The eleventh edition of the race starts on 11 June 2023. Salewa has supported the worlds’ toughest adventure race as main sponsor since 2015: Red Bull X-Alps. For two weeks, over 30 plus world class athletes will cover more than 1,200 kilometres across the Alps by running, hiking and flying. Once again this year, Christian Maurer, the Salewa-sponsored athlete is in the starting line-up. The Swiss athlete, known as ‘Chrigel the Eagle’ is often described as ‘impossible to beat’ as he has won the event seven times in a row. The other athletes in the Salewa Team are: Markus Anders, Thomas Friedrich, Simon Oberrauner, Aaron Durogati and Paul Guschlbauer.

Red Bull X-Alps is held every other year. In 2023, Salewa is also presenting the ‘Salewa Trophy’ as a special prize for the athletes of the Red Bull X-Alps. The ‘Salewa Trophy’ is intended to highlight the spirit of comradeship during the race. It’s awarded to the athlete that demonstrates outstanding fair play and comradeship towards their fellow competitors over the course of the competition. This might include stopping to help another athlete during the race, sharing or donating items of equipment, or acting in an altruistic manner in some way or other. “Supporting each other and comradeship are fundamental qualities for remaining successful in the mountains. This is why we have chosen to award a special prize in recognition of an outstanding gesture of solidarity amongst the athletes,” says Salewa. The award will be decided by an expert panel including a member of this year’s race organization team and two Salewa representatives. As such, the ‘Salewa Trophy’ will be awarded at the end of the race as part of the final prize ceremony. In 2021, US athlete Gavin McClurg received the award for his long-standing commitment within the hike & fly community.

This year, the innovative route of the Red Bull X-Alps is mix of familiar stretches and completely new stages. During, the race the athletes have to pass certain turnpoints. The race starts in Kitzbühel – Kirchberg, for the first time since 2007. From here, it heads via Achental in Chiemgau, Piz Buin in Switzerland and Europe’s longest glacier and the Aletsch glacier on the legendary Mont Blanc, back to northern Italy to a further new spectacular highlight, the Paternkofel via ferrata in the Sexten Dolomites. The athletes have to navigate the final turnpoint here and then cross the main divide of the Alps again as they head back into Austria to race for the floating finishing line in Zell am See.

The new turnpoint in Sexten, right in the heart of the Dolomites, the home of Salewa, has in many respects special significance this year. Throughout the summer in the area surrounding the turnpoint, Salewa is organising a series of events with the local tourist board and laying the foundations for a long-term strategic partnership.

In addition to physical and mental fitness, strategic skills and resilience, adventurers like the athletes in the Red Bull X-Alps require one thing: the right equipment. The new X-Alps collection from Salewa is specially developed to cover the combination of speed hiking and paragliding. Inspired by the toughest adventurer race in the world, Dry’ton the main fabric used in the products has been tested and proven in the Dolomites. It stands out for its hybrid blend of materials, outstanding moisture and temperature regulation – that make it ideal for making highly breathable, fast-drying and long-lasting clothing.