{"id":37041,"date":"2026-05-03T21:36:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T19:36:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chaletmontriond.ch\/trail-training-camp-at-les-crosets-setting-course-for-the-tour-des-dents-du-midi\/"},"modified":"2026-05-04T16:45:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T14:45:06","slug":"trail-training-camp-at-les-crosets-setting-course-for-the-tour-des-dents-du-midi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chaletmontriond.ch\/en\/trail-training-camp-at-les-crosets-setting-course-for-the-tour-des-dents-du-midi\/","title":{"rendered":"Trail training camp at Les Crosets – Setting course for the Tour des Dents du Midi"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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

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\"Panoramic
The seven peaks of the Dents du Midi – the goal visible from your doorstep<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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A season at altitude, an achievement<\/h2>\n\n

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

Nestled at an altitude of 1,670 m at the foot of Les Mossettes, Les Crosets<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n

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1 670 m<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

VILLAGE ALTITUDE<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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6<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ROUTE FROM THE VILLAGE<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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2 277 m<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MOSSETTES HIGHLIGHT<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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57 km<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE FINAL GOAL – DDM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Why Les Crosets? The right village, at the right altitude<\/h2>\n\n
\"Hikers
The playground: high altitude trails facing the peaks<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Three reasons to pack your bags here<\/h3>\n\n

Altitude.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n

The terrain.<\/strong> 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 Ch\u00e9sery, committed alpine trail under the Dents du Midi on the Champ\u00e9ry side. It’s all there, every surface, every slope.<\/p>\n\n

Ski lifts.<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n

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A season designed with September in mind<\/h2>\n\n

The Trail des Dents du Midi takes place on the weekend of September 18-19, 2026<\/strong>. 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.<\/p>\n\n

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\ud83c\udf31 June \u2192 Mid-July – Land phase<\/h4>\n\n\n

First stay at Les Crosets: long outings at moderate intensity, progressive gradient. The ground is there – don’t rush things. Aim for a total of 50-70 km per week, on green and blue trails. This is also the time to test your equipment: bag, shoes, food.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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\u26f0\ufe0f Late July \u2192 August – Specific phase<\/h4>\n\n\n

The body is used to it, now it’s time to mimic the objective race. Long outings of 30-40 km with 1,500-2,500 m of ascent. One or two hill-climbing sessions per week on the Mossettes climb. Here, altitude comes into its own.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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\ud83c\udfaf Early September – Sharpening phase<\/h4>\n\n\n

The last two weeks before the MDD. Volume down, intensity maintained. It’s also the ideal time to reconnoitre the key sections of the real tour: the Salanfe passage, the Bonavau footbridge, the descent to Champ\u00e9ry. You’ll arrive in Champ\u00e9ry with no surprises.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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\u2b50 September 18-19 – The culmination<\/h4>\n\n\n

The Dents du Midi Trail. 57 km, 3,700 m ascent, seven summits.<\/strong> Six months of preparation culminate in this legendary loop that starts and finishes in Champ\u00e9ry, just 25 minutes from your base camp. You cross the line knowing that nothing has been left to chance.<\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Six routes – one village – everything starts at home<\/h2>\n\n

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<\/strong> – and the final goal.<\/p>\n\n

\"Runners<\/figure>\n\n

01 – Alpine pastures loop – Chez Gaby<\/h3>\n\n

Soft land – recovery<\/em>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.<\/p>\n\n