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Dark wooden chalets with red geraniums on their balconies in Grimentz, below green slopes and cloud-wrapped peaks
Patrick Robert Doyle / Unsplash

Grand Raid BCVS courses and aid stations

A point-to-point mountain bike marathon across the Valais Alps, from four start towns to the same finish in Grimentz.

August 21, 2027 Verbier to Grimentz, Valais

The Grand Raid BCVS has been run since 1990, and today it goes from Verbier to Grimentz. You pick your start town: Verbier for the full 125 km, or Nendaz, Hérémence or Evolène for 93, 68 or 37 km. Every course joins the same line partway, then heads over the Pas de Lona at 2,787 m and down into Grimentz in the Val d'Anniviers. In 2025 the 125 km route was used for the UCI cross-country marathon world championships.

The stops and cutoffs here are from the organizer's 2026 course pages, since the 2027 ones aren't out yet. The map draws the organizer's course lines and pins each stop at its village or pass. Download it before race day anyway: the route crosses several valleys and two passes above 2,700 m, and the map on your phone shows where you are whether or not you have a signal.

This is an unofficial guide: Goat Maps isn't affiliated with Grand Raid BCVS. Check the official site before you enter or race.

Grand Raid BCVS course map

Every course's aid stations on the Goat Maps topo map. Each course has a map of its own further down.

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Grand Raid BCVS courses

CourseDistanceClimbingStartTime limit
Verbier-Grimentz 125 km125 km (77.7 mi)5,025 m (16,486 ft)
Nendaz-Grimentz 93 km93 km (57.8 mi)3,944 m (12,940 ft)
Hérémence-Grimentz 68 km68 km (42.3 mi)2,996 m (9,829 ft)
Evolène-Grimentz 37 km37 km (23 mi)1,845 m (6,053 ft)

Grand Raid BCVS Verbier-Grimentz 125 km

The whole traverse: Croix de Coeur, Nendaz, Mandelon, Evolène and the Pas de Lona.

Distance
125 km (77.7 mi)
Climbing
5,025 m (16,486 ft)

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In 2026 it started at 6:30 in Verbier, with e-bikes ten minutes later. The first climb takes you to Croix de Coeur at 2,174 m, about 11 km in, and its food stop. La Tzoumaz, below it, had a mechanic and first aid but no food. From Nendaz you're on the 93 km line, through Veysonnaz, up to Les Collons and down to Hérémence, then the long climb to Mandelon at 2,030 m. After Evolène and Eison the road rises again to L'A Vieille and the Pas de Lona around km 110. Basset de Lona, at 2,792 m on the organizer's profile, comes a few km later, and from there it's downhill to Grimentz.

You must be 18 to start here. The 2026 cutoffs began at Veysonnaz at 11:00. In 2026 the Prapperot aid station was cancelled, leaving about 16 km from Hérémence to Mandelon with nothing in between, and the descent to the Nendaz aid station moved off the Tracouet trail to run beside it. The 2026 spectator guide expected the leaders in Grimentz around 12:25.

Chalets of Verbier on a green summer slope, seen past a tall conifer, with wooded mountains behind
Alena Torgonskaya / Unsplash

Grand Raid BCVS Nendaz-Grimentz 93 km

From Nendaz over Les Collons and Mandelon to the Pas de Lona.

Distance
93 km (57.8 mi)
Climbing
3,944 m (12,940 ft)

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The 2026 start was 6:30 in Nendaz, with e-bikes at 6:45, and the organizer ran a bus from Sion at 5:30. You reach the first cutoff, Veysonnaz at 11:00, after about 12 km, then climb to Les Collons at 1,780 m and drop to Hérémence. In 2026 the descent toward Les Masses, on the Hérémence side, came off the ski run onto a detour.

From Hérémence it's the shared second half: about 16 km up to Mandelon, down to Evolène, then Eison, L'A Vieille and the Pas de Lona at about km 77 before the long descent to Grimentz.

aid stations

kmWhereCutoff
0Nendaz (93 km start)
11.8Veysonnaz Sat 11:00
19.3Les Collons
24.1Hérémence (68 km start) Sat 11:30
40.3Mandelon Sat 13:00
56.4Evolène (37 km start) Sat 14:00
66.2Eison Sat 15:00
74.2L'A Vieille Sat 16:00
77.2Pas de Lona
93Grimentz (finish)

Grand Raid BCVS Hérémence-Grimentz 68 km

Straight into the climb to Mandelon, then the Pas de Lona.

