Running Trail

Running on snow in La Rosière

This 5km running loop snakes around the hillsides of La Rosière at an altitude of 1850 m. It’s a unique opportunity to practice your daily sport with a panorama to take your breath away.

And just like that, you’ll discover a whole new playground. Your only dilemma: picking between the sunrise or the sunset over the Tarentaise summits.

More than 10 million French people go running, and this activity is booming. We are committed to keeping you safe when running in La Rosière. This is why we have marked out a dedicated loop of about 5 km, avoiding both ski slopes and roads. This is a unique type of trail to be found at a ski resort, and it’s the work of our trail/running ambassador Arthur Joyeux-Bouillon.

Reflective panels indicate the circuit and therefore allow you to head onto the track even at night. A simple headlamp improves the visibility of the signage. As it gets cooler you can enjoy a magnificent sunset over the beautiful snowcapped panoramas. The views over the Vanoise and the Beaufortain are a pleasure to behold and will make all the effort worth it.

This running loop is accessible to all. It’s only got a mild gradient and doesn’t involve any steep sections going either up or down. The majority of the trail is on paths and not on roads. Even though the trail is close to the resort, the loop is very varied. Given its short distance, it can be done once or several times depending on the ability of the runner and their motivation. Furthermore, it’s just as enjoyable in winter as it is in summer!

FIND THE GPX TRACK OF THIS RUNNING CIRCUIT ON  TRACE DE TRAIL

2 QUESTIONS FOR… ARTHUR JOYEUX BOUILLON, OUR TRAIL RUNNING AMBASSADOR

Does going running in winter and at a high altitude have any advantages?

Going running in winter is already harder for the body, which has to consume more energy, whether in town or in the mountains. The body must struggle against the cold. Therefore, the advantage is that for the same distance, the runner uses up more calories. The body consumes on average 200 kcal/hour to regulate its temperature during the wintertime.

In these conditions it’s normal to find yourself out of breath much quicker at  an altitude of 1850m! In winter, exerting effort is much harder than in the summer due to the coldness and the pressure differences. You therefore need to be careful not to set off too quickly, but instead to advance progressively. The best known effect of training at  high altitude is the improvement of the VO2max* and the increase in the number of red blood cells.

Running in the winter and at a high altitude means that runners must work on their legs! Indeed, it constitutes a real work of proprioception (body awareness). The snow will help absorb shocks and limit the trauma linked to the occasional shocks should they occur. With regards to the effort involved when running on snow, if you are running at a normal pace, then an extra 30% to 50% increase in distance can be added in comparison to when exerting the same effort without snow.

*VO2max: The maximum volume of oxygen that the body can absorb whilst exerting any effort.

How to equip yourself?

Running in winter and at high altitude is specific and to do so means you need to be properly equipped:

• A pair of running shoes with good spikes. You can get specific winter shoe models. Forget about the normal road running shoes as they are too smooth and you will risk slipping and causing yourself an injury…
• Full body length clothing. I mean, long running tights, a thermal base layer against the skin and a second breathable layer with long sleeves.
• A wind-stopper jacket, a pair of gloves and a survival blanket for longer outings (I always have one with me, whether in winter or summer, for me it’s the most important piece of gear).
• Sunglasses, as the winter sun can be very aggressive to the eyes and many people don’t go out with shades…
• Bringing walking sticks along can also be worth considering for runners who are not used to running in the snow. They can help maintain balance.

“LA ROSIÈRE SNOW RUN”: TRAIL Run ON the SNOW AT SUNSET EVERY TUESDAY

The trail-running outing of your dreams! Put on your trainers and run in the cool air, while enjoying a magnificent sunset over the beautiful snowy panoramas that are offered by the peaks of the Tarentaise.

This activity is offered to experienced runners only. Prior registration at the Tourist Office. Subject to favourable weather conditions. Trail shoes and headlamp are strongly recommended. Every Tuesday at 5:30pm.