54th Footrace Les Plans-sur-Bex - Cabane Plan-Névé

The legendary Les Plans-sur-Bex - Cabane de Plan-Névé foot race takes place in a dream setting, on steep paths in the heart of breathtaking natural surroundings.

It all starts with buying your race number online, with the option of receiving it by post or collecting it from Heidi's Guesthouse.

The start takes place in front of the Les Plans bus stop, easily recognisable thanks to the gantry you have to pass through. The race starts in the heart of the village of Les Plans-sur-Bex. If the sky is clear and your eyes are sharp, you can already see the flag of the hut in the distance, which marks the finish.

To reach it, you cross a sort of miniature summary of the Alps. You start out on a small plateau surrounded by mountains, before plunging into a spectacular gorge - the coolness of which you will soon regret once you emerge into the open air.

After 2 km, you emerge at Pont-de-Nant, a crossroads of paths. Gradually, the forest gives way to the mountain pastures, while the neighbouring peaks come into view. The view opens out onto the Rhône plain and - on a clear day - Lake Leman.

As the oxygen begins to run low, a flat stretch appears before you like a mirage, before the trail picks up again. This is where you begin to feel the vertigo of the Alps, the mineral grey of the rock, as the vegetation gives way to stony scree.

Finally, the flag you saw from the chapel reappears: you've only got 500 metres to go, but it'll seem like forever... until you finally reach the long-awaited pyre.

Then it's time to turn around and take a moment to contemplate the road you've travelled and admire the valley you've come from.

After 6.4 km of effort and 1190 metres of positive ascent, you stop the stopwatch in front of the log cabin. There you'll be rewarded with a slice of pie and a soft drink - well deserved after all that climbing.

Before heading back down, don't forget to ask the warden for your souvenir prize. Then savour your victory: a breathtaking landscape, literally at your feet.