Distance
68 km (42.3 mi)
Climbing
2,996 m (9,829 ft)

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Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

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Hérémence started in two waves in 2026, 6:15 and 6:30 by bib number, with e-bikes at 6:45. The bus from Sion left at 4:45. The day opens with a climb of about 16 km to Mandelon, at 2,030 m, and with Prapperot cancelled in 2026 there was no aid station before it, so carry enough to get there.

After Mandelon you drop to Evolène around km 32, then climb past Eison and L'A Vieille to the Pas de Lona at about km 52. If you drive to the start, cars left on the roadsides in Hérémence had to be gone by 10 PM on race day in 2026.

aid stations

kmWhereCutoff
0Hérémence (68 km start)
16.2Mandelon Sat 13:00
32Evolène (37 km start) Sat 14:00
41.7Eison Sat 15:00
49.4L'A Vieille Sat 16:00
52.5Pas de Lona
68Grimentz (finish)
A clear green lake among larches near Arolla, up the valley from Evolène and off the course, under a rocky peak
Christian Papaux / Unsplash

Grand Raid BCVS Evolène-Grimentz 37 km

The shortest way over the Pas de Lona, from Evolène.

Distance
37 km (23 mi)
Climbing
1,845 m (6,053 ft)

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Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

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The 37 km started at 7:30 in Evolène in 2026, and the bus from Sion left at 6:00. It's mostly one climb: Eison at about km 10, L'A Vieille at 2,370 m around km 17, and the Pas de Lona at km 21. From Basset de Lona, about 3.5 km further, you lose some 1,200 m on the way down to Grimentz.

The cutoffs at Eison (15:00) and L'A Vieille (16:00) leave plenty of time from a 7:30 start. If you'd rather skip the pass, the Evolène Short below starts in the same town.

aid stations

kmWhereCutoff
0Evolène (37 km start)
10Eison Sat 15:00
17.4L'A Vieille Sat 16:00
21Pas de Lona
37Grimentz (finish)

Entry and fees

A narrow cobbled lane between old wooden houses with flower boxes in Grimentz
Anita Leggett / Unsplash

Entries go through Datasport, linked from the organizer's site. When this page was checked in October 2026, the site still showed the 2026 entry page, so 2027 entries weren't open yet.

In 2026 the price rose in three steps. Until May 31: CHF 160 from Verbier, 140 from Nendaz, 130 from Hérémence and 90 from Evolène. From June 1 to August 9 each was CHF 10 more, plus 3 for posting the bib. From August 10 to race week it was 190, 170, 160 and 110, with bibs collected in person on the Friday in Sion or Verbier. Online entry closed on the Thursday before the race.

You need to be 15 to enter, and 18 to start in Verbier; riders under 18 need a parent's authorization. A category only gets a podium if it has at least 10 riders.

Getting to the start and home from Grimentz

The organizer's buses leave on Saturday morning from the Les Echutes car park in Sion. In 2026 they left at 4:45 for Hérémence, 5:30 for Nendaz, 6:00 for Evolène and 9:00 for Nax, and you had to be there 15 minutes early to load your bike. Tickets were sold only in advance, before August 14: CHF 22 one way, or 50 with the return to Sion. There's no bus from Sion to Verbier, so riders starting there take public transport.

Your bag rides from the start to Grimentz and waits by the bike park. Buses back leave Grimentz for Sion from 15:00 and for Verbier from 17:30, each when it's full, with the last at 19:30 (CHF 40). There's no bus back to Nendaz, Hérémence or Evolène. Parking in Grimentz is very limited, and the organizer recommends public transport.

Supporters who want to see the Pas de Lona can take the Bendolla gondola up from Grimentz, then walk about two hours. The last gondola down was at 5:30 PM in 2026.

E-bikes, tandems, teams and the shorter rides

E-bikes ride the same courses, Pas de Lona included, with a motor of 250 W at most. You can only swap batteries at the technical posts at the aid stations, and you may never carry one while racing. You hand your spares in at bib pickup and the organizer takes them to Evolène or Eison. From Verbier it recommends three batteries. There's no e-bike podium, and the category is for riders without a racing license.

Tandem is a category on every course. The Team Race is three riders on any bikes from any start, timed on the last of the three to finish.

