Summer
Trail de l'Étendard and the Espace Trail des Aiguilles d'Arves
The race crosses the Grandes Rousses in early August, Bourg-d'Oisans to Saint-Sorlin: four courses, 3,624 m of climbing on the 65 km. Plus 550 km of waymarked routes the rest of the year.
The Trail de l'Étendard crosses the Grandes Rousses massif in early August, from Bourg-d'Oisans to Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves — a quarter of an hour from Albiez. And its route does not vanish on the Monday: it also exists as a permanent waymarked trail, which you can run any day of the summer, without a number.
The race
Four courses — 17, 22, 44 and 65 km — in the heart of the Grandes Rousses, over two days in early August. The 2026 edition was the thirteenth.
The 65 km is the one that gives the event its meaning: 3,624 metres of climbing, a crossing of the massif starting from Bourg-d'Oisans, a passage at the foot of the Étendard glacier, and a dozen notable lakes along the way — Lac Blanc, Lac Bramant, Lac de Grand-Maison. A loop below the Pic de l'Étendard, then the descent to Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves.
The 44 km follows the same logic, shorter: start at Bourg-d'Oisans, finish at Saint-Sorlin. The two short formats stay on the Savoie side.
When: two days at the very start of August
Courses: 17, 22, 44 and 65 km
The 65 km: 3,624 m of climbing, Bourg-d'Oisans → Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves
Finish: Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves, 12 km from Albiez
The rest of the year: route no. 7 of the Espace Trail, waymarked permanently
The same route, without a number
This is what makes the area worthwhile outside race weekend. The Espace Trail Pays des Aiguilles d'Arves permanently waymarks 550 kilometres of routes, across more than forty numbered trails: from 3 km for a family outing to nearly 38 km, with climbs reaching 2,380 metres.
Route number 7 is the Trail de l'Étendard itself. So you can reconnoitre it in July, run it again in September, or simply run it without ever entering anything. Dogs on a lead are allowed on the waymarked routes.
What to know if you are staying in Albiez
Let us be straight about it: no Espace Trail route starts from Albiez-Montrond. They start from Saint-Sorlin-d'Arves, Saint-Jean-d'Arves, La Toussuire, Le Corbier, the Villards valley and the La Tour-en-Maurienne area. Albiez is in the same country, not in the same network.
In practice that means fifteen to twenty minutes' drive to reach a start — Saint-Sorlin is 12 km away, without going back through the valley. Little enough for a 550 km network, but not nothing, and better known before booking.
From the village itself, on the other hand, there are our six waymarked walks, from 40 minutes to 3½ hours. Enough to run from the door on days you would rather not take the car.
The same massif, on foot and by bike
A geographical curiosity: the 65 km runners cross the Grandes Rousses on foot from Bourg-d'Oisans, while cyclists cross the same massif by road a month earlier, over the Col de la Croix de Fer and the Glandon. One barrier, two ways over it — and Albiez is on the right side for both. See Albiez, base camp for the great passes.
Around the race
In early August the village has its own festival too — Tradi'Cimes, free, over the weekend. In mid-July, the cross triathlon and swimrun is held at the village lake. And to recover, the supervised swimming at the Mollard lake.
The rest of the season is on our summer page.
Read next
- Tradi'Cimes, the traditional festival of Albiez-MontrondTwo festivals in a fortnight in a village of 300 people — and this one costs nothing.
- Cross Triathlon and Swimrun des Aiguilles d'Arves, at the Albiez lakeFour age brackets, four distances, the same lake — and a race that lasts a day when the week is still yours.
- Preparing for the Marmotte Granfondo Alpes from Albiez7,500 places gone in a day. Albiez is not where to sleep on race morning — it is where to spend the week before.