The Gastlosen on the border of the canton Bern and Fribourg is a multi faceted destinations for runners, climbers and hikers alike. Athletes get to enjoy both challenging terrain and rewarding panoramas. Here's a selection of photographs from an early season trailrun around the mountain range.
Trail running is an immersive sport and requires athletes to completely focus on the trail. The true beauty of the sport lies in its simplicity where a minimal set of shoes and warm clothes carry athletes deep into the mountains.
However, the sport does come with a set of challenges: The footing on steep and uneven terrain is certainly not for beginners and navigation can be particularly difficult in bad weather or on poorly signed trails. The conditions in the mountains also change quickly and athletes need to keep an eye out for thunder rolling in or unexpected snowfall even in summer. Last but not least is trail running a lot more demanding than your average evening run on home turf. High altitude with steep ascents also push seasoned trail runners to their limits.
Once the challenges are mastered, beauty and solitude awaits: The thrill of running along narrow mountain ridges is hard to describe. Zooming through a green tunnel of moss and fragrant pine trees, on the other hand, brings pure happiness and joy. And an unfolding panorama is particularly rewarding, when it marks the end of a strenuous ascent by foot. You will find all this in the Gastlosen in the Swiss alps. What are you waiting for?
