Three mountain trail running routes

Three running trails for beginners to experts

Discover Les Karellis while running: take the marked trails and learn to trail run in the mountains in complete safety.

Between hilly trails, crossing scree slopes and ascending elevation gain, your cardio will be put to the test. 

Trail run route 1 / Crêt de la Parenche n°10

Features and indications :

– 9 km (5,6 mi)

– Elevation/descent 220 m (722 ft)

– Loop route

– 3/4 forest tracks

– 1/4 trails

– Follow the signs for hike n°10 ‘CRÊT DE LA PARENCHE‘.

Trail description :

An accessible trail for beginners to trail running; you’ll enjoy this mostly wide, rolling forest trail with no major technical difficulties. From Les Karellis, head for Albanne via the Nordic ski area on a very pleasant hilly trail. At the end of this section, two short stretches of road (2 x 150 m – 2 x 164 yd) will take you to ‘Suiffet‘, where you’ll continue on a wide forest track that is sometimes rough (scree crossings) and tends to ascend, even becoming steep at the end, before joining a meadow where animals graze in summer (you’ll have to go under an electric fence) and continue until the orientation table. Enjoy the scenery in this section. (Grand Galibier, Fort du Télégraphe among others). Once you’ve reached the Col d’Albanne, a pretty path then a road crossing will take you back to the Nordic ski area you came from. Again, you’ll be ascending, but on a trail easy to run on until the Bellecombe area. You’ll return to the resort via wide forest tracks easy to run on.

Trail run route 2 / Pain de Sucre Grande Boucle n°17

Features and indications :

– 13 km (8 mi)

– Elevation/descent 550 m (1,804 ft)

– Loop route

– 2/3 trails

– 1/3 forest tracks

– Follow the signs for hike n°17 ‘PAIN DE SUCRE Grande Boucle‘.

Trail description :

The route takes you to the southern edge of the commune, up to the Pain de Sucre lookout summit, and alternates between technical trails with multiple profiles (uphill, steep, downhill and easy to run on) and wide trails with equally varied profiles. Beautiful views of the valley and surrounding mountains along the way. Route requiring some trail running experience.  From Les Karellis, head for the Lac de Pramol along the pleasant Blanchon trail, which is steep at first and then easy to run on. You’ll then follow 2 rather steep sections just before arriving at the Belvédère and then at La Plagne (a pretty hamlet out in the sticks). A downhill section will then lead you to the Pont du Vé. Starting point of the Pain de Sucre/Gros Mélèze (multi-centenary tree) loop before returning to this bridge (in rainy weather, this section can be slippery and treacherous). You’ll return to the resort via a wide downhill trail above Albanne, before going back to the forest via the Nordic ski area.

Trail running route 3 / Montricher Grande Boucle n°21

Features and indications:

– 10 km (6,2 mi)

– Elevation/descent 550 m (1,804 ft)

– Loop route

– 3/4 trails

– 1/4 forest tracks

– Follow the trail marker n°21 ‘MONTRICHER Grande Boucle‘.

Trail description :

A 100% forest trail to the village of Montricher, at 1,200 m (3,937 ft) altitude. You’ll run mainly on forest trails, with a few technical sections that can be wet. The first part of the route will be a descent, before heading back up to the resort. Immerse yourself in the history of the region, where people still live off the land and the slates’ production, following in the footsteps of the activities of old. Route is sometimes rugged and requires some trail running experience. 

From Les Karellis, a short, steep climb takes you to ‘Les Fraches‘. Tipping point to Montricher. The forest path will be downhill. Succession of technical passages involving rocks, roots and loose ground (fragments of shale) to the upper part of the Combe Noire. You will then reach Montricher via a beautiful forest track. You’ll pass through the village, past the church and the bread oven, before heading up towards the botanical trail and the old water mills (slippery sections). The hill will be both steep and gentle, passing through ‘Beaumollard‘ until you pick up the easy-to-run-on forest tracks of the Nordic ski area and return to Les Karellis.