Taking on the Tour du Mont Blanc

Like tens of thousands of others who take on the challenge each year, I’ve finally decided to attempt Europe’s premier- perhaps its most popular – mountain hike, the Tour du Mont Blanc.

A circuit of Western Europe’s highest mountain, the route involves around 10,000 metres of ascent and descent, in my case, over a period of 11 days. I know some intrepid types choose to run it over just a few days and nights in an annual Ultra Challenge. Good luck to them, I say, but no, I won’t be joining you. My way will be hard enough!

Compared to the six week Alpe Adria Trail tour I took on in 2022, this will be shorter, but more intense. I’m hoping that by September, when I will be walking, this year’s record breaking heatwaves will be over and it won’t be quite as hot as those memorable days in Austria, Slovenia and Italy in July and August 2022.

My route this time starts and ends in Les Houches, in the French Alps, and travels anti-clockwise through Italy and Switzerland, before returning to France. I’ll be staying in hotels for the most part, generally taking the main route options, easier alternatives and a few shortcuts, like chair lifts and buses when it makes sense to do so. And getting my overnight baggage driven on each day by others.

I’m looking forward to some incredible scenery, experiences to remember, meeting fellow hikers, and the sense of achievement it will, I hope, bring.

Certainly there will be low points- maybe exhaustion, self doubt, injury and bad weather amongst them.But if I let that deter me, I’d never do anything. It’s the unique, the incredible, the awe, that I’ll remember most, I hope.

So here’s to putting one foot in front of another, and see you in September. In the meantime, there’s a bit of time to get myself into shape for the adventure ahead.