I am an avid hiker of 66 years, a mother of 3 successful adults, a wife of a patient man who tolerates and flourishes in my hiking pursuits, and a retired reading specialist. I have always sought after outdoor exploits or activities, but as I got older and my children moved on to explore their own adventures, my passion for the outdoors intensified. I find peace, solitude, challenge, and greatness in being in the woods, mountains, water, and even in flight.

Get Your FREE Tour du Mont Blanc Essentials Guide

---

Sign-up to get your FREE TMB Essentials guide below. Find intel on when to hike, basics about the trail, and a printable packing list

Send my Guide!

Loading…

Thank you!

Your TMB Essentials Guide is on it’s way!

After the kids were on their own, my husband and I took on the challenge of the 48 4,000 footers in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, which kick started my desire to backpack. Short trips led me to longer ones. I found my place in the  backpacking world: completed the John Muir Trail, The Long Trail, and the Collegiate Loop in Colorado. The more I hiked, the more I searched for the next route to add to my list. This list began many years ago, but as a distant, ‘when I’m old’, idea.

As retirement approached and age creeped up on me, this list was put into action. My husband is not fond of backpacking, but we discovered a compromise when we learned of hut-to-hut hiking while in Switzerland. Our first hut-to-hut trip was in the Dolomites of Italy (Alta Via 1). We had found our ‘backpacking’ compromise: hike all day, surround ourselves with beauty and natural inspiration, eat well, get clean, and sleep in a bed. Repeat. While in Italy, a fellow hiker mentioned the TMB, which fit all our requirements, so the planning began.

Trip Planning

I spent the fall researching the trip, often referring to TMBtent’s website. It was a great starting point and had a plethora of information. I immediately ordered Kingsley Jones’ Tour Du Mont Blanc book and map. I joined Facebook’s Tour du Mont Blanc group, searched every travel site I could find, and formulated our route on the TMB for September 2024.

Planning distances, paces, and refuge reservations was time consuming and difficult, but I enjoyed the puzzle and challenge. I had a pretty good idea of our pace and daily mileage based on all the hikes we have done together. Our daily mileage was between 8 and 12, depending on the elevation gain and loss.

We wanted to have private rooms as much as possible, but that is difficult in the refuges. We like the mountain setting of the refuges, but added a few hotels when we were in the towns. That was a nice break: private rooms, and being able to spread out. We did not incorporate any days off, which we did not regret.

The only public transportation we planned was the Bellevue Lift at the start, which we felt worked well for us. We wanted to experience the traditional route with one variant (Variant 2). We carried what we needed on our backs, though many people we met had luggage transferred. I would not have changed that. We packed lightly and were able to rinse things often enough. Lots of planning, AND lots of spontaneous changes as the hike progressed.

Relax and enjoy!

Preparing for the Trail

Planning is great, but getting the body ready was critical for a more comfortable hike. Living in New Hampshire, fitness training in the winter is always a challenge. Not being a huge fan of gyms, etc, we kept moderately active. Walking, Peloton rides, pool swims, TMBtent’s exercise routine, skiing, and random workouts kept us going. Since our trip was in September, we knew we had the summer to concentrate on getting conditioned for multi-day hiking. We hiked in Rocky Mountain National Park for 5 consecutive days (amazing) and I backpacked in California for a week. It really helped that we got our bodies used to hiking back-to-back days and longer hikes. That being said…

Age consideration, unfortunately came into play here. Though I am resistant to admit it, my body is no longer as capable as it used to be, especially when it comes to pushing it to a more aggressive level. Both of us have had our surgeries and uncooperative body parts, so we had to pay careful attention to that fine balance of training to prepare for a hike and injuring our not-as-resilient bodies. I think that is one of the hardest struggles that I have in preparing for hiking trips.

Too many miles and my knee needs resting for a few days, I’m more tired, and everything creaks when trying to get out of the chair. So, balance and two-way communication with my body helps. My personal theory is that I need the mountains to balance and heal me. There is a magic in the grandness and expansiveness in these larger mountains. Being surrounded by their magic is healing and inspiring, though my husband’s comment is that it is also what literally breaks me.

