Monte Rosa Walserwaeg by UTMB
Monte Rosa Walserwaeg by UTMB – Walserwaeg Trail
Gressoney-Saint-Jean
Race guide
Updated 18 July 2026
The Walserwaeg Trail is the 43 km option at Monte Rosa Walserwaeg by UTMB, a compact but ferocious alpine loop that starts and finishes in Gressoney-Saint-Jean (1383 m). Do not let the distance fool you: with 2836 m of positive climbing and a high point of 2637 m, this is a serious mountain race with more than 65 m of ascent for every kilometre run, packed into two enormous climbs. What defines the Walserwaeg is its density. There is almost no flat and no easing-in; the course goes straight up to a high refuge, plunges back to the valley, then does it all again. Set in the upper Lys valley amid the Walser villages and Monte Rosa peaks, it offers the high-alpine experience of a much longer ultra in a single big day out, which makes pacing discipline on the first climb absolutely critical.
The Course and Terrain
From Gressoney-Saint-Jean at 1383 m the route climbs hard and immediately to Rifugio Ospizio Sottile at 10.1 km and 2477 m, gaining nearly 1100 m in the first section and topping out near the 2637 m high point of the course. It then drops steeply to Rong at 16.1 km (1500 m), giving back almost everything you climbed. The second half repeats the pattern: a long ascent to Rifugio Gabiet at 26.3 km (2361 m), followed by a descent to Gressoney-La-Trinité at 34.6 km (1628 m). The finale is a smaller but still meaningful climb to Rifugio Alpenzu Grande at 38.5 km (1779 m) before the closing descent back to Gressoney-Saint-Jean at 42.3 km. Underfoot this is high-alpine terrain: rocky refuge approaches, exposed upper slopes, and steep, technical descents on mountain paths through forest and pasture. The two refuges high on the course, Ospizio Sottile and Gabiet, are the landmarks that structure the day and the points from which you commit to each big descent.
Where the Race Is Won or Lost
The race is shaped by two climbs and the descents that follow them. The opening ascent to Ospizio Sottile is the single hardest effort, nearly 1100 m of climbing from the gun to just below the 2637 m high point. It is decisive precisely because it comes first: go too hard here and the second climb to Gabiet will feel twice as long. The smart move is to climb the first section within yourself, treating it as the effort that sets up the rest of the loop rather than a segment to attack. The descents are where time and legs are truly lost. The drop from Ospizio Sottile to Rong sheds nearly 1000 m over about 6 km, and the descent off Gabiet toward Gressoney-La-Trinité is similarly steep. On terrain this abrupt, quads take a beating early, and the final climb to Alpenzu Grande at 38.5 km will expose anyone who trashed their legs on the way down. Runners who descend under control and arrive at that last refuge with something in reserve get to run the finish rather than survive it.
Pacing and Fuelling
The checkpoints give you three hard markers: Rong closes at Sat 14:30 (16.1 km), Gressoney-La-Trinité at Sat 19:30 (34.6 km, the crew point) and the finish at Gressoney-Saint-Jean at Sat 22:00. That leaves a generous but not unlimited window, and the shape of the effort, rather than the clock, is what will govern most runners: the first climb-and-descent to Rong sets the tone, and reaching Gressoney-La-Trinité with functional legs is the key checkpoint for a strong finish. Use the crew point there to reset before the final Alpenzu climb. The aid gaps are short in distance but long in effort. The opening 10.1 km to Ospizio Sottile is almost all uphill, so carry enough fluid and calories for a sustained hour-plus of climbing at altitude, and again for the big pull to Gabiet at 26.3 km. Because the course is so front-loaded with vertical, fuel early and consistently rather than waiting to feel depleted; on climbs this steep your stomach tolerates food far better going up than crashing down the far side. Water sources at the refuges are your anchors, so top off at each.
Conditions to Expect
With a high point of 2637 m and two passages above 2300 m, the Walserwaeg is a true alpine race where conditions on the tops can differ sharply from the mild valley start at Gressoney-Saint-Jean. Even in summer, wind and cold at Ospizio Sottile and Gabiet can bite, and mountain weather in the Monte Rosa massif can shift quickly. Carry the warm and waterproof layers the mountain demands rather than the layers the valley temperature suggests. The rapid altitude swings, from around 1383 m up to 2637 m and back twice, mean you will move repeatedly between exposed high slopes and sheltered forested descents, so expect real temperature variation through the loop. The technical descents become slick and demanding if rain or lingering moisture is about, making grippy trail shoes essential. Treat this short course with the same respect you would give a long alpine ultra: the altitude, the exposure and the relentless gradient make it far bigger than its 43 km on paper.
Race Monte Rosa Walserwaeg by UTMB – Walserwaeg Trail with Crux
Get the strategy, fuelling and crew plan dialled for this exact course — built from the real route, climbs and cut-offs. Your first race is free.
Plan this race — freeCourse profile
Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-17) · official source
0 km · 1383 m · —
10.1 km · 2477 m · —
16.1 km · 1500 m · Sat 14:30
26.3 km · 2361 m · —
34.6 km · 1628 m · Sat 19:30
38.5 km · 1779 m · —
42.3 km · 1383 m · Sat 22:00
More races
More UTMB World Series
Similar distance (50–100 km)
Racing Monte Rosa Walserwaeg by UTMB – Walserwaeg Trail?
Get a complete race strategy — pacing, fuelling, crew plan and the crux moments — built on this exact course.
Plan your race in Crux →Strava is your training. Crux is your races.