Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail Training Plan & Preparation
The Salomon Ultra runs 103 kilometres in one great loop through the high-alpine Pitztal, some 5,800 metres of climbing strung between glacier heights and deep valleys. Its defining feature is the long HC climb up to the glacier at roughly the halfway mark. Preparing for the P105 means bringing altitude tolerance, climbing strength and the endurance for a full day in the mountains.
Course & Elevation
One hundred and three kilometres, around 6,000 metres of climbing, a single loop through the high mountains around St. Leonhard im Pitztal: the P105 is the flagship distance of the Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail. It starts in Mandarfen at the Rifflseebahn lift, climbs into rocky terrain above 3,000 metres with the glaciers in view, and shows its character immediately. From kilometre 0.3 the course rears up in three steep steps, the first 2.9 kilometres long at over 20 percent average gradient, capped by a brutally steep ramp from kilometre 5 that gains almost 470 metres in little more than a kilometre.
The crux comes at kilometre 47.6: an hors-categorie climb of 5.6 kilometres and roughly 1,200 metres of gain, with sections approaching 90 percent at their steepest. Even then the loop is far from done. At kilometre 86.7 a final major climb of 4.5 kilometres and a good 600 metres of ascent arrives deep into the race, when most runners have long since stopped counting.
There is almost no respite anywhere: less than a fifth of the distance is flat, and close to half of it is either steep up or steep down. The P105 is less a run than a long alpine journey on foot.
Pacing Strategy
The P105 goes steep immediately: within the first six kilometres three climbs — one averaging over 40 percent — screw up to around 2,800 metres. Take this opening deliberately restrained; altitude forgives no haste. After that, long flat valley sections (nearly 18 percent of the course is level) alternate with alpine climbing stretches — run where you can, but don't burn the tank.
The heart of the race is the HC climb from kilometre 47: 5.6 kilometres at over 20 percent, with ramps to 88 percent, up to the glacier high point. Reach it with legs intact and the race is yours.
The trap is hitting the flat sections too hard and arriving spent at this key section. Ration your fuelling across a long day and always keep a reserve in the thin air.
12-Week Preparation
Plan for an effort of 20 to 30 hours, depending on your level, and often more. With close to 5,800 metres of ascent and the same again of descent, very little of this course is actually run: uphill it is powerful hiking, usually with poles, and only the rare gentler sections allow a running stride. Intensity stays deeply aerobic almost throughout; only the steepest ramps push you briefly beyond, and how you manage those moments decides what is left for the second half.
Three sections shape the race: the savage first seven kilometres, which tempt you into spending too much too early, the hors-categorie climb from kilometre 47.6 in the middle of the loop, and the final big ascent at kilometre 86.7, which arrives deep into fatigue. Descending is a discipline of its own here, with more than a quarter of the distance steeply downhill; runners who lose their quads there lose hours.
Build your preparation around long mountain days: outings with several thousand metres of vertical, ideally on back-to-back days, dedicated uphill hiking with poles on steep ground, and deliberate downhill running to condition your muscles for eccentric load. Train at altitude where you can, since the course climbs above 3,000 metres. And rehearse the logistics as seriously as the sessions themselves: eating and drinking over many hours, gear choices, and moving confidently in the dark, because at this distance a night on the trail is all but guaranteed.
Course Map
Profile Parameters
Slope Distribution
Climbs on Route
| Start (km) | Length | Ø Gradient | Max Gradient | Elev Gain | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KM 0.3 | 2.9 km | 20.2% | 60.8% | +577m | Cat. 2 |
| KM 3.5 | 1.4 km | 23.4% | 64.8% | +339m | Cat. 2 |
| KM 5.1 | 1.1 km | 42.7% | 84.8% | +470m | Cat. 2 |
| KM 18.3 | 2.5 km | 22.0% | 55.2% | +555m | Cat. 2 |
| KM 23.8 | 2.0 km | 11.7% | 34.4% | +241m | Cat. 3 |
| KM 47.6 | 5.6 km | 21.5% | 88.8% | +1207m | HC |
| KM 59.3 | 2.1 km | 8.7% | 28.0% | +181m | Cat. 3 |
| KM 86.7 | 4.5 km | 13.7% | 58.7% | +615m | Cat. 2 |
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself — length and gradient — regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
Adaptive race preparation
Let YOUB adapt your plan for Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail dynamically
Ben connects your goal, the course, current load, recovery, and calendar. Your plan stays pointed at race day even when real life is not perfectly plannable.
Frequently asked questions
How should I prepare for Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail?
Preparation for Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail should account for 103 km, +6000m of elevation gain, current training load, and available training time. An adaptive plan helps place key sessions without ignoring recovery and real life.
What pacing strategy works for Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail?
The pacing strategy for Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail should reflect 103 km, +6000m of elevation gain, and your current fitness. Start controlled and keep margin for sections where the profile or fatigue makes target pace harder.
How long is Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail?
Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail is 103 km long. That distance shapes how much aerobic endurance, pace durability, and race-specific work belong in the training plan.
How much elevation gain does Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail have?
Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail has around +6000m of elevation gain over 103 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
When does Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail take place?
Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail takes place on July 31, 2026.
Where does Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail take place?
Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail takes place in St. Leonhard im Pitztal, Austria.