Explore
Destinations, athlete stories, and field reports from every corner of the globe.
Browse by Sport
Isère and the Dauphiné: Cycling the Range Between Grenoble and the Alps
The Dauphiné is the region that gave the stage race its name — and it earns that association. Practical guide to cycling the Vercors plateau, the Chartreuse massif, and the col roads that lead into the Alps from Grenoble, for athletes arriving around the French nationals or building an Alpine cycling trip.
By ZealZag TeamRace the Route: Marathon du Mont-Blanc and the Chamonix Trail Festival
The most famous trail valley in the Alps hosts its festival this weekend, but the Chamonix balcony trails are open all summer. Complete guide to the Marathon du Mont-Blanc and running Chamonix: the five festival distances, the balcony routes, the lift system, gear, travel, and where to base beneath Mont Blanc.
By ZealZag TeamMarathon du Mont-Blanc 2026: The 90K Opens Chamonix's Trail Festival
The Marathon du Mont-Blanc festival is underway in Chamonix — five races across four days beneath the highest summit in the Alps. The 90K flagship circles the valley's high balconies, the marathon climbs to Flégère on Sunday, and the whole town has turned over to trail running for the weekend.
By ZealZag TeamRide Lenzerheide's Downhill: Following the UCI World Cup Track
The UCI DH World Cup course at Bike Kingdom Lenzerheide is open to lift-access riders between race weekends. A practical guide to riding the track, its three sections, getting there from Zurich, and planning your post-World Cup visit.
By ZealZag TeamKMV du Mont-Blanc 2026: A Thousand Metres of Brévent in Under 35 Minutes
Two days from the KMV du Mont-Blanc — the vertical kilometer that opens Chamonix's Marathon du Mont-Blanc weekend. 3.8 kilometres, 1,000 metres of climb on the Brévent's north flank, and a startlist that brings the skyrunning world to the alpine north face.
By ZealZag Team
Race the Mont-Blanc Marathon Route: Chamonix Trail Running Guide
How to train, run, and experience the trails that host the Marathon du Mont-Blanc — Brévent, Flégère, Posettes, and the high Chamonix balcons that define alpine racing in Europe.
By ZealZag Team
Marathon du Mont-Blanc 2026: Chamonix Welcomes the World's Best Trail Runners
The Marathon du Mont-Blanc returns to Chamonix June 25-28 — 90K, marathon, 23K, KMV and Cross — a UTMB World Series cornerstone that gathers the best of mountain running beneath Europe's highest peak.
By ZealZag TeamCycling the Valtellina: Stelvio, Mortirolo, and Gavia from a Sondrio Base
The Italian valley that anchors today's Tour de Suisse Grand Départ is also one of Europe's great cycling destinations — three legendary alpine passes, a 114km lakeside path, and a car-free initiative that closes the major roads to traffic all summer.
By ZealZag TeamZermatt for Trail Runners: Cable Cars to 3,883m and the Trails That Use Them
Zermatt sits at 1,620m in the Mattertal with the Matterhorn at 4,478m above it and cable cars climbing to 3,883m. The village is car-free, the trail network covers 400-plus kilometres, and the Matterhorn Ultraks skyrunning race fills the high terrain every July. What that actually means for a trail runner planning a trip.
By ZealZag TeamCycling the Beaufortain: Col des Saisies, Crest-Voland, and Savoie's Quiet Alps
The Beaufortain massif sits between the Tarentaise and the Arly valley in Savoie — a block of mid-altitude Alpine terrain with long climbs, low traffic, and a cheese industry whose villages make the best possible intermediate stops. Today's Tour Auvergne stage finishes here. Here's how to ride the same roads.
By ZealZag TeamCycling the Matheysine Plateau: Empty Roads, Big Climbs, and the Isère's Quietest Cycling Country
The Matheysine plateau and the Trièves valley south of Grenoble carry some of the most empty, climbing-rich roads in the French Alps. The Col du Festre, the Col du Noyer, and the lakes of Laffrey are a 250-kilometre weekend within ninety minutes of a major airport.
By ZealZag Team
Cycling the Dauphiné: Grand Colombier, Solaison, and the Aravis in Haute-Savoie
The Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes sends the peloton over the Grand Colombier HC and Plateau de Solaison HC — two of the hardest and least touristed climbs in the French Alps. Here's how to ride them, when to go, and where to base yourself.
By ZealZag TeamFrom Endurance Athlete to Alpinist: The Skills Gap and How to Bridge It
Trail runners and cyclists who arrive at a glaciated peak with strong aerobic engines and no idea how to put on crampons are a recognizable type in alpine guiding. The cardio is genuine and useful. The technical deficit is a specific, fixable problem — but no amount of fitness substitutes for it.
By ZealZag TeamChamonix for Trail Runners: The UTMB Corridor and What the Trails Actually Ask
Chamonix sits at 1,035 metres in the Arve Valley, hemmed in by the biggest peaks in the Western Alps. Trail running here operates on three distinct altitude bands, from accessible afternoon runs at 2,000m to technical high-altitude routes that ask for more than aerobic fitness.
By ZealZag Team