Ultra Trail du Beaufortain

The Ultra Trail du Beaufortain is an 85-kilometer ultra trail race with 5,500 meters of elevation gain, taking place in the Beaufortain massif in Haute-Savoie. The start and finish are in Beaufort, a mountain town world-famous for its namesake cheese, one of the greatest cheeses in alpine gastronomy. This race is a total immersion into one of the most secret and preserved massifs of the French Alps, a high-mountain territory that has remained apart from mass tourism.

The Beaufortain is a unique massif in the Alps. Situated between Mont Blanc, the Vanoise, and the Tarentaise, it offers strikingly beautiful landscapes yet remains relatively unknown to the general public. It is precisely this authenticity that gives the Ultra Trail du Beaufortain its charm. Runners move through a postcard-perfect alpine setting: immense alpine pastures where herds of Tarine and Abondance cows graze, their milk used to produce Beaufort cheese, deep blue altitude lakes, gleaming glaciers, centuries-old spruce forests, and crystalline torrents.

The 5,500 meters of elevation gain place this race among the most demanding in the Alps. The course chains together ambitious high-altitude passes, some exceeding 2,500 meters, with long steady climbs punctuated by steeper sections. The cumulative altitude and technical terrain demand sustained and constant effort. The descents, on sometimes rocky and technical alpine trails, require solid technical mastery and muscular endurance.

The course explores the heart of the Beaufortain, crossing isolated valleys where human presence is limited to a few alpine chalets and mountain refuges. Runners cross panoramic passes offering spectacular views of the Mont Blanc massif, the Roselend dam with its turquoise lake nestled among the mountains, the Vanoise glaciers, and the snow-capped peaks ringing the horizon. Lake Roselend, one of the most beautiful artificial lakes in the Alps, is one of the course highlights.

Race conditions in the Beaufortain are typically alpine. The high altitude exposes runners to changing weather conditions: the burning sun on alpine pastures can give way within minutes to a violent hailstorm. Nighttime cold at altitude, even in summer, can be biting. Residual snow on the highest passes adds an element of uncertainty and additional technical difficulty.

Beaufortain hospitality is legendary. Aid stations, often set up in alpine chalets or refuges, offer the famous Beaufort cheese, Savoyard diots sausages, mountain soups, and tartiflettes that warm runners to the core. Volunteers, largely valley residents, generously share their love for this territory. The atmosphere is familial, warm, and authentically mountainous.

The Ultra Trail du Beaufortain is aimed at experienced trail runners seeking alpine authenticity, the raw beauty of high mountains, and a first-rate physical challenge. It is a race that rewards those who accept losing themselves in the immensity of alpine pastures, confronting the demands of high-altitude passes, and immersing themselves in a preserved mountain territory. The Beaufortain is one of the Alps' best-kept secrets, and this race is the finest way to discover it.