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What is Tour de Trails?

TOUR DE TRAILS takes you on wild journeys along the finest single track there is on the planet.

Headed by owner/director, Chris Ord, and encompassing the expertise of many other awesome pro-trailites, we specialise in multiday, non-competitive trail running adventure tours, and awesome, slightly left of field trail run events with character and class (sometimes one or the other, occasionally both).

Our mission is to explore wild and wondrous environments by running through them, uncovering legendary stories of running feats throughout history, retracing pilgrimage routes across the globe, or, closer to home, curating events that are inclusive, a little weird, fun and frothing with trail passion.

SIMPLY, WE'RE ALL ABOUT "ADVENTURES IN RUNNING".

What is the story behind TdT?

Tour de Trails is the culmination of much dreaming, an addiction to adventure, a love of trails, a lot of map-porn and a little firsthand experience that said:

"This is the way adventure should be."

BACKSTORY: I was sweating it out in a hot river-rock spa bath in a luxury adventure lodge in Bhutan (on assignment of course - it was work goddam it!). Having pre-ordered my four course meal matched to European wines, and admiring the huge Paro Valley view in front of me, I reached for my ginger lemon tea.  It was just before the masseuse tapped quietly on the door to indicate I should move to the table for a half hour treatment. But not before I rang the bell to indicate the attendant in the room next door should slide another steaming, fire-heated rock down the shoot into the spa. My water was losing its stinging hot edge.

I was a little beaten up from a day trail running up to Tigers' Nest Monastery and mountain biking down from another, when it, the Revelation, came. The pangs of guilt elicited by such indulgence were not necessary. Indeed they were fruitless and obscuring the truth: that you CAN mix luxury with adventure. In fact, the two compliment each other, magnifying the joys of their opposite in a necessary and delightful Ying-Yang relationship.

As a longstanding journalist in the adventure media, and founder/editor of southern hemisphere trail running title, Trail Run Mag, my world view had been slightly warped and imprinted with the lie that adventure requires, nee demands, deprivation. Hurt. Pain. The leering threat of death. I mean, where was the story, otherwise?

"Luxury" was what the "other" travellers did. The ones who weren't really experiencing the gristle of life. Yep, in my blinkered adventure type life, luxury was the antithesis of experience. But I was so very, very wrong and an encroaching fortieth birthday opened up my mind to possibility: luxury without adventure may be dull, worthless, empty fun; but bookend onto adventure some sumptuous luxe - or at the very least a damn fine Shiraz, or perhaps Syrah if trail running in France – and you have an exquisite marriage that may just last into your octogenarian years.

And so the seed was sown. The result is our primo collection of adventure running experiences - tours and events - that are like no other. I make no apologies for the extravagant, whimsical and wonderful nature of these dreams. Or the addition of gin and tonics as required.

The team at Tour de Trails look forward to sharing them (the dreams and the gins) with you.

- Chris Ord
blue sky dreamer, trailite & founder of Tour de Trails

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON:

  • Trail run adventure tours - set dates

  • Trail run adventure tours - bespoke

  • Events - set date

  • Events - you want us to put on for you

  • Wine appreciation and philosophy sessions

  • Unicorns

EVENTS ON CALENDAR

Oscars 100 Hut 2 Hut
February
www.hut2hut.oscars100.com.au

Warburton Trail Fest
March
www.warburtontrailfest.com

Surf Coast Trail Marathon
June
www.surfcoasttrailmarathon.com.au

Afterglow Trail Runs
November
www.afterglowtrailrun.com

Goldrush Trail Runs
December
www.goldrushrun.net

TOURS ON CALENDAR

Coast to Coast, Pub to Pub, England
August
340km, 11 days running

Croatia Sail & Trail
September/October
140km, 8 days running

Bhutan Snowman Expedition Run
November
160km, 8 days high altitude running + 4 days acclimatisation including run/hikes

TOURS ON DEMAND*

  • East Coast, Tasmania

  • Lorne Waterfall Run, Victoria

  • Larapinta Trail, NT

  • Grampians, Victoria

  • Wilsons Prom, Victoria

  • Surf Coast Trails, Victoria

*minumum booking is 6 runners