By now, everyone has heard of the Everesting Challenge: In a single day, you ride up the same mountain repeatedly until you reach 8,848 meters of elevation—the height of Mount Everest.
In recent years, this challenge has gained massive popularity as people seek out new and extreme goals. While the classic up-and-down-the-same-mountain version can get a bit monotonous, more and more events now incorporate this milestone into their routes. One of these is the Tour des Stations. And yes, I know, technically this doesn't qualify as an official Everesting attempt since you’re not riding the same mountain each time—but that’s not what matters to me.
At the end of August, I traveled to Verbier for the toughest one-day ultra fondo on the calendar. You have to be a bit crazy to take on this challenge, but rest assured, you're far from the only one.
The start was scheduled for 2:30 AM, making it nearly impossible to get a proper night's sleep. Still, three hours of rest is manageable for one night. At 1:30 AM, I get up and quickly eat a sandwich—though I don't have much of an appetite, as the pasta from the night before is still settling. I'm in Verbier, where the finish and the pasta party will take place later, but first, I need to descend 10 kilometers to Le Châble for the start. Luckily, the weather is perfect this weekend, and even without a jacket, the descent is comfortable. I arrive at the start at 2:25 AM—cutting it close, but just right, as there's no time to get cold. A few photos, a wave to Didi Senft (the famous "Devil" of the Tour de France), and off we go: 260 kilometers and 8,848 meters of climbing ahead. Whew, it's going to be a long day!
After 2 kilometers of flat road, the first climb begins—in the dark. I settle into my own pace. From previous long rides, I know that between 2 and 3 AM, my body tends to switch into sleep mode. No matter how hard I try, my legs barely respond. My heart and lungs run on autopilot, and my mind stays unusually quiet. Around me, it’s eerily peaceful.
At the top of the climb, there's a brief gravel section, and suddenly my brain snaps back to alertness. The descent ahead is far from easy—steep with lots of tight turns—demanding full concentration. It's still pitch dark, and mistakes are easily made. In a sharp bend, I nearly miss the turn, but I manage to stop just in time. That was a close call, I think to myself. My body finally seems to realize it's in a race. From then on, I descend carefully, with no further problems.
Around 6:00 AM, the sun begins to rise, and this is one of the reasons why starting so early is absolutely worth it. High up in the mountains, we witness the first rays of sunlight slowly illuminating the valley below. By 8:30 AM, after a few climbs and 3,500 meters of elevation, I strike up a conversation with a Swiss rider. "Were you the one who nearly went straight down on that first descent in the sharp turn?" he asks. "You can't miss that—it was definitely me," I reply, laughing. "Was it a left turn?" he continues. "Yeah, I realized that a second too late!" I joke.
It's his second time competing, and he's determined to make it to the finish after going out too fast last year. Halfway up the climb, I have to let him go. I tackle the final ascent to Crans-Montana with a group before we descend and head toward the more challenging southern side of the Rhone Valley. These climbs are familiar from last year’s 1,000 km Ultra. In particular, Thyon 2000 and Croix de Coeur are, quite literally and figuratively, the high points of the route.
On the climb toward Thyon, I start to feel a heavy dip coming on. At the next feed station, I take my time to replenish my energy and rest a bit. The last 4 kilometers to Thyon are pure torture, with an 11% gradient—especially after already climbing 7,000 meters. At the summit, the pasta is a welcome reward, which I can digest during the descent. As a result, the final climb goes better than expected, despite the steep gravel sections.
In the last few kilometers, I start counting down. The sense of accomplishment begins to overtake the pain in my legs and the exhaustion. At the top, I take it all in and enjoy the descent back to Verbier, accompanied by a motard from the organization. It's done: an Everest challenge under my belt. The pasta party in the center of Verbier is both cozy and practical.
There's really no need for too many words to describe this event. If you’ve got an Everest challenge on your list but don’t want to repeat the same climb over and over, a trip to Verbier is definitely worth considering. The route and organization make this event truly special. And for those who prefer more sleep, even the shorter distances provide more than enough challenge to fill your day!
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