The Mont Blanc tour is demanding but not difficult. It's long, with lots of ups and downs, and it's always fun. When I was hiking with three friends recently, we all seemed to have a weak point: knees, toes, or lungs. For some the climb was a challenge, for others (including weak knees) the descent. We had a very short break.
Steady, short strides are best for long climbs. The trail can be very rocky and I can't imagine without trekking poles. The waymarkers were great and the apps made it easy to navigate. Follow the blue dot and I've made good use of the high quality printed map. (I spend the night before a hike familiarizing myself with the route map.)
Although the weather forecast looked bad, we rode for six days (in September, the last week of the season) and luckily it only rained for an hour. However, each day we packed our rain gear and added and removed layers as we climbed and lost. We fixed it after four days and one of the newbies told us.
As we walked in a great circle around the great mountain range and slept in charming towns every night, it felt like every day passed over the pass. The joy of the night flowed under the milky blanket of stars.
I'll be sharing more photos, stories and tips from Mont Blanc in the November 29 Monday Night Travel issue. Do you want to come? Sign up now for this fun and it's free! - The event