Valais: a feeling of freedom

Dear journalists,

Meet Julien, Steve, Ludo, Yann and Kurt, all Valaisans who have chosen the mountains as their home terrain. We’ll start with Julien Voeffray, a keen trail runner and founder of the Swisspeaks Trail, a competition launched in summer 2017 with various courses of between 15 and 170 kilometres. This booming sport is growing especially quickly in Valais – for example in the Val d’Anniviers and the Dents du Midi region, which have both created their own trail running programmes.

Valais has also boosted its reputation as a cycling/mountain biking destination, thanks to the region’s infinite possibilities and also ambassadors including Steve Morabito and Ludo May – charismatic sportsmen in a class of their own. We offer a summit meeting with the young mountain guide Yann Décaillet, who loves sharing his passion and is ready to take you on some unforgettable hikes. Plus there’s a stop at the Hörnli mountain refuge: discover the extraordinary world of the mountain huts and their guardians, such as Kurt Lauber, who has led a life unlike any other. Enjoy an insight into the daily life of these adventure enthusiasts and get to know their playground, Valais.

Like to find out more? Don’t hesitate to contact us, we would be delighted to organise an interview for you with Julien, Steve, Ludo, Yann or Kurt.

Overcome your limits

Trail Running | «Nature has given us absolutely everything, and we’ve made the most of it with these courses.» That’s how Julien Voeffray defines trail running in Valais. A keen trail runner himself, he is also founder of the Swisspeaks Trail, a competition launched in summer 2017 with a variety of courses of between 15 and 170 kilometres, between Lake Geneva and the iconic peaks of Valais. But an idea has been growing in his head for much longer, an idea that will become reality in September 2018: a race that crosses the whole of Valais. As he says, «It’s a product that is there, which exists, and which is shaped by Valais.» The completely new course of 360 kilometres will run from the Furka Pass in the east to Le Bouveret on Lake Geneva, incorporating the existing Swisspeaks Trail. «It involves crossing the whole of Valais by all the most iconic passes and valleys,» says Julien Voeffray, who ran the route himself in 2015. It seems that the 360 is already set to become one of the world’s legendary ultra trails...

On your bike!

Cycling | Steve Morabito needs no introduction: one of Switzerland’s top racers, he has competed in 13 Grand Tours (Giro, Tour, Vuelta). He is used to impressive climbs as he lives and trains in Valais. Aware of the extraordinary potential of the canton, the «Valais climber» has set up the Valais Cycling Tour, a circuit that passes through the most beautiful regions of Valais.

The «Tour des Stations» | On 11 August 2018, the very first «Tour des Stations” for road cyclists will link several of the Valais’ mountain resorts (known in French as «stations»). Three courses of different lengths and degrees of difficulty will lead from the vineyards up to the high mountains, via open meadows, traditional villages and internationally famous resorts. The “Tour des Stations» aims to become the benchmark Gran Fondo race in Switzerland, akin to the Marmottes Alpes in France and the Dolomites Marathon in Italy.

Fun and games with Ludo

Mountain biking | Ludo May is a professional enduro mountain bike racer, Swiss Cycling guide and a real character: the embodiment of ideals of passion and freedom. The only Valaisan to compete in the World Cup circuit, Ludo is never short of ideas. He makes thrilling videos, for example, full of humour – which simply take your breath away. Just the thing for showcasing the glorious scenery and making everyone want to come and experience for themselves the endless possibilities that Valais offers. So, ready to follow the guide?

Reach for the summits

Hiking | When the call of the mountains is sufficiently loud, you just have to listen – and maybe even change your life to answer it. That’s what happened with Yann Décaillet, a young mountain guide, 27 years old, who swapped his banker’s suit for hiking boots and an ice axe. He decided to make a career out of his passion. Better still, he shares it with us – with you. From the Monte Rosa to the Matterhorn, the mountains of Valais hold no secrets for him. Find out what makes hiking here so special – and discover your own paths to happiness!

Perched on the peaks

Mountain refuges | Already 20 years spent at an altitude of 3,260 metres! Kurt Lauber is the guardian of the famous Hörnli refuge in Zermatt, located on a route taken by the majority of mountaineers as they climb the Matterhorn. Kurt knows them as well as he knows the local summits. He is on first-name terms with the most seasoned climbers but has also come across plenty of less-experienced mountaineers, often in memorable or funny situations… he has thousands of stories to tell. This mountain enthusiast – who is also a ski instructor, helicopter pilot and rescue specialist – has even written a book about his life in a mountain cabin, a life unlike any other