Tor des Géants course

Source: The distance and the ascent are from the race organiser (torxtrail.com). We calculate the descent from the organiser ascent and the elevation difference between the start and the finish. The elevation profile and the gradient data come from a 25 m digital elevation model (EU-DEM). All elevations are to the nearest 10 m (50 ft).

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About the course

The Tor des Géants is a c.209 mi337 km ultramarathon that loops around the Aosta Valley in north-west Italy. It starts and finishes in Courmayeur, at the foot of Mont Blanc. The route runs anticlockwise, following two high-level trails, the Alta Via 2 and the Alta Via 1.

It is one of the longest and most demanding mountain races in the world, with 78,750 ft24,000 m of elevation gain and loss. The route crosses more than 25 mountain passes above 6,550 ft2,000 m, the highest being Col Loson at c.10,750 ft3,270 m.

The course is almost entirely on trail. Much of it is rocky, technical mountain terrain, with long, steep climbs and descents between the valley floors and high cols.

The Tor des Géants course climbs and descends around 78,750 ft24,000 m over its c.209 mi337 km distance. That's more than twice the climbing of UTMB or the Hardrock 100. It's also around double the climbing of the Cocodona 250, despite being a shorter race.

Ascent & descent analysis

In mid-September, conditions on the Tor vary enormously with altitude. The lower valleys around Donnas are often warm, with daytime temperatures around 21°C70°F, while the highest cols regularly fall below freezing, especially overnight, with temperatures well below zero possible.

Some rain is likely, and the early-autumn weather in the high Alps can change quickly. Snow on the upper passes is possible, and low cloud can reduce visibility on the exposed cols.

The weather data has been obtained using the Open-Meteo historical weather API.

Conditions at the start line

The pictograms below show the conditions at the start of the course on the race date in each of the last five years.

Temperature range on course

Temperatures experienced on course are impacted by elevation. The graph below shows the temperature range for the five most recent events at different parts of the course.

Daylight hours

The graph below shows the daylight hours on the day of the 2026 edition (13 September), in local time.

The Tor des Géants starts and finishes in Courmayeur at roughly 4,050 ft1,230 m and reaches a high point of around 10,750 ft3,270 m at Col Loson, crossing many passes above 8,200 ft2,500 m along the way. Runners repeatedly climb from the valley floors to high altitude over several days, so the thinner air on the upper cols adds to breathlessness and fatigue.