FAQ

What type of adventures do Pure Trails arrange?

We arrange adventure running holidays to a range of remarkable destinations around the world. These are journeys rather than races, where we scope out the most amazing runs, selecting breathtaking routes that combine with cultural gems to give you a trail-running holiday like no other.

We prefer our groups small (max. 10) and use our own team of amazing guides everywhere we go. You’ll experience no arrogance from them —only total support, encouragement, and inspiration every step of the way, ensuring you have a truly special adventure with us.

All of our trips are fully supported, so there is nothing to worry about, allowing for flexible daily running distances so that we can cater for a range of running abilities.

We’ll stay in comfortable boutique accommodations when in the towns and cities, and then cosy guesthouses when up in the mountains. Things like luggage, nutrition, guiding, and transfers are always included, which means a hassle-free, stress-free approach that allows you to enjoy every step of the trail with us.

Can I come solo?

Yes.

The majority of our guests (over 90%) join us solo. We created Pure Trails for like-minded people—those who are looking to connect with others who share an interest in trails, adventure, and travel. Arriving as a stranger, but leaving with a new group of friends.

We have an option for a twin shared room if you are happy to share with a new roommate or take a private room if you want a room all to yourself.

What's the age range for guests? Who goes on a Pure Trails adventure?

Most of our guests are aged between their 30s and 50s. There’s no age limit, of course; our oldest traveler to date was in their early 70s, and our youngest was 18!

Despite being a British company it’s very typical for us to have people from all over the world join our trips; guests from Australia, North America, Scandinavia, and a range of European countries join our adventures.

I have dietary requirements - can you cater to this?

No problem.

Once you're booked onto a trip, we'll be in touch to get all of this info from you. Some destinations can be harder than others to cater for dietary like vegan, but with advance planning, we can ensure everyone is catered for properly.

Can I pay in instalments?

Yes.

We prefer a flexible approach at Pure Trails. To book your space on any of our trips we ask for a deposit payment of 10% which confirms your space. Through the booking process, you can opt to pay off the balance via a selection of interest-free payments. You’ll also receive automated email reminders when your next instalment is due. There are no additional fees to pay via instalments.

We ask that final balances are paid in full 1-month before departure.

How fit do I need to be? Do I need to be super fit?

No, not at all.

We have purposefully designed our trips for people of all abilities. The nature of our adventures focuses on a journey, rather than going to A-B as fast as possible. The trips are designed to be challenging, and rewarding, but also adaptable for different fitness levels.

That being said the distances and terrain change from destination to destination, and it’s worth checking the trip grading before booking. We also recommend having a decent base of fitness before coming with us as all of our trips involve back-back running days to fully enjoy the adventure.

What type of terrain will we run on?

We prefer to travel on beautiful, empty trails to places which are reasonably off the beaten path.

As a result, of our destination choices, there is a range of terrains which we run upon. You can expect everything from beech forests, lush meadows, open pastures and soft grass in entry valleys.

We also do a lot of running in the mountains, being surrounded by lofty peaks. As a result, some of our days include walking or running through steep mountain passes as we traverse from one valley to the next. As we go higher we expect the terrain to become dryer as we move over cobbles, stones and boulder sections.

Occasionally, we run at altitudes higher than 2,500m, but typically our ascent will not go over 1,500m.

It’s worth paying attention to the grade of each trip to get a feel for how challenging the terrain might be.

What type of accommodation do you use?

We prefer to stay in characterful, boutique hotels and lodges which offer personality, rather than staying in larger resorts.

Location is key as it’s nice to get out and explore rather than be bused in to go sightseeing or shopping.

When we are out on the trail we will make the most of staying in cosy, simpler village guesthouses. Often these are alpine-style, surrounded by meadows with cows grazing, the gentle sounds of streams trickling past and panoramic views from every room.

Delicious and varied local meals are served in the evenings. Expect big plates of mozzarella, salads, olives, cured meats, dhal bhat, pizzas and pasta.

What does a typical day look like?

