Our Story

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."

THE 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 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.

The team at Tour de Trails look forward to sharing them with you.

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

Follow Chris’ personal running (and MTB, paddling and all sorts of other) adventures on Instagram @one_life_wild

Testimonials

“As for the tour leaders - they were superb in every way. Experts in trail running and sensitive to different personalities - I felt entirely safe in their hands and grateful on more than one occasion for their encouragement and advice. I would do that run again with them tomorrow if I could.” - Imogen Scott C2C 2022 -

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“The key ingredient is the great quality and diversity of the running group and leadership and caring attitude of the guides. Chris, Mish and Mark are exceptional, they keep it fun, are flexible and will get you from the start to the end. On the first tour a pivotal message was stop, look back and see where you have come from, then move on.  As runners it is amazing what we miss. Don't miss this opportunity.” - Rob Wymond C2C 2020 & 2022 -

OUR PARTNERS

AWESOME IDEAS DON'T BECOME AWESOME ADVENTURES WITHOUT AWESOME PARTNERS.

Here are the dream builders who fuel our running fires and help us and you experience exotic singletrack aross the globe.

We reckon you should check them out and connect…

Tour Partners

We work in with the best to make sure you have an amazing trip.