The Megavalanche sounds simple on paper and is brutal on the ground: start at the top of a glacier above 3,300 metres and ride all the way down to the valley, over nearly 30 kilometres and 2,600 metres of descent. Snow, ice, scree fields, technical singletrack, endless flat sections. This downhill marathon is regularly ranked among the toughest mountain bike races in the world, precisely because it leaves no room for specialists.
There's no getting away with being a pure downhiller or a pure marathon rider here: you need to be a complete rider, from the first turn on snow to the last singletrack through the forest.
At the 2026 edition, Chris, Exoride's MTB guide and coach, landed a double result: 1st place Master category and 2nd place Master in the E-bike category. A result made even more notable by the conditions at the top of the course, where fresh snow on the glacier made the summit section particularly tricky this year.
A Race That Demands Everything, All at Once
What makes the Megavalanche so distinctive is how it strings every discipline together into a single descent. Riders first have to handle snow and ice on the glacier, where the smallest misjudged line costs dearly. Then comes a stretch of loose, unstable scree, before the course drops into technical forest singletrack and more classic downhill sections. In between, rolling and flat sections demand real physical management over the distance.
It's exactly this mix that makes the race such a benchmark: terrain reading, risk management, technical riding and endurance all have to work together from start to finish. It's a profile that maps directly onto the skills built, ride after ride, in Exoride's MTB coaching sessions and guided days across Valais.
Complete Riding, at the Heart of Exoride Coaching
Reading terrain that changes character every five minutes, adjusting your line in a split second on snow or scree, pacing your effort to stay sharp until the finish. These are exactly the fundamentals taught in coaching sessions, whether the goal is sharpening technical riding, preparing for a race, or simply building confidence on committing terrain.
A result like the one at Megavalanche 2026 is never just about fitness: it's the same reading of the terrain applied in guided rides across the trails of Valais, adapted to an extreme setting. And it's that race-day experience, built up over years, that feeds directly back into the coaching and guiding Exoride offers its clients, from riders just starting out in enduro to those preparing their first races.
A Moment Shared Above All
Beyond the results, this 2026 edition will mainly be remembered for the moments shared with family and friends who came along for the race. As every year, the real goal at the Megavalanche stays the same: take part, enjoy it, and get down in one piece, rider and bike both. The podiums this time again were simply the icing on the cake.
Want to Level Up on This Kind of Terrain?
Whether you're looking to sharpen your technical riding, prepare for a race, or simply discover the best trails in Valais with a certified Swiss Cycling guide, the Exoride team is here to help. Get in touch to plan your next ride or your next coaching session.
