When your training ground is 12,000 feet up in the Rockies and your race schedule takes you across the American Southwest, you need more than just transportation. You need a mobile command center.
For Courtney, a professional Brooks Trail and Mountain athlete, and her partner Alex, their Geotrek custom Albatross has become exactly that.
From Planes to Vans: A Better Vision
Alex spent the last few years training as a pilot. His vision for adventure was flying into the mountains and exploring from above.
Courtney had a different idea. “She pretty intelligently pitched me on an alternative,” Alex recalls. “A far more supportive vision for how we could adventure into the mountains, and that was a van.”
It turned out to be the right call.
Training at Altitude, Sleeping Like a Champion
Courtney is currently training for the World Championships of trail running, often logging miles at places like Jones Pass at 12,454 feet with 14ers all around.
The van gives her something most athletes don’t have: the ability to sleep at altitude, wake up at the trailhead, and start running.
“I’ve never slept better than in this van,” Courtney says. “We can roll up, sleep well, and then wake up and train well or wake up and race well.”
When a last-minute race opportunity comes up, they can pack the van and go. No hotels, no logistics. Just show up and perform.
Running Together
When Alex met Courtney, he took up running, mostly to keep up with her. The van became a way to support her career while building his own relationship with the mountains.
“The van has been amazing, not just because it’s allowed me to have a platform to support her and her career,” Alex explains. “But it’s also allowed for some really epic days that we can go out together with our dog.”
For Courtney, running is about more than training and racing. “When I’m out in the mountains or on a trail that’s so beautiful, I feel a sense of awe and wonder in the world,” she says. “I feel like I can inspire and help others and take that back into all the other aspects of my life.”
The van makes those moments more accessible.
Built for Backcountry Access
Their Geotrek van has taken them to countless new campsites, often surprising friends with big overland vehicles who didn’t expect a camper van to handle the same trails.
“It’s been really cool to see it just crush some awesome roads,” Courtney says.
The American West is vast and challenging. Having a mobile setup that can handle long distances and rough roads makes the difference between dreaming about remote trails and actually getting there.
Built for the Life You’re Living
Courtney and Alex’s story shows what happens when your vehicle supports the life you’re actually trying to live. Whether you’re training for world championships or exploring deeper into the backcountry, their Geotrek custom van has proven itself as more than just a camper van.
From mountain passes to desert trails, from race day to rest day, it’s a tool that keeps them focused on what matters: the trails, the training, and the adventure.
As Courtney puts it: “Anyone that’s interested in it, do it. Your opportunities once you get it are truly endless.”
