Trail du Gypaète

Put on your sneakers and come do Gy'alipettes in Faucigny 🤸, just steps from the Swiss border 🇨🇭.

In June, lace up, and head toward Haute-Savoie. You’re about to skip through between the marmots, the ibexes and the bearded vultures 🦅. Don’t panic, beards are only for birds, not you! ✅ The association "La Gypaète" is hosting its namesake trail for a new edition, open to the general public, with 5 routes for all levels. From 14 km to 76 km, the courses will let you discover and push yourself 😈. Races take place during the day, and you’ll be able to see the mountains in all their splendor 😍. Open your eyes wide, with a bit of luck you might spot some snow patches. Not exactly skiing 🏂, or tobogganing 🛷, but enough to put a smile on your face and forget you’re wobbling on your legs. With peaks over 1 900 meters, you’ll get an unbeatable view of the surroundings and the valley below 👀.

Regarding the courses, the organization aimed to delight everyone 😎. Beginners can line up at the start of 14.5 km. However, keep an eye on the watch: 700 mD+ for 14.5 km, this isn’t a joke ❌. It’ll be a great first experience. A notch above, you’ll find the 31 km ☝. And we know there’ll be happy people when we announce you can do the distance as a duo. Yes, you can bring a friend or your partner into your adventure, and kill two birds with one stone by cutting the effort duration 🧠. Honestly, you have no excuse not to sign up. From now on, we’re talking about confirmed trail runners : 45, 57 and 76 km with a fairly condensed elevation that will require some prep on your side 🏋️‍♂️. And when we say prep, we’re not just talking about watching every trail movie you can find 🎬, but actually moving your legs in rhythm 2 to 3 times a week 🏃. The 45 and the 57 km are perfect to test yourself before committing to the 76 km next year ⭐️. Because we know you, you’ll surely say “never again”, “what am I doing here”, “this makes no sense to run”, but you’ll sign up for an even crazier challenge just after 48 hours later 🗣️. And if you’ve already taken that step and want to commit to the queen distance of 76 km this year, then gear up to climb mountains (and that’s not just a figure of speech...) 🏔️. As the name suggests, you’ll join 3 lakes+ with over 4 700 mD+ in total 🥱. It’s exhausting just talking about it. Plus, for this route, you’ll start at 4h30 ⏰ (while everyone else is still sleeping), you’ll see the mountain wake up... and maybe even sleep if you linger on the Savoy trails 👀.

Once in Savoy, take the time to sample the specialties. Quick word: you’re going to regain every kilo you just shed 😵. In case you didn’t know, the region is renowned for its cheeses. Raclette cheese, reblochon or Emmental de Savoie, there’s something for every taste and every scent 🧀. We hope you’ve got your sense of smell ready, because it’s going to be lively! 👃 If you’d rather soak in the scenery than the plate, you can follow your whims. Southward, Annecy and its famous idyllic setting await for you to hike at your leisure, or simply drift on a pedalo 🚣‍♂️. To continue your lakeside tour, extend by a good quarantaine of minutes 🚗 and park along the Bourget-du-Lac beaches. This vast stretch of water, of glacial origin 🧊, is France’s deepest lake. On the other hand, if France holds no secrets for you anymore, or you simply want to conquer new forests 🌳, cross the border and head to our Swiss friends. You’ll quickly find your way to Geneva and its magnificent Lake Geneva. Clearly, you’ll see more lakes in a few days than you’ve seen in your whole life 😳.

One last quick reminder in case you skimmed: remember to bring your best swim brief and a sturdy pince-nez if you’re sensitive about your nostrils 😬. The rest happens with your legs 🦵.