Via Valais Multi-Day Trail Running Tour Gear - ALPSinsight (2024)

The Via Valais trail running tour is about 220 km’s, 14,000+ meters of vertical gain, and if you have the juice, there’s a peak to climb each day as an add on. We feel it’s just the right amount of not too much. While the distance and vert is a bit more than the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc, which is done by an elite few in under 24 hours, we’ll do our tour in a relaxed 9 days, making tons of images while traveling through some of the Alps’ most beautiful terrain entirely on foot and carrying only what we need. What we carry is crucial, it has to be ultra light, and super efficient. Thankfully, we have the hut system, which provides the ability to actually run through the high Alps for days on end without the burden of pack weight.

How the Swiss Huts Work

Friends visiting from the US continually remind us of how much we’ve started to take the huts for granted. For first timers to the Alps, they’re blown away by what the huts offer. These aren’t lean to’s, or A-Frame shacks, they’re full blown mountain hotels, sometimes a hundred plus years old and quaint, other times ultra modern. Always comfortable. For hikers, climbers, ski tourers and trail runners, the huts provide meals, snacks, drinks and of course comfy beds. Learn to use them and they offer something else – freedom from carrying gear. Our Hut System page has more info.

On the Via Valais, we’ll stay in five mountain huts. From these, we can purchase day food, eat breakfast and dinner, and of course spend the night in beds without having to carry sleeping bags. With all that provided, we only need to carry what we need for running, and for staying safe in the mountains, where, like always, things can go from fun in the sun to something more serious due to weather or injury.

What to Pack for a Trail Running Tour

Besides trail running for 8 days, our job is to tell the story of this new tour. In addition to running kit, we have to carry camera gear. Thankfully, that gear is light and the system we use is very simple, the Sony RX100 VI. Below are images of Dan’s and Kim’s kits laid out to compare what goes in for a man vs. a woman, or a photographer vs. a writer, who also gets to be a bit of a mule to help out. Of course some items get shared among the group like First-Aid and a water filter.

After these kinds of tours, we often go back to select locations with a better quality camera and wider lens selection.

Trail Running Kit Explained

1. Black Diamond Distance15 liter packs are the choice for multi-day running. 15 liters may not seem like much for up to a week of running, but that’s the point, You need a limiter or you won’t be doing much running. These packs get the job done.We reviewed the Distance packshere.
2. La SportivaJackal. You’ll want a shoe for long days out, day in and day out. We like something that combines comfort and cushion with a bit of performance. Sportiva nailed it with the Jackal.
3. Sun hat
4. Two T-shirts for rotating use as running shirt and hut/hotel dining room dress shirt. One synthetic and one lightweight Merino wool (sink management).
5. Long sleeve shirt. Again, we go with wool as we’ll be using it for a week. The Black Diamond Solution Merino is ideal.
6. Ultralight overpants to keep your legs warm in case of weather, and to not look like a starving runner too much in the hotel dining room.Patagonia’sHEK pants are the choice.
7. Lightweight tights (optional based on the forecast). It’s summer so you probably don’t have to go too thick.
8. Running shorts
9. Lightweight synthetic vest. This is optional based on the forecast as well, you may want to go without, or go warmer with a full puffy. Patagonia’s Nano Air Hybrid vest is perfect.
10. Black Diamond Deploy wind shirt. Is there a lighter, more functional piece of gear? We don’t think so.
11. Black Diamond Stance Mitts go where we go in the mountains. They’re ultra, ultra light puffy gloves for when things get cold.
12. Rain Jacket. The Black Diamond Fineline Stretch Rain Shell is a super light waterproof jacket that lets you continue moving quickly without bulk or movement restriction.
13. Lightweight fleece gloves
14. Socks. Two pair of your favorite, and proven, socks. We likeDrymax.
15. Headband or beanie if temps are low
16. Carbon poles. Black Diamond’s Carbon Z Poles are simply unrivaled.
17. Two soft flasks – one dedicated for plain water, one for drink mixes
18. Sun glasses.JulboShield’s include high quality photochromic lenses and side shields to protect the eyes for long days out.
19. Camera. The Sony RX100 is pro quality in a tiny, lightweight package.
20. Chapstick/sun screen
21. Toiletries: toothbrush & toothpaste
22. Extra Sony RX100 battery
23. Dental floss and ear plugs (do not forget ear plugs!)
24. Phone with important apps:FatMapwith route downloaded,Regaemergency App, andMeteoSwiss)
25. Water filter. TheMSRTrail Shot is ideal for two or more people so you can quickly filter water for each person. Also, by filtering you avoid having to buy water at huts, saving you money, and reducing the need for plastic water bottles transported by helicopter.
26. Watch
27. Headlamp. You probably won’t need it as hotels serve a dinner you won’t want to miss at about 6:30. And, there’s no real rush in the morning. So, go light. The Black Diamond Flare does the trick.
28. Tiny knife
29. Tape – for toes, ankles, cuts, etc…
30. Charging cables – phone, watch and camera
31. Swiss Francs, and lots of them. You can use credit cards for your overnights, but day food at huts might require cash.
32. Wallet. Including ID, credit card & insurance info
33. CLIFBars & Shot Bloks – as many as you are willing to carry for the first four days until you get to Bergün and the first store.
34. Trail Butter– my choice for calories, reviewedhere
35. Emergency coffee. Always carry your own favorite quick brew in case your hotel greets you with a Nescafe.
36. NOT SHOWN : Silk Liner for the huts

Dan’s total pack & gear weight, not including all food & water: 3.35kg

1. Black Diamond Distance15 liter pack
2. La SportivaKaptiva with Superfeet Run Pain Relief insole
3. Visor
4. T-shirt
5. Two Long sleeve shirtsrotating running and hut/hotel dining room dress shirt -one synthetic and one Black Diamond Rhythm Nuyarn Wool
6. PatagoniaHEK pants – could be for running or town appropriate
7. Lightweight tights
8. Running shorts
9. Puffy.
10. Black Diamond Distance wind shirt
11. Black Diamond Stance Mitts – always handy in emergency cold
12. Rain Jacket – Black Diamond Fineline Stretch Rain Shell
13. Lightweight gloves
14. Socks – I always goDrymax
15. Headband
16. Black Diamond’s Carbon Z Poles
17. Two soft flasks
18. Julbosunglasses
19. Buff
20. Chapstick
21. Toiletries: toothbrush, toothpaste,Squirrels Nut Butter, & vitamins
22. Beanie
23. Undergarments
24. Phone with important apps:FatMapwith route downloaded,Regaemergency App, andMeteoSwiss
25. MSRTrail Shot water filter
26. Watch
27. Headlamp
28. Tiny knife
29. Blister Pads – hope to not need them
30. Charging cables for phone and watch
31. Wallet with cash, credit cards, and ID
32. Nuts – I like to have some extra
33. CLIFShot Bloks – as many as you are willing to carry for the first four days until you get to Bergün and the first store.
34. Trail Butter– Key high octane fuel and always yummy
35. Hydration mix
36. Emergency coffee so you don’t ever end up drinking Nescafe
37. NOT SHOWN : Silk Liner for the huts

Kim’s total pack & gear weight, not including all food & water: 3.25kg

The Via Valais

We’re not sharing our route quite yet, we’d like to confirm some key passages that we haven’t done to be sure it’s suitable as a trail running tour. If these passages go, we know we’ve linked up a series of trails perfect for running days on end, with fantastic nights in mountain huts. If you’d like to follow along, we’ll be posting to our social channels with #ViaValais

*Full info about the Via Valais is now available on our Elevation site to make your summer/fall running plans in the Alps!