Taking it Easy on the Tour du Mont Blanc
Although the Tour du Mont Blanc is demanding, it is not a particularly difficult hike. It’s just long, with a lot of height gain and loss, and always natural. On my recent trek around the mountain with three friends, each of us seemed to have a weak spot: knees, toes, or lungs. For some, the challenge was the uphill section, and for others (with weak knees), it was going downhill. With lots of small breaks, we took it easy.
For long climbs, steady, small steps are best. The trail can be really rocky, and I can’t imagine doing it without hiking poles. The trail markings were great, and the apps made it easy to stay on the trail: just follow the blue dot. And I made good use of a high-quality printed map. (I would spend the night before the hike reading and familiarizing myself with the trail on the map.)
Although the weather forecast looked dire, we added six days (in September, during the last week of the season) and thankfully it only rained for an hour. Still, each day we’d pack rain gear, and add and remove layers as we gained and lost altitude. After four days, we solved it, and it felt to us early raters, “We’re getting good at this.”
As we hiked in a great circle around a large cluster of mountains and slept in charming towns each night, each day seemed to pass over a difficult mountain pass. The treat of the night was to bask under the milky blanket of stars.
I’ll be sharing more photos, stories and tips from Mont Blanc in the November 29 edition of Monday Night Travel. Want to come along? Register now for this fun — and it’s free! – The event
