2023-07-30 05:53:00
When we talk regarding Courchevel, it is not necessarily the practice of trail running that comes to mind first. At 1850 meters above sea level, the resort-village is very calm in the heart of summer and the ski lifts already seem to be waiting for the first snow to welcome skiers to the heart of the immense winter playground that is “ The 3 Valleys”.
However, you would be wrong to snub Courchevel if you like running in the mountains. THE XTrail Courchevel, the 2023 edition of which took place on Sunday July 23, enabled us to discover that the territory had, far from the ski lifts, many advantages to offer trail enthusiasts. From the long climb through the woods to reach the Dent du Villard to the technical and mineral ascent to the Aiguille de Mey (2845 meters) passing by the superb panoramas offered by the Crête du Mont Charvet or the passage through the Parc de la Vanoise, this event, at times, offers what is most beautiful in the mountains. While having an atypical regulation that it is better to consult before setting off.
We slipped into the heart of the peloton.
On the summits, the Xtrail Courchevel offers a fantastic playground, with views that are just as fantastic. ©Courchevel Sports Outdoor
The concept: choose your distance along the way to find your limits
The concept of XTrail Courchevel is unique in France. The organization has also deposited it so that it is not imitated. With the slogan “find your limit”, everything is said or almost.
At the start, at 5:30 am from the village of Le Praz, the participants have a single bib despite there being six distances (11 – 22 – 33 – 44 – 55 – 66 km). All paid the same amount to get it (50 euros) and all leave at the same time. Which was also one of the problems of this edition given the enthusiasm (nearly 1000 participants). Along the way, it is necessary at each intersection of the route to decide whether to continue the effort or to branch off to return to the start. With, each time, time barriers that harden as the kilometers go by. Important detail, if you have not completed the 66 km, you are partially reimbursed on arrival, in proportion to the distance not covered. Original and solid puzzle for organizers.
This XTrail Courchevel is a way to familiarize yourself with ultra gently, according to the organization. Or to test its limits. “The further you go, the more difficult the time barrier in order to be able to access the higher distance”, recognizes Hervé Francino, outdoor events manager in Courchevel.
The first part of the XTrail Courchevel course offers a long ascent to the Dent du Villard, through the woods. ©Courchevel Sports Outdoor
In its desire to differentiate itself from the many other races organized every weekend in the mountains, the XTrail Courchevel does not hide an elitist orientation for its longest distances. “Those who go to the end of 66 km are the strongest. It’s a sporting format, assumed”, he adds while qualifying. “Here in Courchevel, we finish the race, whatever happens. If things are not going well, we branch off over a shorter distance rather than stopping. It’s also a great way to gauge yourself while being able, whatever happens, to enjoy. ”
Destination trail: in the footsteps of the Grande Bambée to discover the Val d’Arly, with Mont-Blanc in the background
A regulation that imposes a different way of racing
The XTrail Courchevel is therefore a race like no other. And it is better to know this before committing to it. If passing the barrier to join the 33 km course, or even the 44 km, does not require a level above the average, everyone can not venture on the longest distances, which are also the most beautiful. . And this can cause frustration if you only come for a nice walk to discover the assets of the region.
Our ambition when setting off in Courchevel was to run between 22 and 44 km, depending on the shape of the day. Having never been bothered by time barriers since we started trail running, we hadn’t paid attention to them before the event. A mistake, no doubt, even if the organization’s communication on the particularities of this trail lacks impact.
Xtrail Courchevel 2022. ©Courchevel Sports Outdoor
Leaving without forcing and stuck in the traffic jams of the first ascent, we were surprised to hear from the peloton that we shouldn’t delay to be able to afford the 44 km, a distance for which we finally opted once we arrived at the summit of the first difficulty. A choice finally made in order to make the most of the superb scenery offered once above 2000 meters.
It was not the objective but, if we had wanted to push the effort up to 55 km and go discover the Parc de la Vanoise, we should have managed our race differently, starting faster in order to to reach the junction in time for this additional 11 km loop, located following 26 terminals. Good to know, then.
The XTrail allows you to discover unspoilt corners of Courchevel, far from the backdrop of a mountain occupied by the ski lifts. ©Courchevel Sports Outdoor
Panoramas and Parc de la Vanoise as rewards
Undoubtedly, it is necessary (at least) to aim to complete the 33 km course to take full eyes on the XTrail Courchevel. Especially if you come from afar, like from Belgium, to take part in the race.
The 11 km, mainly in the woods, will leave you hungry while the 22 will only offer you a single real panorama following having conquered the vertical kilometer offered by the ascent of the Dent du Villard, which culminates at 2284 meters.
The 44 km, the one we completed therefore, offers a more technical passage before the halfway point, with a very steep climb (700 meters of drop in less than 3 km…) on a terrain made up only of pebbles and rocks. Looks like Echappée Belle through the Bellefonne massif, at times. But this offers, in the end, a great diversity in the effort on this course displaying 2850 meters of D + and, above all, superb views once at the summits.
The courses beyond 33 km of the Xtrail Courchevel offer a very mineral passage, during a sudden ascent of 700 meters in less than 3 km. ©Huge
The second half of the course, less technical and mostly downhill, is less attractive in our opinion (unless it is fatigue…). There are more wide paths for example.
On the way back, however, you can’t ignore Lac de la Rosière, a magnificent spot at an altitude of 1550 meters and located 7 km from the finish. From there, start countless hikes and two trails, ideal for (re) coming to enjoy the area outside the day of the race or off.
The last third of the 44 km course, less committed and most often downhill, nevertheless offers enchanting landscapes before reaching Lac de la Rosière. ©Huge
As for the 55 km, which we therefore did not do, it allows an incursion into the Vanoise National Park.
Destination Trail: the Aletsch Arena, or run alongside the longest glacier in the Alps
A big craze in 2023 and change for 2024
The XTrail Courchevel, in its 2023 version, has therefore met with enormous enthusiasm. With nearly double the number of participants (a few thousand) than the previous year. Obviously, this delights the organizers of Courchevel Sports Outdoor. But on a route where, with the exception of the first three kilometres, the first 20 terminals are on a single track, this caused problems during this edition, mainly in the first and long ascent.
Traffic jams, too often encountered in the first kilometers of the alpine trails, were part of the XTrail Courchevel 2023. The organization promises that this will no longer be the case in 2024. ©Hugé
The organization, to remedy this, has already chosen to adapt for 2024. “We have never had so many people and we are delighted”, continues Hervé Francino, race director. “But in 2024, we will introduce starting waves, depending on the level of each, in order to avoid these problems. Without touching the concept elsewhere. There will be no more traffic jams at the start of the race. ”
At the heart of the Trail Alsace Grand Est: the UTMB experience has never been so close to Belgium
Our opinion: a race to do, as a goal and over at least 33 km
In the end, the XTrail Courchevel is an event that stands out in the trail calendar. We appreciate this originality and we invite you to discover it, especially since the organization promises to adapt its starting system in 2024 to avoid congestion at the start of the race.
However, participants must take into account the particularities of the race before embarking on it. Because the concept can have perverse effects. If you take the start quietly, telling yourself that it is a preparation for another objective, there is a good chance that you will not be able to go to the end, demanding time barriers oblige. It is therefore better to find out beforehand and compare your ambitions and your level with what is required by the organizers.
We also invite you to launch yourself, at least, on the 33 km to make the most of the beauty of the scenery offered and the superb very playful singles at the summits and on the ridges. A playground on which any trail runner, whether Belgian or not, dreams of venturing.
1690718611
#mountain #run #choose #distance #diving #heart #XTrail #Courchevel
