Put your bags down at Les Crosets, at an altitude of 1,670 metres, and make the village your training camp for the season. Six routes, all starting from your doorstep. One goal in September: to complete the Tour des Dents du Midi, Europe’s longest running race.

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A season at altitude, an achievement

Before we even talk about racing, let’s talk strategy. To prepare for a serious mountain trail, you need three things: altitude to acclimatize your body, varied terrain to challenge all your muscle groups, and logistics to avoid wasting time on transport.

Nestled at an altitude of 1,670 m at the foot of Les Mossettes, Les Crosets perfectly meets all three criteria. And in September, just a 25-minute drive away, Europe’s longest running race takes place: the Trail des Dents du Midi.

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Why Les Crosets? The right village, at the right altitude

Three reasons to pack your bags here

Altitude. At an altitude of 1,670 m, the village is ideally situated for a gentle acclimatization effect without compromising the quality of your sessions. You sleep high, you run high – your body adapts without you even thinking about it.

The terrain. From the Crosets chapel, wherever you look, there’s a trail starting. Rolling flat on the Champoussin side, steep climb to Les Mossettes, technical alpine pastures to Chésery, committed alpine trail under the Dents du Midi on the Champéry side. It’s all there, every surface, every slope.

Ski lifts. The Crosets and Mossettes chairlifts operate all summer long. An invaluable asset: you can modulate your sessions by taking the cable car up to work only on the descent, or on the contrary, run a big ascent and come back down on the way back up to preserve your knees. A rare tool.

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A season designed with September in mind

The Trail des Dents du Midi takes place on the weekend of September 18-19, 2026. The whole point of a well-constructed trip is to arrive on D-day with the right volume, the right altitude difference in your legs, and knowledge of the terrain. Here’s how to structure your season at Les Crosets.

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Six routes – one village – everything starts at home

Put on your sneakers and step out of the chalet: the trail starts where you step. Here are the six loops to be completed over the season, ranked from the most gentle to the most strenuous session – and the final goal.

01 – Alpine pastures loop – Chez Gaby

Soft land – recovery
Head for Champoussin through the high meadows of the plateau. Route de Chaupalin, alpine trails, return via the heights. Low-tech, perfect for easy days out or active recovery.

• Distance: ~9 km
• Ascent: ~350 m D+ (gradient)
• Level: Easy

02 – Crosets – Crête de Frâchette

Discovery – foot quality
Climb through undergrowth to the Frâchette canopy, with its magnificent view of the Dents du Midi. Ridge on slightly undulating 4×4 trail. Ideal for practising trail riding skills without having to endure a major change in altitude.

• Distance: ~12 km
• Ascent: ~500 m D+ (gradient)
• Level: Easy-Moderate

03 – Crêtes & Lacs – official route no. 27

Long outing – panoramic
The must-have. Ascent to Pointe des Mossettes (360° panorama), descent to Lac Vert then Lac de Chésery, refreshment break at La Tovassière, return via Col des Portes du Soleil. All the character of the domain in one loop.

• Distance: ~14 km
• Ascent: ~700 m D+ (gradient)
• Level: Moderate

04 – Crosets – Mossettes (vertical session)

Specific – ribs
The village wall. 600 m of pure ascent over 3 km from the chapel to the top of the chairlift. Ideal for hill repeats or timed uphills. You can take the chairlift down to preserve your legs.

• Distance: ~3 km one way
• Ascent: ~600 m D+ (gradient)
• Level: Committed

05 – Pas de Croisette – circuit n°28 red

Volume – technique
More challenging: descent to Val-d’Illiez via ridges and forests, technical ascent via Champoussin. 800 m net vertical drop in both directions. The exit that best mimics the DDM ascent-descent sequence.

• Distance: ~21 km
• Ascent: ~900 m D+ (gradient)
• Level: Difficult

06 – Mossettes – Pointe de l’Au – Champoussin

Queen outing – long outing
The season’s big release. Crêtes des Mossettes, descent to Col des Portes de l’Hiver, ascent to Pointe de l’Au (2,153 m), return via Champoussin and the route des alpages. Technique and physics: the perfect simulation.

• Distance: ~25 km
• Ascent: ~1,400 m D+ (gradient)
• Level: Very committed

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Tour des Dents du Midi – Europe’s oldest mountain

57 kilometers. 3,700 metres of ascent. A loop starting from Champéry that takes in the whole massif, via the Jorat and Susanfe passes, the hamlet of Mex and the high-altitude refuges. The race was created in 1963 by the Swiss army for the training of its troops – today it is the oldest mountain foot race in Europe.

The 7 Summits Challenge

This is the official nickname of the original race, the DDM 57. A loop around the seven summits – Cime de l’Est, Forteresse, Cathédrale, Éperon, Dent Jaune, Doigts, Haute Cime – alternating between their north and south faces.

Technically challenging, physically demanding, sometimes equipped with handrails by the guides. But accessible if the preparation has been serious. That’s exactly why the six training courses at Les Crosets exist: to get you to the starting line with the right body, the right legs, the right reflexes.

Four formats – one legend

Format	Distance	D+	Public
DDM 13 – Popular	13 km	550 m	Adults & juniors
DDM 32 – The Initiatic	32 km	2 300 m	Departure Vérossaz
⭐ DDM 57 – L’Originale	57 km	3 700 m	Solo or relay
DDM-D – Over 2 days	33 + 24 km	1 900 + 1 800 m	Step in Mex

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“You don’t go looking for the Tour, it comes to you. Every day, from your bedroom window, the Seven Summits watch you prepare.”

– The spirit of the camp

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Six tips to make your stay a real internship

01 – Plan several stays during the season

Ideally: a first pass in June (groundwork), a second in August (specific), a third in early September (sharpening + reconnaissance). The altitude effect is built over time, not in a week.

02 – Alternate long outings with technical sessions

One long run per week (route 5 or 6), one hill session (route 4), one recovery run (route 1 or 2). Avoid days when you’re doing a long stretch + ribs – your Achilles tendon will thank you.

03 – Use lifts intelligently

The Mossettes chairlift can be a great recovery tool: clean trail descent from the summit, without having broken your legs climbing up. Or the opposite: intense ascent, return by chairlift to preserve knees.

04 – Recognize the MDD route in August

Salanfe, Susanfe, the Bonavau footbridge, the descent to Champéry. A day of reconnaissance is worth a thousand Excel spreadsheets. You’ll know where to save, where to push.

05 – Don’t forget the Dents du Midi Multi Pass

If you stay more than 2 nights in the region, your accommodation provider will give it to you free of charge. It gives access to many local activities and discounts – handy for active recuperation days.

06 – Don’t neglect recovery

The Val-d’Illiez thermal baths are 15 minutes from the village. A trip to an ice-cold then hot pool after a long outing does wonders for aches and pains and sleep quality.

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One bedroom. Six courses. One goal.

Just a stone’s throw from the chapel at Les Crosets, Chalet Montriond is designed for runners who take their season seriously.

The pace is yours: early start to take advantage of the cool altitude, return for a hearty breakfast after your outing, relaxing day with a view of the Dents du Midi. We adapt our schedules to suit our training sessions, we’re happy to share our local GPS tracks, and we know the little trails that aren’t on the official maps.

We’ve thought of everything for runners

• ✓ Breakfasts adapted to early-morning departures
• ✓ Drying room for shoes & technical clothing
• ✓ Stretching & recovery area
• ✓ GPS trace of all six courses supplied on arrival
• ✓ Customized advice based on your target DDM format

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