The Chamonix VK: 1,000m Straight Up a Mountain (and Why the Ladders Scare Me)
Published: 2 October 2026 | Written by Andy Hood
Spend any amount of time in Chamonix, the French mountain town best known for hosting UTMB and a plethora of hikers taking on the Tour du Mont Blanc, and you'll hear whispers of a mythical run. The Chamonix VK.
You're probably reading this sat comfortably on your sofa, or on the train to work, so let me make you uncomfortable for a moment.
Imagine a 3.8km rocky trail with 1,000 metres of climbing, shooting upwards like a SpaceX rocket. Your legs and lungs scream, and your suffering is watched by dozens of people sitting in comfort in the cable car swinging above you. Just as you near the top, your head says no, your legs are jelly, and you're faced with a near-vertical climb up metal ladders, steps and chains hammered deep into the rock. This part isn't for the faint-hearted. Look down and your vertigo will stop you in your tracks.
OK, breathe. Take a sip of your latte. You're back on your sofa.
Chamonix VK Route Facts and Stats
Distance | 3.8km |
Climb | 1,000m |
Start | Place du Triangle de l'Amitié, by St-Michel church, Chamonix |
Finish | Planpraz, the Brévent lift mid-station (about 2,000m) |
Average gradient | About 26%, much steeper in places |
Race | Kilomètre Vertical, Friday of Marathon du Mont-Blanc week, late June |
Men's record | 34:07, François Gonon (2015) |
Women's record | 39:50, Christel Dewalle (2019) |
What Is the Chamonix VK?
The Chamonix VK, or Chamonix vertical kilometre (Kilomètre Vertical to the French), is exactly what it sounds like: 1,000 metres of climbing in 5km or less. No flat bits, no downhill, just up. Chamonix's 3.8km version qualifies with room to spare, and even the pros spend much of it power-hiking with hands on knees rather than running.
Where Does the Chamonix VK Start and Finish?
It starts in the old part of town, at Place du Triangle de l'Amitié next to St-Michel church. A steep bit of tarmac takes you past the bottom of the Planpraz gondola, then you hit the trail and zig-zag straight up under the lift line. It finishes at Planpraz, the mid-station of the Brévent lift, at around 2,000m.
You'll have the cable cars above you almost the whole way, so it's hard to get lost. It's also hard to suffer in private.
Chamonix VK GPX Route
Download the Chamonix VK GPX route: Komoot GPX file
Chamonix VK History: A Trail That Was Never Meant to Be
In 2009 Chamonix replaced the Planpraz gondola and cut a rough path up the lift line for the works. It was kept afterwards as an emergency evacuation route, with netting and a rockfall warning sign blocking it about 200m up.
This is Chamonix, so of course runners climbed straight through the barrier. The local Club des Sports eventually admitted defeat, cleared the path and made it official. By 2011 it was a race, part of the Marathon du Mont-Blanc weekend.
Chamonix VK Records
The Chamonix VK race is a time trial, with runners setting off one at a time every 15 seconds. In 2014 Chamonix hosted the Skyrunning World Championships and Kilian Jornet won the VK in 34:18. A year later, orienteering world champion François Gonon took 11 seconds off it. His 34:07 still stands.
On the women's side, Christel Dewalle set 39:50 in 2019. She's still at it too: she won again in June 2026, her sixth title. The 2026 men's winner, Romain Discher, ran 36:59, nearly three minutes off Gonon's record, which tells you how good that 2015 run was.
Why Is the Chamonix VK So Hard?
The gradient. The Chamonix VK averages around 26% and gets much steeper. There's nowhere to recover.
The top third. Ladders, cables and metal steps bolted into the rock. Poles are banned in the race because you need your hands.
The exposure. There are real drops. If you suffer from vertigo, this is where you'll find out.
You race yourself. With staggered starts, you've no idea where you're placed until the results go up.
The descent. Don't go back down it. Take the gondola (mid-June to mid-September) or the Les Lacets path from the paragliding launch just above Planpraz. A walker died descending the VK in 2018.
Funny Chamonix VK Stories: Bigfoot and 100 Laps
In 2021 Run the Alps published "photos" of Bigfoot running the VK with Hillary Gerardi, complete with sponsored kit and a fresh baguette. My favourite detail: Bigfoot bangs his head on a rock at the ladder, and apparently everyone does.
Then in May 2026, Benjamin Mougel climbed it 100 times in 13 days, 100,000m of climbing in total. Even he called it completely absurd. I can't argue with that.
My Plan to Run the Chamonix VK in 2027
Reader, you may be asking, Andy, have you done it? The truth is, not yet. I was due to this year while I was in Chamonix for UTMB week (read how that week left me wondering if UTMB is too big), but my diary filled up so fast I couldn't find the time.
That's exactly why I've tagged some extra days onto my 2027 UTMB trip, just so I can feel the pain and exhilaration of the climb.
I do love a hill. Read my blog and hill reps are a big feature. But heights, and especially ladders, put a fear through me I can't describe. I will conquer that fear though, because the Chamonix VK is on my bucket list.
When I've done it, I'll be back to tell you all about it. Lace up and enjoy your miles.
Chamonix VK FAQs
How long is the Chamonix VK?
It's 3.8km with 1,000m of climbing, from the centre of Chamonix to Planpraz at about 2,000m.
How long does the Chamonix VK take?
The record is 34:07. Most fit recreational runners and hikers take somewhere between one and two hours.
Is the Chamonix VK dangerous?
The lower two thirds is a steep but straightforward trail. The top third has ladders, cables and exposed drops, so it's not for anyone with vertigo. Check the weather and avoid it in storms.
Can you walk down the Chamonix VK?
You shouldn't. Take the Planpraz gondola down, or the Les Lacets path from the paragliding launch just above Planpraz.
When is the Chamonix VK race?
It's on the Friday afternoon of Marathon du Mont-Blanc week in late June. The 2027 event runs 24–27 June.
Can you use poles on the Chamonix VK?
Poles are banned in the race because the final section needs both hands.
About the Author - Andy Hood
Andy Hood is an ultra and endurance runner based in North Devon, and the man behind Running WestwardHo.
In 2021, at 48, a testicular cancer diagnosis took his running away from him. Surgery and chemotherapy followed, and what came back out the other side is what he calls Andy v2.0, a runner with a mission attached. Since then he has designed and run a string of deliberately attention-grabbing ultras, from 24 hours on a treadmill in a busy shopping centre to 170 miles of the South West Coast Path, and has raised more than £27,000 for cancer and mental health charities along the way.
He is the founder of Check Ya Balls, a men's underwear range with a cheeky look and a serious point to it, and a Runna ambassador. He has circled Mont Blanc on foot twice, in 2023 and 2025, and was in Chamonix for the full week of UTMB 2026.
His writing here covers race reports, training guidance, honest kit reviews and the occasional strong opinion. The message underneath all of it stays the same: check yourself, and don't wait to be told twice.
You can find Andy on Instagram @runningwestwardho, or read more at runningwestwardho.co.uk.
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