Zermatt; the perfect playground for anyone who has an interest in the outdoors, food, photography, wildlife and so much more! Located at the southern end of Switzerland Zermatt is in the Visp Valley which forms part of the Valais Canton.  The village itself is at an altitude of 1620 metres (5,314ft) and is surrounded by awe inspiring mountains.   

At Tracks and Trails we run a variety of hiking holidays which take in the wonders of the Matterhorn whilst being able to walk on tracks steeped in history. Read on to find out more about the history, flora and fauna and, of course, the hiking around Zermatt.

Swiss glaciers are melting at an unprecedented rate, some losing six per cent of their remaining volume in one year and far exceeding previous records. As a heatwave hits the Alps we look at the water shortage that is now affecting mountain huts.

Water is not a never ending resource and in the mountains the effect of a changing climate is being felt. We know that the rising temperatures are showing their effects in many parts of the world, but first and foremost in the glaciated mountain regions of the world. The glaciers are melting, the winters are warmer and bringing less snow every year and, as a consequence, the water supplies run low. Mountain huts rely on snow for their water, so if there’s not enough snow in the winter then running the huts in the summer is difficult. How are they going to cope with this situation? Will they be able to survive?

"Take a hike, mate!" Often said in jest to close a subject, but if you really do want to 'take a hike' then you need to do a GR. These long distance hiking routes cross-cross Europe and offer some of the most stunning walking in the world. They are to be found across Europe, but especially in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. 

Great to see Tracks and Trails featured in the Times Travel section. Journalist Richard Mellor picked our Chamonix Classic Trails running trip as an ideal activity break in the Alps. Enjoy a week of running with views of glaciers, and snowy peaks on trails that are an absolute joy!

The dates for all our 2024 and 2025 trail running holidays are live on the website.

For runners ready to move off-road and onto the trails, we recommend our Chamonix Trail Running Camp. This June trip accesses the mountain trails that Chamonix is legendary for at a time of year when the meadows are at their finest and filled with flowers. Tracks and Trails ill arm you with the tools to tackle the terrain change confidently.

More experienced trail runners will appreciate the opportunity to journey around Mont Blanc. So if you need a quick trail fix, there is our five-day Chamonix to Courmayeur long weekend in July or September.

Other options include the Tracks and Trails eight-day guided runs: Mont Blanc Ultra Trail, Trans Verdon in Haute Provence or the Alta Via 1 in the Italian Dolomites.

Our Bespoke Running Holiday options is always available too. Guests can share their running goals and Tracks and Trails will create the trip of a lifetime!

Chamonix. This mythical Alpine town is home to Mont Blanc, Europe's highest mountain, which has captured the hearts of mountain lovers for generations. Located on the Eastern border of France, right in heart of the French Alps, Chamonix marks the border with both Italy and Switzerland. Steeped in Alpine history and home to some of the world's best hiking and running trails, skiing tracks and climbing routes, Chamonix is an adventure lover's perfect playground.  

At Tracks and Trails , Chamonix is our home-away-from-home and we run several hiking, trail running, snowshoeing and family adventure holidays based from this wonderful and historic mountain town. Read on to find out more about Chamonix Mont Blanc and why the magic never dies. 

A guide to choosing a suitable headtorch for running or hiking, to help light up those dark nights and see you safely through from dusk until dawn.

Whether you’re heading out for an evening run, got caught out as the sun set on a hike, or just finding your way to the campsite facilities, a decent headtorch will make all the difference. Advances in lighting capacity and battery technology now offer us a dazzling range to choose from, depending on our budget and needs. Simple models with minimal adjustment sit alongside more advanced models, offering programmable lighting modes, multiple beams, and even intelligent reactive lighting that economises battery power.

Shock horror the 'guide' is wearing walking shoes! That was certainly the reaction a few years ago when I turned up to meet my group of Tour du Mont Blanc hikers with low cut walking shoes. The walking shoes in question were North Face Hedgehogs and five years later I am still guiding wearing 'Hedgehogs'. Certainly, since then it has become more and more common for 'walkers' to be wearing low cut 'shoes' rather than heavy duty walking boots and from my own experience the benefits are clear.

Remember the good old days of fumbling with an OS map in a howling wind, then trying to locate the compass in one of your jacket’s many pockets (only to realise it's embedded firmly at the bottom of your rucksack…)? Remember too the early heart rate monitors that ate batteries, were clunky and didn’t seem to work reliably for more than a few weeks before they’d start to provide inaccurate readings that were off the charts?