Tick-lists. To be clear, I work with tick-lists which I constantly adapt and expand. I have lists and itineraries sorted by region and alpine discipline. My lists make me dream. When the weather is grey, …
Running in Place: Lessons from making a trail running guidebook
It’s not all about the iconic places, not always. Not usually. What’s the quickest way away from pavement? I looked around and pointed my feet towards the forest, starting with no destination other than off …
How I fight the cycling winter blues with skimo
In winter, cyclists either get fat or undergo a training regime that sounds like torture. They ride outside in absolutely miserable conditions; and when they can feel their fingers again, they post epic pictures on social …
What Makes the Alps so Much Fun
Racing the Tram, and Other Pleasures of Alps Mountain Sports It is late September. I am pushing hard up the last few meters to Croix de Culet, my sweaty hand sliding over the chain that …
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Ultralight Trail Running Packing List
Nearly every time I’m on an iconic tour in the Alps I see it. A hiker, ski tourer, or trail runner laboring up some massive climb beneath too much weight and in the wrong gear. Americans, …
The Alps Vertical Reality Strategy
Whatever you do, Don’t Look Up Going light and coping with big vert in the Alps Forty miles into Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc’s “little sister,” Courmayeur-Champêx-Chamonix last year, I came across a fellow runner, sprawled out …
Understanding the Swiss Train System for Mountain Sports
SBB CFF FFS—Nine Letters that make for great trail running The crowd is getting antsy. Agitated, almost. I can feel the tension rising in my own body. I wonder how this scene is going to …
Where to see the Alps Glaciers
Seeing the Alps Glaciers Glaciers are without a doubt one of the most spectacular features of the Alps. They are also one of the most clear indicators that climate change is very real. Where they …
There’s no such thing as indoor training for cyclists in the Alps
I was born and raised on the shores of Lake of Geneva, which is one of the few flat areas in Switzerland. But I was never far from the mountains, and I loved climbing as …
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The Swiss Alps Hut System
Like most every American visiting the Alps for the first time, I simply could not believe the Swiss hut system. “Let me get this straight… I don’t have to carry a tent, sleeping bag, stove, …
