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Hiking Around Mont Blanc: A Journey of
Empowerment
One of these transformative trips for me was the Tour of Mont Blanc, one of the world’s greatest treks and an empowering journey in many respects. The Tour of Mont Blanc, or the "TMB", is a 100-mile trail that circles Mont Blanc, the Alps' highest mountain. The trail crosses over ten mountain passes in three countries—France, Switzerland, and Italy. It generally takes ten to twelve days to complete. In 2004, I thought my hiking days were over. I suffered from horrendous bone-crunching knee pain on the easiest of hikes. My doctor said, “Take up another sport.” My hiking friends said, “Try using hiking poles.” I listened to my friends. Over the next several years, I learned how to minimize the knee pain. My legs became stronger, and I completed progressively more difficult hikes. By 2006, I had climbed most of New Hampshire's 4000-foot mountains and was beginning to think, “What next?” It was then that I heard about the Tour of Mont Blanc from a friend who had hiked it the previous summer. I was intrigued, but I had never hiked more than two days in a row and was concerned that my knees would not hold up. “You can do it!” my friend said. That was all the encouragement I needed. I arranged the hike through Sherpa Expeditions of Hounslow, England. http://www.sherpa-walking-holidays.co.uk/ Sherpa made the lodging reservations, provided maps and route notes, and transported my luggage from inn to inn. I signed up for a self-guided hike to give me the flexibility to start early and hike at my own pace.
I rode a cable car to Bellevue to start the grueling but very beautiful hike up to the first mountain pass. The long path up the Col de Tricot was under the imposing Bionnassey Glacier. Wildflowers were blooming in every color of the rainbow. The heat was oppressive with not a cloud in the sky. I sweat like a pack animal the entire way up and was overjoyed to reach the top. My knees were put to the test on the steep zigzagging descent from Col de Tricot to Chalet de Miage. When I arrived at Chalet de Miage, I was surprised to see that hikers were being served sumptuous lunches under turquoise umbrellas. This would not be the wilderness hike I was used to in New England! I ate my packed lunch, a grilled eggplant and cheese sandwich, next to a nearby stream and ended the first day in the village of Contamines. I was exhausted and my knees ached, but my heart was soaring from the jaw-dropping scenery. The next day I started out alone toward the trailhead. Lynn and Kim, I often wonder what possessed me to attempt a 100-mile hike by myself. Hiking alone is not a smart thing to do. But I reasoned that it was a well-traveled trail and was optimistic that I would meet up with someone who hiked at my pace. I am confident that I could have safely finished the hike alone, but sharing the adventure with others made it that much more memorable. The second day of hiking to Les Chapieux was a fabulous day! There were throngs of local people walking, running, or riding bikes up the steep trail to Col du Bonhomme. Everyone we passed greeted us with a friendly, “Bonjours!”. Even in mid-July, we had to cross a snowfield to get to the Col. The trail off the Col took us across a waterfall and past interesting rock formations, a sheep farm, and a large cairn decorated with scarves that looked like prayer flags. We reached the Italian border on Day 3. The change in scenery was
immediately apparent. We crossed into Switzerland on Day 5. The Swiss section of the TMB is all about charm—quaint mountain villages, mushroom-laden forests, cow pastures and farms. By the time I reached the halfway point of the hike at Champex, my stamina and confidence had increased. But the most scenic portion of the TMB—and the greatest challenge—lay ahead in the French Alps.
A cold, hard rain started an hour into the hike. We donned raingear
and continued. We climbed slippery ladders and log steps for an hour
in zero visibility. Craziness! The planned route was to cross to Lac
Blanc, a small alpine lake where the views of the Mont Blanc were supposed
to be terrific. But we were cold and tired, and there would be no views.
When we reached the top of the ladder section, we bailed out and took
La Flegere cable car down to Chamonix and the warmth of our hotel.
Luckily we had that option. The next day I retraced my steps I was in heaven on the last day of the hike but also sad knowing it was the end of an amazing experience. The day started with a cable car ride to the trail. We then hiked up to the Col du Brevant, passing a paraglider launch strip. It was a great day so there were many paragliders floating like giant butterflies above Chamonix and Mont Blanc. When we reached Chalet Bellachat, the last cafe of the hike, the view of the Bossons glacier was magical. I treated myself to a citron presse and didn't want to leave. It was a long 5,000 foot descent from Col du Brevant to Les Houches. We finished the hike at 5:15 p.m. on July 26 at the same place where we had started twelve days before. I felt so energized and empowered by the hike that I could have continued around the 100-mile circuit a second time! I can't describe the feeling of elation when I finished the hike! I walked more than one hundred miles over ten mountain passes. No blisters, no injuries—only countless memories. I was on a high for weeks afterwards! What makes a trip life-changing is the unique blend of a special place with surprising self-discoveries. I ended the TMB hike with renewed confidence in my abilities. I tested the limits of my physical stamina and was proud of what I had accomplished. I learned I have greater resourcefulness and courage than I had ever imagined. Within two months after I returned home, I finished hiking the New Hampshire 4000-footers and booked a hiking trip to South America. A whole world of possibilities is out there for those willing to push their boundaries beyond what seems possible. To learn more about my Tour of Mont Blanc journey, visit my web site. http://www.aliceinwonderlands.com/TMB/tmb.htm If you have a travel story to submit for our next issue, click here>> |
not so much about destinations,
but more about life-changing journeys of discovery.
I arrived at the start of the hike in Les Houches, France on July
14, 2007. Mount Washington inspires awe and respect of New England
hikers, but here the intimidation factor was higher than the mountains.
Looking up at the jagged snow-capped peaks, I felt overwhelmed by the
challenge and thought, “What have I gotten myself into?”
two sisters from California who were also traveling with Sherpa, caught
up with me on the walk out of town and invited me to hike with them.
I ended up hiking with them for the remainder of the trip. 
The mountains were more like jagged pinnacles.
We started passing hikers saying "Buon giorno!" rather than "Bonjour!" There
were many wildflowers along the entire route, but they were especially
colorful in the Italian Alps. We stopped for lunch below Rifugio Elisabetta
and Glacier de la Lee Blanche, then descended into a long valley and
walked a flat trail past a glacial lake.
One of the routes to Chamonix is the "Passage Dangereux".
It involves a section of ladders and metal handholds to scale a cliff.
Since the forecast was for rain the day we were scheduled to hike the
challenging “Passage”, my hiking companions Lynn and Kim opted to take
a rest day. I decided to take a chance on the weather and set off with
a Canadian couple, Mark and Alice, to tackle the tough section.
to La
Flegere to finish the hike to Lac Blanc.