Autumn mountain event dates for your diary

a lush, green landscape surrounded by rolling hills with two cyclists riding along on a dirt track

With summer weather much improved in the Alps (after a wet start) and the Olympics running to an end (soon to leave a gaping hole in our lives), here are a few summer mountain events to look forward to, both to support from the sidelines and get stuck into yourself.

UK mountain festivals

Dirt Dash, Scotland
When: 21—22 September
Price: Entry £95 (includes meal, camping and a support vehicle)
What: The Yorkshire event (13 July) is done and dusted, but coming up is the Dunoon Dash on Scotland’s west coast – a weekend of gravel and bikepacking for those who enjoy off-road riding and overnight adventures.

Dirt Dashes are centred around camaraderie, meeting new bikepacking buddies and perhaps preparing you for bigger expeditions you have coming up. – all backgrounds and abilities welcome.

Expect rides through challenging routes and off-the-beaten-path trails, as well as some super scenic and quiet roads (past pubs and cafes).

GrAviemore, Scotland
When: 13—15 September
Price: £100
What: Back to basics for good gravelly times in the Cairngorms National Park. Good riding, good people and good food at the Inshriach estate, with a buffet of inclusive routes (from 30-200+ km to suit your mood and will power) mostly off-road, taking you up the glens on long, flowing gravel tracks and mellow singletrack. Followed by food, with talks and music. Inshriach has the rustic sauna, wood-fired hot tub and a wild swimming spot covered, as well as home-brewed gin and local beer and whisky.

a bike's brown leather dropped handlebars are in shot as rider takes a picture over bike to green, Scottish landscape on a gravel trail
GrAviemore

2024 London Snow Show, ExCel Centre
When: 19—20 October
Price: Free with code FALLLINE
What: Come and say hi to the Fall Line crew (and a host of other exhibitors) at the UK’s one and only Snow Show! Hit this link and use code FALLLINE to bag your FREE ticket!

Kendal Mountain Festival, Cumbria
When: 21—24 November
Price: Entry to festival free, events individually priced
What: A four-day festival celebrating adventure, culture, nature and exploration, with over 200 live sessions including 300+ speakers, 180+ films, and 80+ activities programmed for an expected 30,000 adventure-seekers and outdoor enthusiasts.

a sim-run swimmer steps out of the water, taking off goggles, by a blurred out mountain lake, having completed a swim section
A blue alpine lake is pictured with green hills behind, whilst dozens of swimmers set off from the shore in a race
Ötillo swim-run © Jean-Marie Gueye

Ötillo Swim-Runs, worldwide
When: Various dates
Price: From €80
What: Ötillö is the company that started the whole swim-run trend, but the dual sport has taken off well beyond Sweden’s islands, with versions (mainly less-intense swim-walks) existing pretty much anywhere there’s open water.

Ötillö, too, has spread its wings with events in Switzerland, France, Canada and the USA taking place this summer and autumn. Mountain locations have included Engadin, which held three swim-runs of varying length (7k, 15k and 43k) in the pretty village of Silvaplana near St Moritz; Whistler hosted events (10k, 21k and 40k) in July.

Find out about the next races, culminating in the SwimRun World Champs in Sweden with 46 transitions, 24 islands, 9km of open water swimming and 61km of trail running. Or, find a partner (you’re tied to a teammate in official Ötillo races) and sign-up to and prep for next summer’s here.

Dolo-Vini-Miti, Italy
When: 6—15 October
Price: Depends how expensive your tastes are
What: Autumn is a heavenly time to head to Italy’s Dolomites to celebrate viticulture during the mountain region’s very first ‘vertical wine festival’, hosted by Val di Cembra and Val di Fiemme. You’re looking at guided trekking, food and wine tours through huts, vineyards and caneve (wine cellars) in villages, plus tastings at every turn. Dip in and out of the 10-day programme as you like. Wine not?

Spectating mountain events

hundreds of runners set off through the starting gates of the UTMB in Chamonix, hundreds more spectators look on from the sidelines. The photo is taken from a birds-eye view from a balcony or something above

UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Championships Andorra
When: 28 August to 1 September

With stages throughout the Alps and beyond, the atmosphere is buzzing, and it’s one of the best spectator events, as you cheer on your favourite riders as they tackle challenging courses featuring tree roots, banked sections, bumps, jumps and other natural obstacles along the way.

Speeds reach around 80km/h in the men’s races and 70km/h for women. There are eight downhill stages during summer, including Leogang, Austria (7—9 June), Val di Sole, Italy (14—16 June), Les Gets, France (25 June to 7 July) and Louron Valley in the Pyrenees (6—8 September). But the UCI MTB World Champs are coming up in Pal Arinsal/Vallnord, Andorra in the Pyrenees.

UTMB, Chamonix
When: 26 August to 1 Sept
What: The infamous birthplace of alpinism is a hive of festival activity come summer. And the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) is the hailed as the most competitive trail ultramarathon in the world. So if you’re heading that way, or are looking to book a late-summer mountain trip, we can’t think of a better place to be than Chamonix.

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