Fastpacking Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB 2025 Course Preview)

Earlier this month, I called up my friend Jimmy Elam and asked if he’d join me for a 3–4 day fastpack of the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) course. Jimmy knows this route well — he raced UTMB in 2022, finishing in a blazing 22:36 — and I wanted to see the trail again for myself before we kick off our 2025 UTMB media coverage in Chamonix.

UTMB is the crown jewel of ultrarunning: ~170 kilometers, 10,000 meters of climbing, and a loop around Mont Blanc through France, Italy, and Switzerland. Every summer, thousands of athletes from around the world come here for what’s become the sport’s de facto 100-mile world championship.

In this video, we share our course preview from the trail itself — highlighting key sections like Col du Bonhomme, Col de la Seigne, and Grand Col Ferret, as well as the towns of Les Contamines, Courmayeur, and La Fouly. We also show what makes fastpacking the Alps so unique, from refueling at mountain refugios to managing big climbs and descents.

Whether you’re racing UTMB this year, planning a future attempt, or just curious about fastpacking in Europe, we hope this video gives you an authentic look at the terrain, challenges, and beauty of Mont Blanc’s legendary trail.



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