A typical day will see us depart our hotel after breakfast joining either our support vehicle for transfer to the trailhead, or heading straight from our mountain guesthouse. On average we will be on our feet between 3-5 hours a day covering mileage ranging on average between18-25km. This is not all outrunning, we’ll be making sure we stop to soak up the views, take pictures and ensure we are getting the most out of where we are.

We’ll always have at least two trail guides with the group at all times, in addition, our driver/guide (European destinations only) will also be on the route which gives a greater ratio of guides to runners and the ability for you to run at your own comfortable pace.

Once the trail is finished we’ll have picnic lunches to reward our efforts. We’ll then make our way back to our hotel with time set aside to relax, before meeting up for drinks, dinner and sharing stories later in the evening.

What is included in the cost of the trip?

We include just about everything so you can focus on trail running in extraordinary places. All transfers, trail running, guiding, accommodation, most meals and cultural experiences are included.

The only additional costs you need to cover are for individual souvenirs, snacks, and beverages outside of what we offer. For example, if you fancy a local beer from a cafe partway through the day.

Are flights included in the price?

No, flights are not included. We do not sell air tickets. We can provide some general advice on routes, booking platforms etc should you need help figuring out how to get to a destination, but cannot book anything for you or on your behalf.

Let us know your arrival and departure details in advance and we will take care of everything else from the moment you land.

What if I get injured on a trip?

Frustrating as it is, injuries happen from time to time, but most importantly if you notice that something isn’t quite right please inform a member of our team who is first-aid trained.

Depending on the severity of the injury we’ll try our best to prepare an alternative plan to include you in the daily trail and ensure that you get the most out of the adventure. It may be a case of you joining the support vehicle and hiking some parts of the trail where suitable. If your injury is severe enough that you cannot hike or run, and where rest and recovery are completely necessary, then you will be able to remain in the vehicle or if necessary we will endeavour to transfer you to our overnight accommodation to rest or to seek further help as required.

It must be stressed that our focus needs to be on the running group as a whole, to ensure that every participant maximises their participation and enjoyment and has a fulfilling experience.

In our experience, it is extremely rare for a participant to need to drop out completely, but if this were to happen, we would do our best to advise or arrange alternative activities, although bearing in mind the locations of some of the trips this may not always be possible. There is no substitute for good travel insurance to cover the curtailment of your trip.

What's the cancellation policy?

The following is an excerpt from our full Terms of Service (Booking Terms).

Cancellations Policy: Guest Cancellations

‍It is your responsibility to read and understand our Cancellation Policy as well as our full Terms of Service before making a booking.

Naturally, no one books an adventure with the intention of cancelling or postponing, but unexpected things do happen, so you must have adequate travel cancellation insurance in place before booking your trip.

If you need to cancel any booking, cancellation fees will apply.

Any notice of cancellation must be provided in writing, and all transaction fees from our payment gateway will be deducted from your refund.

Please refer to the following for a breakdown of applicable cancellation fees:

If you cancel 141 days or more before your Departure Date, you will be refunded the full amount paid up to that date, less any transaction fees imposed by our payment gateway, excluding the full deposit which is non-refundable.

If you cancel between 85 - 140 days before your Departure Date, you will be refunded 50% of any sums paid, less any transaction fees imposed by our payment gateway, excluding the full deposit which is non-refundable.

Cancellations 90 days or less before the Departure Date of your adventure are non-refundable and will result in a forfeit of any and all sums paid.

Due to our need to commit to accommodation and other arrangements in advance, exceptions to our policy cannot be made for any reason.

‍Cancellations Policy: Trip Cancellations made by Us

‍If Pure Trails has to cancel or change the Departure Date of any adventures, for any reason whatsoever, you’re entitled to transfer the sums paid to another Pure Trails trip (either scheduled or at some future time within the next two (2) years) to be used as credit, or you can request a refund of payments made by You to Us.

How often do you add new adventures?

We’re always working on new adventures and we launch new trips throughout the year. The first place to hear about new adventures is via our newsletter, so make sure you’re subscribed!

What do I need to pack?

We send out a detailed kit list to all guests once they have joined our adventures.

I have another question which isn’t answered here.

Great, we like answering questions. If there is anything we’ve missed or something you’d like to ask us directly please do not hesitate to email us at explore@pure-trails.com.

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