Tour du Mont Blanc: Why I’m Doing Itmonkeysandmountains.com /tour-du-mont-blanc

It ’s no secret that I LOVE hiking. But here’s a secret: I’ve never done a long distance hike.

I’ve done really long 12 hour day hikes with lots of elevation and two-day hikes, but never a long distance hike.

That’s about to change in two days when J.P. (my German husband) and I do the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB), awhopping 160km circuit around the highest peak in Western Europe (4810m). Up and down mountain passes, averaging20km a day, 1000 m elevation – both up and down for 8 days. It’s recommended to do it in 8-12 days. I know that 8days is aggressive for us, but when we booked the tour, I was scheduled to have surgery the day we came back, so itwas either do it quickly or not at all. We choose do it quickly, even though we’re moderately paced hikers, but certainlynot super speedy.

I choose the Tour du Mont Blanc for several reasons:

It’s on almost every “World’s Best Hikes” list that I found in a Google search

It’s considered one of the finest, if not the finest long distance hike in all of Europe (depending on your source)

The route goes through France, Italy and Switzerland, so you know there will be great food along the way

I knew that it would be a challenge

And that last point is the crux of it all. Why do a long distance hike now? Af ter years of hiking, why have Isuddenly become f ixated on complet ing a long distance t rek?

I’m not usually overly revealing

The Tour du Mont B lanc route

I’m not usually overly revealingon this blog (although J.P. whois much more private than I amwould disagree), but here’sanother secret: I’m not in agreat place at the moment. Ihave some medical andpersonal challenges going onthat have been extremelyfrustrating. I don’t want toreveal more than that for themoment, but lets just say thatI’m a take charge kind of gal,the type of person who makeslemonade when life gives youlemons, except for lately, Ihaven’t been turning the lemonsinto lemonade. They’ve juststayed lemons.

This is where the long distancehike comes in. Hiking is mysolution for pretty mucheverything in life. If I have aproblem to solve, I go to themountains. If I feel frustrated, Ireturn from the mountainsfeeling less frustrated. If I’mhappy and want to celebrate, Ican think of no better place todo so from the mountains. Onalmost every hard hike I’vedone, there will come a point,where I’m taking two steps back for every step forward on a seemingly endless pile of scree. I want to give up. Iquestion whether I can really make it. I want to quit. But I don’t. And the reward for not quitting, besides the mountain topviews is the feeling of empowerment. That you can anything. The feeling of knowing you did something you didn’t thinkyou could do. That feeling doesn’t just last on the mountain top, it carries over into other parts of your life. Insolvableproblem at work? Remember what you did on the mountain – kept moving forward, no matter how slowly.

So this is why I have the sudden urge to do the Tour du Mont Blanc: I’m in need of more EMPOWERMENT. To make some of the frustrations I’m experiencing, a little less frustrating. I am seeking that empowerment that will comefrom day after day of wanting to give up, from not wanting to continue because I know it will come and it will flow intoother areas of my life and give me strength to achieve my goals.

J.P. was less excited when I originally proposed the idea. His initial bewildered response was How is getting up earlierthan I normally do and hiking 8 hours a day a holiday? I overcome his objection with Why don’t we buy a GPS honey? You’ve always wanted one. Seriously, boys and their toys! Problem solved, with the additional promise that for threedays after the trip I will let him sleep as late as he wants and be as lazy as wants. I’ve also been gaining inspirationfrom Leigh’s posts on the TMB, like The Best of the Tour du Mont Blanc, one and from Heather’s Day 1 on the Tour duMont Blanc. Check them out. They will inspire you!

Tour du Mont B lanc photo cour tes y o f J R Gui l laum in on Fl ickr .

Due to the uncertainty of when I would be having surgery, we ended up booking late, meaning that most of the privaterooms in the refuges (mountain huts) were already booked. As a result, we’re spending most nights in shareddormitories. I’m not surprised, the trekking season is a short one, but I’m not at all excited about the prospect either. Icompare staying in communal hut rooms to staying in a hostel and my hostel days are long over. But it is a small priceto pay for having the opportunity to do the TMB. I’m beyond grateful that we’re staying at the Hôtel Les Aiglons, Resort &Spa in Chamonix the day before we depart. It’s a four star harmonious mountain resort at the foot of Midi Summit. It willbe the perfect way to set the scene and get in some last-minute relaxation at their renowned mountain spa, before our160km trek begins. We finish our trek in Chamonix and will be staying at the contemporary Boutique Hôtel Le Morgane.We plan to work out all our aches and pains there in the Deep Nature Spa. Knowing this is waiting for me will get methrough the tough parts of our hike.

So can I really do? Can I really complete the Tour du Mont Blanc in 8 days? Will I make it? Despite my recentnegativity, there is no doubt in my mind – OK there’s a little, but not much. I know it will be hard at times. I know I will wantto quit. Heck, there may even be tears (OK likely), but I also know that I will make it. The reward that awaits is too greatnot to. But just as a little extra insurance, I’ve published this post as a further incentive – pride.

Wish me luck! I’m going to need it!