Trail Verbier St Bernard by UTMB
Trail Verbier St Bernard by UTMB (X-Alpine 140K)
Verbier
Race guide
Updated 29 June 2026
The Trail Verbier St Bernard X-Alpine 140K is one of the most demanding mountain ultras in the Swiss Alps, covering 140 km with 8,633 m of climbing and a high point of 2,816 m. Starting and finishing in Verbier (1,488 m), the route threads through the Val de Bagnes, crosses into Val Ferret via Champex and La Fouly, ascends the iconic Col du Grand St Bernard (2,476 m) on the Italian border, and then winds back through a succession of mountain huts — Cabane de Mille, Cabane de Panossière — before descending through Lourtier to the finish. The relentless vertical, repeated high-alpine crossings, and a cut-off window that closes at 15:30 on Day 2 make this a race that rewards careful preparation as much as raw fitness.
Course & Terrain
The route opens with an immediate 800 m climb from Verbier to Savoleyres (10 km, 2,279 m), setting the tone straight away. From there the course drops sharply into Sembrancher at just 714 m (30 km) before climbing again to Champex (1,469 m) and then to the Cabane d'Orny at 2,715 m — one of the highest points on course. The descent into La Fouly (60 km, 1,579 m) brings the first crew access point. The second half continues to push into serious alpine terrain: the Col du Grand St Bernard at 2,476 m (78 km), then another drop to Bourg St Pierre (1,593 m) before two more high-altitude hut crossings — Cabane de Mille (2,532 m at km 100) and Brunet (2,136 m at km 112) — before Cabane de Panossière (2,044 m at km 120). The final descent through Lourtier (1,139 m at km 128) leads back up into Verbier. Expect technical singletrack on the high ridges, rooty forest trails in the valley approaches, and well-worn but exposed paths across the cols. The altitude swing from 714 m at Sembrancher to 2,715 m at Orny within 16 km is one of the most dramatic sections of any UTMB-series race.
The Decisive Climbs — Where the Race is Won or Lost
Three moments define finishing success on this course. The first is the long haul to Cabane d'Orny at km 46 (2,715 m): arriving there in the dark or early morning, legs already carrying 30 km of alpine terrain, this is where rushed early pacing destroys races. The second crux is the Col du Grand St Bernard at km 78 — by this point you have already banked more than 5,000 m of climbing and the back half of the course still awaits. Runners who arrive at the col feeling controlled have a race; runners who arrive feeling depleted are fighting a war of attrition for the remaining 62 km. The third and often overlooked crux is the Cabane de Mille at km 100 (2,532 m): an isolated high-alpine refuge with over 40 km still to run, this is where mental resilience must match physical reserves. Breaking the remaining distance into manageable segments — Mille to Brunet, Brunet to Panossière, Panossière to Lourtier — transforms a daunting second half into a series of achievable objectives.
Pacing & Fuelling Strategy
The cardinal rule on this course: a patient, even social, first half is not a luxury — it is the deposit that funds a strong finish. The early descent to Sembrancher (30 km) can feel deceptively runnable and fast; resist it. The climbs to Orny and the Grand St Bernard are long enough that any time saved in the first 40 km is lost several times over on a blown-up ascent later. Runners who have succeeded here confirm that going 'too easy' early is the strategy — and that the real race only begins beyond the first night. For fuelling, use every crew access point (La Fouly at 60 km, Grand St Bernard at 78 km, Bourg St Pierre at 88 km, Brunet at 112 km, and Lourtier at 128 km) to top up calories, swap wet kit and address any issues before they escalate. Solid food windows — when descending into valley checkpoints — should be prioritised for real calories; rely on easy-to-digest liquid nutrition and gels on the steep ascents above 2,000 m where gut function is compromised. The Day 2 finish cut-off of 15:30 at Verbier creates a hard time ceiling: factor this into your pace planning from the start and know your mandatory splits at Sembrancher (Day 2, 03:40) to avoid any late surprises.
Conditions to Expect
The X-Alpine 140K operates in a high-alpine environment where conditions can span every season within a single race. At the valley checkpoints (Sembrancher, La Fouly, Bourg St Pierre, Lourtier) summer temperatures can push into the mid-20s Celsius during the day, creating real heat stress on the lower descents. A structured approach — breaking the heat into planned segments rather than reacting to it — is far more effective than trying to push through without mental checkpoints. Above 2,000 m, particularly on the Cabane d'Orny approach, Col du Grand St Bernard, and Cabane de Mille, temperatures can drop sharply at night, and exposed ridgelines are susceptible to afternoon thunderstorms. Mandatory kit should be treated as the minimum; carrying a full insulation layer and reliable waterproofs is non-negotiable given the overnight high-altitude sections. Snow can linger on the higher cols well into summer, particularly around Orny (2,715 m), so traction devices or at minimum trekking poles are worth planning for depending on race-year conditions.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-05) · official source
0 km · 1487 m · —
13 km · 2335 m · —
30 km · 711 m · Sat 04:05
37.7 km · 1469 m · Sat 06:20
46.4 km · 2812 m · —
60.4 km · 1601 m · Sat 13:30
74.9 km · 2471 m · Sat 18:35
89.1 km · 1620 m · Sat 22:30
101 km · 2477 m · —
108.8 km · 2101 m · Sun 04:50
115.6 km · 2630 m · —
127.4 km · 1081 m · Sun 11:00
133.5 km · 2263 m · Sun 14:30
140.2 km · 1486 m · —
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