Trail des Écrins

The Trail des Ecrins is a 65-kilometer trail race with 4,200 meters of elevation gain, taking place in the Ecrins massif, starting from Briancon in the Hautes-Alpes department. Briancon, the highest city in France at 1,326 meters altitude and a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its Vauban fortifications, is the ideal starting point for this adventure in the heart of one of the wildest and most impressive massifs in the French Alps.

The Ecrins National Park, created in 1973, is a high-mountain jewel. The Ecrins massif, with its 150 summits exceeding 3,000 meters and its gleaming glaciers, is the second highest massif in France after Mont Blanc. The Barre des Ecrins, the highest point at 4,102 meters, is the southernmost 4,000-meter peak in the Alps. The Trail des Ecrins offers runners the privilege of crossing this grandiose territory, among glaciers, rock walls, and hanging valleys.

The 65-kilometer course explores the valleys and passes surrounding the massif. Runners follow high-mountain trails that climb toward panoramic passes offering striking views of the north faces of great peaks, glacial waterfalls, and moraines that testify to glacier retreat. Altitude lakes, nestled in granite cirques, punctuate the course with their turquoise or emerald waters.

The 4,200 meters of elevation gain place this race among the demanding alpine events. Climbs are long and sustained, often above 2,000 meters altitude, where thinner air requires finer effort management. Trails are typically alpine: stony, technical, sometimes exposed. Descents, on steep slopes of scree and moraine, demand solid downhill technique and ankles of steel.

The Briancon region enjoys exceptional sunshine, among the highest in France. This southern alpine luminosity gives landscapes remarkable clarity and sharpness. Colors are intense: the deep blue of the sky, the brilliant white of glaciers, the tender green of alpine pastures, the silver grey of granite walls. But this sunshine sometimes comes with violent afternoon storms, and altitude can expose runners to winter-like conditions even in midsummer.

The natural environment along the course is exceptionally rich. Marmots whistle as runners pass, chamois bound across rock faces, and golden eagles patrol the ridges. Alpine flora, with its gentians, edelweiss, and fields of rhododendrons, colors the pastures with vivid and delicate touches.

Briancon offers an exceptional heritage setting for the race start and finish. The Vauban citadel, with its ramparts, churches, and cobblestone lanes, is a remarkable historical gem. Local gastronomy, from tourtons (potato fritters) to ravioles and mountain cheese, restores energy with flavor. The Trail des Ecrins is an exceptional alpine adventure, a race that combines the grandeur of high mountains with the demands of a course traced through the most precious natural heritage of the French Alps.