Getting Out of My Own Way
But I found myself stuck. Avoiding it. Pouring over trip pictures looking for inspiration but I just couldn't do it. Something always got in the way.
Weeks have passed and then it dawned on me. It was me. I was in the way.
I truly didn't want the "trip" to end. Putting it down on paper and cementing the journey with pictures, stories and memories brings to a close one of the most amazing journeys I have experienced in my lifetime.
It's one of those instances that changes a person. It tugs at your emotional core. The only equivalent experience I can equate it to is doing Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim and being at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. It's only in these places where you truly feel small and insignificant yet full of destiny, purpose and strength.
I realize this is all very sentimental but it's hard to imagine a more amazing experience with a better group of people. We joked that we don't even travel this well with our own family 😂 And yes, I'd do it again in a heartbeat...
The TMB Journey
So here's what you can expect - a single blog post simply cannot do our 6 days on the trail justice so I decided to write a post for each day. This central post will serve as the summary for the trip but each day will be connected so you can follow along with our journey.
As time allows, I also want to share the pre-and-post-trip shenanigans...because that shit was awesome. Group A went through Paris. Group B went through London and Group C <ahem> "Solo Shane" went through Canada, egh?
TMB Basics
For the uninitiated, the Trail du Mont Blanc is the primary trail that travels around the Mont Blanc massif (mountain range). It is generally accepted to be approximately 103-113 miles while ascending AND descending nearly 35,000 feet each way. It traverses through France, Switzerland and Italy. Numerous towns along the way are at 3,200 feet while the highest point is nearly 8,800 feet. It is not uncommon for hikers to complete the trail in 10-15 days...which is why our group decided to do it in 6 (more on this later) 🤯
For the benefit of the geographically ignorant (like myself), I'll use the names of our refuge (rustic lodges) as the basis for our itinerary. The end of our days were typically located outside any habitable town (a region) so referencing cities/towns is often meaningless.
Our 6-day journey looked like this:
Day 1: Chamonix, France -> Auberge du Mont-Blanc (Switzerland)
Day 2: Auberge du Mont-Blanc --> Gite Alpage de La Peule (Switzerland)
Day 3: Gite Alpage de La Peule --> Gite le Randonneur du Mont Blanc (Italy)
Day 4: Gite le Randonneur du Mont Blanc --> Refuge del la Croix du Bonhomme (France)
Day 5: Refuge del la Croix du Bonhomme --> Auberge de Bionnassay (France)
Hiking 101
Hiking the TMB over multiple days requires a commitment to not only the miles but to your pack, gear and the smell you'll give off at the end of your journey. A trip like this forces you to consider what pieces of equipment are necessary and which are nice-to-haves. For example, multiple changes of hiking clothes are unnecessary weight when you have the opportunity to wash them along the way. Extra shoes? Nope. Extra socks? Yep. It's all about managing the weight of your pack and being comfortable with being UNcomfortable.
Our lodges provided the basics - a bed, sometimes a (paid) shower, dinner, breakfast and beer. Anything else we had to bring...or recycle day over day. While we did not have an official weigh-in of our packs, the average weight (excluding Lance...lol) was around 18-20 pounds, minus water weight.
The Truth About TMB
It also needs to be said that unlike some of the multi-day trails in the US, the TMB is one of those trails/adventures where 'success' is loosely defined. There are 'variants' or offshoots of the main trail that allow you to see alpine lakes, glaciers or suspension bridges but still stay true to 'completing' the TMB.
We learned that there is no wrong way to make your way through the miles and everyone's journey is different. I started the hike with this grand vision of staying pure to the route but in the end, we made daily decisions regarding our route that would deviate from the original plan...I had some angst about this for about 30 seconds but soon realized that being flexible would be the only way we'd make it through the 6 days.
It turns out that every decision we made was the right one.
It afforded us the time to wash our clothes. Grab an espresso or a croissant. Take a cold €2 shower. Sample all the beers and/or locally made fresh cheese. It all worked out...and for that I'm eternally thankful to this group of guys who banded together to make it the best trip possible.
Enjoy and I hope you make it to the TMB one of these days for your own adventure!
START READING --> Day 1: Chamonix, France -> Auberge du Mont-Blanc (Switzerland)
No comments:
Post a Comment