Mountain Trails To Run : Verbier Croix de Coeur Switzerland

This evening the Giro passes through Verbier Switzerland and well above the village. The coverage will make for amazing views if the weather allows. The race was shortened due to poor weather, delayed and started with a climb up through Verbier and beyond. There was plenty of snow about at higher elevations. In 2009 Tour de France finished in the township of Verbier. I was lucky to wake in snow (in the height of summer on 18th July) and ran to the high ridge line above on service trails and single track on day 2, different routes on consecutive days with an altitude gain of over 900m (1500m asl to 2400m asl). Both runs began on Route de Golf, just above the golf course and well above the village. My big regret was not taking a camera phone on the second run. It went through an impromptu jazz concert in an alpine meadow and the single track went through a tunnel along the ridge. On the TDF stage after Verbier the organisers were still laying bitumen on the Italian side of the border that morning as I drove through Pass Great St Bernard. The Giro traced much of my day 1 run.