:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/singletrack/id1572382413
Subscribe to Singletrack on Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/7jAsWCRNSCU8nh81vrAaC2?si=3ac02e4e32b946c4