The Evolène Short (54 km, 2,000 m) leaves out the Pas de Lona and reaches Grimentz on forest roads, with timed sections and a category for gravel bikes. The e-Raid OIKEN is 35 km and untimed, on an e-bike or a mountain bike, starting from Nax between 10:00 and 10:30 and tasting local produce on the way, with raclette at the top of the Crêt du Midi above Vercorin. You can take the gondola up or ride. Both finish at the Bendolla lifts in Grimentz.

Weather and kit

Stone-roofed huts on an alpine pasture near Arolla, off the course, under a glacier and its meltwater stream
Nadot Yannick / Unsplash

In August the MeteoSwiss station at Evolène, at 1,825 m, averages a high of 17.5 °C and a low of 8.6 °C, with rain on about 11 days of the month. The Pas de Lona is nearly 1,000 m higher.

A helmet, a repair kit and a charged phone are mandatory, and earphones are banned. You can't change bikes during the race. The aid stations have water, Powerbar isotonic drink, Coca-Cola, cereal bars, dried fruit, fresh fruit and cheese. Bike checks are no longer compulsory, but the organizer recommends one before the race. If you drop out, ride on to the nearest control post to hand in your chip.

Grand Raid BCVS aid stations and GPS coordinates

For crews and spectators: each place on the map in decimal degrees, latitude first. Paste them into any map app or add them as waypoints in Goat Maps.

  • Verbier (125 km start)

    1,500 m (4,921 ft)

    46.09610, 7.22868

  • Croix de Coeur

    2,174 m (7,133 ft)

    46.12171, 7.23238

  • La Tzoumaz (technical and medical post)

    1,510 m (4,954 ft)

    46.14444, 7.23489

  • Nendaz (93 km start)

    1,360 m (4,462 ft)

    46.18394, 7.29536

  • Veysonnaz

    1,330 m (4,364 ft)

    46.19551, 7.33633

  • Les Collons

    1,780 m (5,840 ft)

    46.18134, 7.38514

  • Hérémence (68 km start)

    1,270 m (4,167 ft)

    46.18074, 7.40579

  • Mandelon

    2,030 m (6,660 ft)

    46.13121, 7.41134

  • Evolène (37 km start)

    1,380 m (4,528 ft)

    46.11290, 7.49580

  • Eison

    1,650 m (5,413 ft)

    46.15447, 7.46620

  • L'A Vieille

    2,370 m (7,776 ft)

    46.15445, 7.49557

  • Pas de Lona

    2,787 m (9,144 ft)

    46.15575, 7.51997

  • Basset de Lona

    2,792 m (9,160 ft)

    46.14813, 7.54777

  • Grimentz (finish)

    1,570 m (5,151 ft)

    46.18029, 7.57383

Grand Raid BCVS FAQ

When is the Grand Raid BCVS 2027?

Saturday August 21, 2027, the 37th edition, according to the organizer's site. The 2026 race was on Saturday August 22.

What are the cutoff times?

In 2026 riders had to pass Veysonnaz by 11:00, Hérémence by 11:30, Mandelon by 13:00, Evolène by 14:00, Eison by 15:00 and L'A Vieille by 16:00. The organizer can change them for the weather. Riders stopped at a cutoff are bused back to the Les Echutes car park in Sion only.

Can you ride the Grand Raid BCVS on an e-bike?

Yes, on every course and over the Pas de Lona. You may change batteries only at the technical posts by the aid stations, never carry one while riding, and there is no podium for e-bikes.

Is there a bus to the start?

Yes, from the Les Echutes car park in Sion to Nendaz, Hérémence, Evolène and Nax. In 2026 you booked it with your entry, or by email if you'd already entered, before August 14. There's none to Verbier, so take public transport. Buses back run from Grimentz to Sion and Verbier.

Can you ride the Grand Raid BCVS on a tandem?

Yes. In 2026 tandem was a category on all four courses to Grimentz and on the Evolène Short.

Where can spectators watch?

The finish in Grimentz has food, stands and a playground, and a raclette evening from 7 PM. For the Pas de Lona, take the Bendolla gondola from Grimentz and walk about two hours, or come up from Eison by car as far as the Becs de Bosson hut car park, just before the Tsalet d'Eison.

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Updated . An unofficial guide, from the organizer's published information. Coordinates from the organizer's course and OpenStreetMap contributors. Photos from Unsplash. Organize a race? We help with course files.