Trail du Mont Grêle

Savoyard or not? 😎

Savoyard or not, in March you’ll roar with delight (and a little suffering 😅)! Welcome to the Trail du Mont Grêle, a must-do in the avant-pays savoyard 🌄. Here, we trade fondue for pace and gentle climbs for some beautifully hardcore ascents 🔥. Starting from Saint-Béron, you’ll flirt with the Chaîne de l'Épine in the heart of a setting where the Mont Grêle (1425 m still) dominates proudly ⛰️.

As for the course level, there’s something for every calf: whether you’re a Sunday trailer or a height-gain hunter, you’ll find your joy (or your limits 😬). One thing’s for sure, there will be slopes that make you grimace like after a badly measured Génépi shot 🤪. The 12 km, named Les Roches, will already have you sweating with its 700 mD+ nicely packed. Do you prefer to go higher? ⬆️ L’Archèle and its 23 km for 1400 mD+ will lift you to paradise… before sending you back down at every descent! 💥 And for the big calibers, the true trail warriors, there are Les 3 Pylônes : 40 km, 2100 mD+, and a healthy dose of courage required, because your dignity will be somewhere lost deep in the forest 😂. There, it’s clearly: “I signed up, I own it”! 😅. Cherry on top? A breathtaking view of the sublime Lac d’Aiguebelette, this emerald little gem that makes nature lovers and tranquility dream. The kind of place where you almost forget your quads are burning 🔥. The Savoie unfolds its green carpet of dense forests, razor-sharp ridges and secret valleys…🤫 It’s beautiful, but it bites! 💣

And once you cross the finish line and your legs are well stiff, what next? 🧐 Well, you stay in Savoie and you savor! 🤪 After the effort, it’s time for comfort with a little stroll around the Lac du Bourget, where turquoise water is as tempting as a plate of crozet with cream 🍽️. Why not take a dip or rent a paddle to ease the legs gently? 🏄‍♀️ If you’d rather stay on land (or under the table 😏), head to the typical villages of the avant-pays savoyard to discover local specialties: diots, Beaufort and Savoy wine... a little indulgence to replenish your calorie stash in epicurean mode🍷. And if you still have a spark of energy (or just want to extend the weekend), go explore the surrounding massifs or the narrow lanes of Chambéry, just a stone’s throw away 🌆. Between mountains, lake and Savoyard traditions, one thing is certain: the post-race is almost as magical as the race itself! ✨

So, ready to push yourself with the elevation? Don’t worry, Savoie has you covered 🧘.