That risk and sacrifice is worth it to me, though I’m not sure it is a sane approach. I did end up injuring myself near the end of the route, but I continued on, and do not regret it one bit, even as I await my MRI appointment. 

The Trip

A note about planning: it’s great. Be prepared, know your exits and alternative routes, buses, town options, but never underestimate Mother Nature, and be ok with that. Bring good rain gear and warm layers, even when it’s supposed to be warm. Our 11 days were incredible, but not due to the bright sunny days with endless visibility.

In fact, there were very few of those moments, which made them all the more spectacular. We were disappointed at first, but then we learned to embrace the extremes. Day 1 ended in rain, to be continued on day 2 and so on. We were wet and cold, and curious about these grand peaks that remained hidden, until they didn’t.

Always look around, even when you struggle to see the trail ahead due to low clouds. One of our early days we trudged uphill over one of the cols (which seemed endless), but when I stopped to look behind at my husband I was in awe at the closeness of the mass of rock which revealed itself in a hole in the clouds. It loomed above us, a solitary peak tempting us onward to even greater surprises. 

Our plan was to complete the circuit in full over 11 days: no breaks and no public transport, starting and ending in Les Houches. We wanted to do most of the ridges to experience the views in full, but we had to make some changes. We were looking forward to Variant 2, but the weather was cold and rainy, hence not worth the risk, so we hiked to Les Chapieux where we picked up the bus to La Ville des Glaciers. Another big change was near the end. Day 9 was from Trient to Montroc (wish we had stayed in Argentiere-very quaint), but the weather was supposed to be wet and cold. We would decide which way to go (high or low route) when we hit Col de Balme. After a snack of hot chocolate and huckleberry pie, we decided to venture over the Col des Posettes and the ridge, despite the weather. It was snowing and spectacular, though on the way down I tweaked my knee, so the hobble down was a bit grueling.

We were supposed to hike the ladders the next day, but passed due to weather and my knee.

Disappointed? Yes, but it happens, so on to Chamonix and the spa.

Our last day was predicted to be clear and warmer: the first opportunity of our trip to get full-on views of Mont Blanc.

How could we come this far without that view?

We took the train to the Flegere Cable car and hiked to Lac Blanc. We thought we could take the Index Chair to get higher, but it was closed due to wind. Oops. But we ventured upward, over the snow and ice, but with a full view of the endless ranges of peaks. On our way down it warmed up and we had a wonderful picnic of bread, cheese, and chocolate, topped off with wild huckleberries.

The expansive view was difficult to leave. It was the best alternate plan ever. 

Yes, overall the sleet was harsh, the rain was drenching, the cols were far away, the snow was daunting, the mud was slick, and the river crossings sketchy, but that was just the mountains having their fun. Despite these ‘gifts’ of Nature, our spirits remained high as the sheep and goats were herded masterfully by the dogs, the cows played their bells in tune, the intermittent views surprised us, the low-lying clouds drifted past in silence, and the mountains whispered their songs of wonder. We have hiked in spectacular places, but this was perhaps the most stunning (so far), but also most difficult on certain days. No regrets.

The mysteries and magnificence of this area were accented by the kindness and camaraderie of strangers. People we met on day 1 would appear at a cafe as we searched for a quaint bite to eat, or lo and behold a couple from an earlier day would be sharing our bunkroom. These chance meetings added a special touch to this trip. Many who we met were in their 60’s and beyond. Most chose to have their luggage transported and itinerary set by an organization, such as TMBtent.

How to experience the TMB is a personal decision, and we found people choosing all sorts of alternatives as they hiked the trail: a day off, a bus to the next night’s stay, or a shortened day due to weather. We were happy with the decisions we made, because they were right for us. It really was the journey from the start that made the difference: not just the walk, but the interactions, insights, understanding of self and how to transform the  struggles to positive experiences, and a deep gratitude for being where we were in time and place. 

Getting older can be freeing and full of adventure. It doesn’t have to be a curse. It is really how one approaches the journey. I may be 66 and aging, but I feel more youthful and adventurous than I did when I was young and wrought with responsibilities. These experiences keep me spirited and appreciative of what I have, though it becomes a bit addictive and our children think we’re losing our grip on reality. So be it, or rather, c’est la vie!