HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB
VDA 163K - Torn dera Val d'Aran
Vielha
Race guide
Updated 29 June 2026
The VDA 163K – Torn dera Val d'Aran is the flagship race of the HOKA Val d'Aran by UTMB festival, a 163 km loop starting and finishing in Vielha in the heart of the Pyrenean Val d'Aran. With 9,704 m of climbing and a high point of 2,547 m near the Montgarri sector, this is a serious mountain ultra demanding both technical competence and deep endurance reserves. The course circumnavigates the entire valley, threading through remote high-altitude terrain, dense forest, ancient pilgrimage routes and riverside paths before closing the loop back in Vielha. It is not the highest race in the Pyrenees, but the relentless accumulation of ascent and descent across 163 km — combined with extended sections of genuine wilderness — makes it one of the most demanding 100-mile-class events on the UTMB circuit.
Course & Terrain Overview
The route departs Vielha at 975 m and immediately sets the tone with a long opening climb toward the Bossòst life base at 30 km. From Bossòst the course drops sharply into the Es Bòrdes / Artiga de Lin sector at just 713 m — the lowest point on the entire course — before embarking on the longest sustained climb of the race up toward the Montgarri sector at 90 km and 2,537 m, which sits just 10 m below the official high point of 2,547 m. After Montgarri the course descends to Salardú (118 km, 1,468 m), climbs again through the upper valley to the Arties life base (145 km, 1,676 m), and then winds back to Vielha for the finish. Terrain ranges from wide forest tracks and valley-bottom paths to narrow, rocky mountain singletracks and open alpine ridgelines. Expect significant sections of technical footing above 2,000 m, particularly around the Montgarri approach, and softer, rooted trails in the forested lower sectors.
Decisive Climbs & Descents
The make-or-break section of the VDA 163K is the long push from the low point at Es Bòrdes / Artiga de Lin (50 km, 713 m) all the way up to the Montgarri sector (90 km, 2,537 m). Over roughly 40 km you gain almost 1,824 m of net elevation, with no life base in between — this is the most isolated stretch of the course and the section where bad pacing, under-fuelling or deteriorating weather will end races. The descent from Montgarri down to Salardú is long and leg-sapping; arriving at Salardú with destroyed quads at 118 km still leaves 45 km to run. The final climb from Salardú back up toward Arties and beyond before the closing descent to Vielha is routinely underestimated — by this point most runners are well beyond 24 hours on their feet, and what looks modest on the elevation profile feels enormous in the field. Do not leave Salardú without eating a full meal and resetting mentally.
Pacing Strategy
With a Sunday 16:00 finish cut-off in Vielha, your total time window depends on the start time, but the structure of the course dictates a clear pacing framework: run conservatively in the first 50 km to Bossòst and Es Bòrdes, bank energy for the enormous central wilderness section to Montgarri, and then manage effort carefully from Salardú to Arties knowing the race is not over. Use Bossòst (30 km) as your first real check-in — if you are already behind your target split by more than 30–40 minutes, recalibrate your finish goal. The Es Bòrdes to Montgarri block (40 km with no life base) should be treated like a self-supported stage: carry sufficient food and fluid to sustain at least 5–7 hours of effort without resupply. From Arties at 145 km, the final 18 km back to Vielha demands whatever you have left; do not sit too long — the Sunday cut-off is firm.
Fuelling & Crew Strategy
The three life bases — Bossòst (30 km), Salardú (118 km) and Arties (145 km) — are your crew access points and should be the anchors of your nutrition plan. Bossòst at 30 km is early enough to top up and adjust kit but not a place to lose significant time. The critical fuelling window is the approach to and departure from Salardú: you arrive after 118 km and the bulk of your climbing, and you still have a full mountain stage ahead. Eat a proper meal here, change socks if needed, and brief your crew on what you need at Arties. Arties at 145 km is your final crew point — use it to take on the exact calories and fluid you need for 18 km back to Vielha, no more kit swaps than necessary. Between Es Bòrdes and Montgarri, where there is no life base for roughly 40 km, carry at minimum two full flasks (500 ml each) and plan for 300–400 kcal per hour from gels, bars and real food. Water sources exist in the high Pyrenees but should not be relied upon without a filter or purification tablets.
Conditions to Expect
The Val d'Aran sits on the northern, Atlantic-facing slope of the Pyrenees and receives significantly more rainfall than the Spanish side of the range — afternoon thunderstorms in summer are common and can develop rapidly above 2,000 m. The Montgarri sector at 2,537 m is fully exposed; runners passing through at night or in deteriorating weather must carry mandatory storm layers rated for mountain conditions. Even in summer, temperatures at the high point can drop dramatically and ridge-level winds can make apparent temperatures hostile. Valley sections, by contrast, can be warm and humid, particularly in the Artiga de Lin area at 713 m. A layering system that can handle both warm lower-valley running and cold, wet ridge conditions is essential. Night temperatures in the valleys typically sit between 8–14°C during the summer race window; higher sectors can drop below 5°C. Check the forecast closely in the 48 hours before race day and be prepared to adjust your kit accordingly.
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Checkpoints & cut-offs
✓ Course data verified against the official source (2026-07-05) · official source
0 km · 978 m · —
10.5 km · 1600 m · Fri 19:15
24.6 km · 1466 m · Fri 22:15
32.8 km · 2000 m · —
42.6 km · 1292 m · Sat 04:00
49.2 km · 710 m · Sat 05:30
58.2 km · 891 m · Sat 08:00
65.8 km · 1017 m · Sat 09:15
81.8 km · 2048 m · Sat 16:00
99.7 km · 1659 m · Sat 20:45
104.8 km · 1850 m · Sat 22:15
113.7 km · 1260 m · Sun 00:00
122.6 km · 1759 m · Sun 02:45
134.2 km · 1980 m · Sun 07:00
144.5 km · 1765 m · —
149 km · 1139 m · Sun 10:45
154.8 km · 1780 m · Sun 13:15
163 km · 982 m · Sun 16:00
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