The Tour du Mont Blanc, affectionately
known to its devotees as the TMB, is one of the world's classic long-distance footpaths.
It was a capstone event on our itinerary that provided us with a pinnacle adventure
to anticipate and there is no doubt that the TMB will endure as one of the
highlights of our year. Experiencing the alpine wilderness and being in the
presence of the dramatic ice-capped peaks was the sugary icing on our
sabbatical year cake.
The numbers: In seven days we hiked 75
miles around Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps at 15,770 feet, survived elevation
gains and losses of over 36,000 feet, crossed through three countries with six
companions and completed one magnificent hike. The circular path took us from
village to village, ascending through flower-filled meadows and then up
precipitously to barren mountain passes. It wound its way through vertiginous scree-strewn
elevations and then descended through quaint hamlets into green valleys overlooked
by gigantic glaciers in France, Italy and Switzerland. The trail begins in the
Chamonix Valley and then traces its way through its international neighbors -- the
Val Ferret in Italy and the Trient Valley in Switzerland. The views are spectacular,
the effort substantial and the flora and fauna unforgettable.
The complete 105-mile TMB requires a
commitment of 10 days.
We undertook a slightly abbreviated version of the
full-length hike with the “less-interesting legs,” which follow paved roads, traveled
in comfortable shuttles into which we collapsed after reaching the trail’s waypoints.
Weather
conditions around Mont Blanc can shift in a matter of minutes from punishing
sun to wet snow and whipping winds, even in the middle of summer. It was for these very reasons – the fickle Alpine
weather and the sheer force of nature -- that we opted for a guided TMB
excursion with Boundless Journeys, an adventure outfitter based in Stowe,
Vermont. They
provide the food, make all necessary arrangements and reserve accommodations so
that all hikers have to worry about is being properly equipped, putting one
foot in front of the other and marveling at the breathtaking scenery. The Boundless Journeys
itinerary starts high above the village of Les Houches, just down the road and
west of Chamonix, and zigzags counterclockwise through France and a sharp
ascent to the Col de la Croix-du-Bonhomme until Italy comes into view at the
next pass, the Col de la Seigne. The circuit then follows the Vallon de la Lée Blanche flats until
it reaches the fashionable ski town of Courmayeur before rising in
Switzerland's Val Ferret and over the pass. After long stretches of lofty
snowfields, the trail descends sharply and then climbs back up to the lake
resort of Champex. Subsequent inclines and declines get closer together until the
route passes through the Col de la Forclaz and then the Col du Balme for the
final descent back into France and down to Chamonix. A support van picks up
your bags every morning, except for daypacks stuffed with lunch, daily
provisions and extra layers of clothing, and meets you each evening at that
day’s destination.
Our formal TMB program was inaugurated at L’Oustalet, our comfortably
rustic Chamonix inn, with drinks on the lawn. Our tall, handsome guide and quintessential
outdoorsman, Eric, met us with the understated enthusiasm we would come to
expect from him. As our fellow hikers materialized one by one, we sized each
other up to see where we fell on the relative fitness scale. I have to admit
that in the days leading up to the excursion, I was somewhat anxious. Will our
companions for a week of intense trekking be older or younger than us? Will they
be less or more in shape? Will we see their hard-body physiques and realize
we’re in over our hiking heads? As it turned out, our abilities, while not
identical, were definitely compatible and somewhat more importantly, our senses
of humor were in synch. The fuzzy silhouettes of yet-unknown fellow hikers we’d imagined had now
materialized as real people: a 20-something Australian couple who work for the police department
in Canberra, a research librarian from New York City who works for the NY Post
and her real estate entrepreneur husband, a financial planning attorney from
Pawtucket, Rhode Island and our fantastic French guide, a native of Chamonix. It looked like the weeklong adventure ahead was not
only going to be physical but sociable as well with an affable ensemble of
eight.
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