Taking It Easy On The Tour Du Mont Blanc

Although the Tour du Mont Blanc is quite difficult, it is not a particularly difficult hike. It is long, with a lot of ascent and difference in height, and it is always picturesque. During my recent mountain climb with three friends, each of us seemed to have a weak spot: knees, toes or lungs. For some the problem was the climb, for others (with weak knees) the problem was the climb. We handled it easily, with very few interruptions.

David, Sue, Shelly and I hiked together to Mont Blanc. But in order to be able to walk at our own pace, we generally found it better to walk in pairs rather than in groups of four. It is very important to be able to stop and rest without worrying about what other people want or need. Our motto was: "We are here to walk, enjoy the moment, the road, the mountains and not run to the hotel".

For long climbs, hard little steps are best. The trail can be very rocky and I can't imagine it without sticks. The road markings were great and the apps made it easy to stay on track - just follow the blue dot. And I made good use of a high quality printed paper. (I spent the night reading the hike and knowing the route on the map.)

Even though the weather forecast looked creepy, we took a six day hike (in September, the last week of the season) and luckily it only rained for an hour. However, we packed a raincoat every day, putting it on and off as the altitude increased and we got lost. Four days later we solved it and the beginner's mind thought, "We're perfecting this."

When we walked in circles around a huge mountain range and spent the night in lovely villages, it felt like every day passed through a terrible mountain pass. The evening procedure was a picnic under a blanket of stars.

I'll share more photos, stories and tips about Mont Blanc in the November 29 issue of Monday Night Travel. You want to come with us? Register now for this fun and it's free! - Event.