High winds, deep snow and sub-zero temperatures. It’s what you expect in the Alps – just not in September.
As if the oxygen-sapping altitude and relentless elevation gain wasn’t enough, few of the 6000 competitors who had come to Switzerland for the 2024 Wildstrubel UTMB races would have been expecting to fight through snow as well.
I’d entered the Wild 70 – at 72km and with 4700m of vertical, it would be a demanding test for my first Alpine trail race in three years.
There are five options on offer for trail runners, ranging from the Wild 10 to the blue riband Wild 110, which includes a mighty 6600m of climbing. As with all UTMB World Series races, part of the appeal is the chance to score valuable ‘Running Stones’ in the journey to the UTMB finals in Chamonix.
Crans Montana, located just two hours from Geneva, is the ‘host’ town. But like so many mountain events, the races only take place with the support of local communities in villages like Leukerbad, Adelboden and Kandersteg, building a strong sense of unity among runners, volunteers and spectators alike.
The unseasonal weather meant that the organisers were forced to change the route of each race for the safety of competitors. The distances and overall vertical remained the same, but the courses changed to keep runners below the highest passes, which were reporting up to 40cm of snow and a windchill of minus 10C.
After a poor night’s sleep spent pondering how many layers I should be wearing, I joined the other nervous-looking competitors waiting in a swirling snowstorm for the race to begin.
Once we were underway and settled into the first climb, it was the rugged beauty of our alpine environment rather than the weather that took over our thoughts.
I joined a long line of athletes silently climbing up pine needle paths alongside crystal-clear mountain streams.
The route was consistently spectacular as occasional gaps in the grey clouds allowed glimpses of towering peaks, glacial valleys and pristine lakes.
We passed along paths cut into the cliff edge with only a thin rope to save you from the sheer drop to the side. Dark forests of larch and fir trees soaked up the light, tempting you to trip on trailing roots. One section of the trail was cut so deep into the rock face that it passed behind a waterfall like a scene from ‘Batman’.
I crossed the finish line in just under 12 hours, pleasantly surprised to have finished in 6th place in my age group. Not bad for someone who trains at sea level in Brighton.
I hobbled back to my hotel – the four-star Faern Crans-Montana Valaisa – a perfect place to stay for any of the Wildstrubel races.
Not only is it just a few minutes’ walk from the race village, but it was recently awarded ‘Swiss Trailrunning Hotel’ status. Practically, that means they have laundry and shoe washing and drying facilities, useful after a day on muddy trails. More luxuriously, they also have a magnificent spa and heated outdoor pool to relax in after your race.
If like me, you walk like an octogenarian in the days after an ultramarathon, you’ll also enjoy the hotel’s fitness room. An easy spin on their static bike was a great way to get the blood flowing to heal those aching muscles.
The Wild 70 was a breathtaking and challenging race. Its steep ascents, technical descents and uneven terrain – with the additional challenge this year of fresh snow and occasional ankle-deep mud – will test even the most seasoned runners.
In a ‘normal’ year you’ll run a completely different route, but the natural beauty and the demanding Wildstrubel trails will always be there – snow or not!
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Iain stayed at Faern Crans-Montana (from £140pn) and travelled from Geneva to Crans Montana by train (from £68, book at travelswitzerland.com). Iain uses custom insoles from Profeet. Find out more about the 2025 Wildstrubel