Whereas the Tour du Mont Blanc is demanding, it’s not a very troublesome hike. It’s simply lengthy, with a lot of altitude acquire and loss, and at all times scenic. On my latest trek across the mountain with three buddies, it appeared every of us had a weak spot: knees, toes, or lungs. For some, the problem was the uphill half, and for others (with weak knees), it was going downhill. We simply took it straightforward, with a lot of little breaks.
For lengthy climbs, regular, smaller steps are finest. The path could possibly be actually rocky, and I can’t think about doing it with out mountain climbing poles. The path indicators had been nice, and apps made staying on the path straightforward: Simply observe the blue dot. And I acquired good use out of a top-quality printed map. (I’d spend time the night time earlier than studying up on the hike and familiarizing myself with the path on the map.)
Whereas the climate forecast seemed threatening, we hiked six days (in September, over the past week of the season) and, fortunately, had just one hour of rain. Nonetheless, every day we’d pack rain gear, and we’d add on and take off layers as we gained and misplaced altitude. After 4 days, we had it sorted out, and it occurred to us rank learners, “We’re getting good at this.”
As we had been mountain climbing in an enormous circle round an enormous clump of mountains and sleeping in charming cities every night time, on daily basis gave the impression to be up and over a frightening mountain go. A nightly deal with was a stroll underneath a milky blanket of stars.
I’ll be sharing extra images, tales, and ideas from Mont Blanc on the Nov. 29 version of Monday Evening Journey. Wish to come alongside? Register now for this enjoyable — and free! — occasion.
