Earlier this fall, four of us newcomers to long-distance hiking climbed the highest mountain in Europe. (On the first day, large predators circled overhead. I think they were just crows waiting for one of us to fall.)
The Tour du Mont Blanc is a 100-mile, ten-day hike, but we cheated a bit by walking the best 60 miles from our mountain hut to our home in six days, using local buses from less interesting places and Sherpas. ".service" transports our bags every day through France, Italy and transports from Chamonix to Chamonix via Switzerland.
It was my first time enjoying Europe with my friend Shelley and we were joined by Sue and David from Minnesota. (I worked with David Preston for 20 years on TPT - Twin Cities PBS. In the public television world, he is considered a "hostage driver".)
Every day the road signs told us it was a five hour walk; we needed six or seven. Our mantra is: “Take your time. That's why we're here." The day usually began with a 3,000-foot climb to a pass (or "point") at 8,000 feet above sea level. Each place was a small triumph, its landscaped basement, dramatic atmosphere, stunning views and congratulatory selfies.
Part of our pre-trip preparation was a steep climb closer to home. Since a typical daily climb in TMB is a thousand meters (or about 3,000 feet), I would recommend choosing a training hike with 3,000 feet of climb so that you can use it as a guide. We had Mount C in Washington state. We even had a term for climbing 3,000 feet: "Mount C".
