Hike the Tour du Mont Blanc Circuit

Considered by many to be the most beautiful hike in western Europe (and some would argue the WORLD!), this epic hike takes you through three countries:  France, Italy and Switzerland on a magnificent roughly 110 miles (175km).  You’ll walk through alpine meadows, historic villages and forests all while gazing at the stunning granite peaks of the European Alps of the Mont Blanc Massif (mountain range)!

One night you can splurge on a gourmet French meal and after your next day’s hike, be relishing a fabulous pasta or pizza dish in Italy!  You’ll cross borders, encounter multiple languages (mostly French and Italian, and some German), and experience multiple cultures, food and customs.

The (red) podcast player below features my own 12 day adventure tour with Active Adventures (this is one of their signature tours). You can also listen to Linda describe her adventure in the second player.  On these shows and below, you will learn about the trail, the people, the outstanding food, and what special things to pack and how to prepare.

You’ll come away with a good idea of whether adding the Tour du Mont Blanc to your adventure travel bucket list (and the answer is ‘YES’!!!).  Note that Active Adventures is one of my affiliates and they offer my podcast listeners a $100 discount off of any of the amazing tours.

Email me for the current Active Adventures promo code.

Here’s another interview about the Mont Blanc tour with Linda, the gal who introduced me to it:

Get your FREE Mont Blanc Travel Planner HERE

What You’ll See on the Tour du Mont Blanc Circuit Hike

For most of the trail, you’ll see the towering and majestic Mont Blanc peak itself.  It’s covered in a beautiful glacier.  Much of the time, you are above treeline, so you get panoramic views of all of the surrounding alps – just spectacular!

Lower down, you trek through fir and other hardwood forests to charming mountain villages.  My favorite village was Coermayeur in Italy (a great town for a rest day!).  I went during early August and was delightfully surprised by the abundant wildflowers that covered all the meadows once we passed treeline!!!

Much of the trail is surrounded by pasture land, so you’ll be enchanted by the sheep and cows, which always bring a smile.

There are some glacial streams to cross, but nothing technical or too difficult.  Small bridges cross any more challenging streams.  Be sure to take advantage of the creeks to soak your feet!!!

What is the Mont Blanc Trail Terrain Like – What Shoes to Wear

Most of the trail is basic dirt path mixed with rocks.  However, there are some sections that are just mountain rubble, typical of former glacier retreat areas.  So I would recommend wearing hiking shoes or boots with ankle support.  You could wear trail runners, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless your ankles are super strong.  Pro Tip:  Stick a compression sock in your day pack to put on if you twist your ankle.  It’ll hold off much of the swelling until you make it to civilization.

WARNING:  Avoid the Mont Blanc RACE in August!

Before you make your arrangements, be sure to find out when the annual Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc race is (usually late August).  The trail is already quite popular, so you don’t want to be out there when people are also racing on it!

Mountain Biking Tour du Mont Blanc

Some crazy people DO mountain bike the Mont Blanc Circuit trail.  There are places they have to carry the bike.  This does not look like a fun way to do the circuit, IMO.  I understand the Swiss section is easier for bikers, and that’s where we saw the most bikers.  Bikers aren’t always courteous about announcing a pass, unfortunately.

Get your FREE Mont Blanc Travel Planner HERE

History along the Mont Blanc Trail : World War II Bunkers

In both world wars, there was quite a bit of fighting in this region.  So occasionally, you will come across ruins or old bunkers left behind during World War II.

It’s difficult to imagine fighting in such challenging terrain, and that there was so much bloodshed surrounded by such beauty!

We had lunch by the bunkers pictured (they are no longer safe to go inside).

PRO TIP:  Credit and Debit cards (with chip!) can be used for everything, including local bus transportation.  You will only need cash for Refugios and any guide tips.  Euros were usually accepted in Switzerland, although you’ll likely get Swiss francs as change.  France and Italy are in the EU and use euros.

Best Time to Hike the Mont Blanc Circuit Trail

The best time to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc trail is from mid-June through mid-September (avoiding the August race week!!!).  Most of the snow will be melted and you’ll have the best chance of avoiding the cold and possible snow.  Remember:  in the mountains ALWAYS be prepared for four seasons!

I loved going in early August as I got to see so many wildflowers.  But the trail will also be busier in August, not just because of the flowers, but because so many Europeans take their vacation in August.  I mostly heard French and Italian along the trail (English is widely spoken, so don’t let lack of language skills intimidate you).

Get your FREE Mont Blanc Travel Planner HERE

Who Can Hike the Mont Blanc Circuit

I was close to 64 when I hiked Mont Blanc, and there was a gal close to 70 in my small group.  BUT, we had to train in order to be able to do it.  So my answer is, you can, IF you train your body.  More about training further down.  The company I choose for guided hiking tours is Active Adventures, and on the six tours I’ve done with them, mostly they attract fit folks over 50 (email me for a discount code).

There are two particularly tough days, with massive ascents (and one day with a massive descent).  The trail isn’t overly steep, but you climb around 4000′ in ten miles.  Fortunately, there are a lot of switchbacks, and of course, you can stop to take a break whenever you need to.  On my Active tour, we regularly stopped to enjoy a particularly scenic view, or at one of the mountain huts to replenish our water.

Straddle Two Countries at once!  France + Italy, then Italy + Switzerland, and then back into France

How Hard is Mont Blanc?

This is a difficult hike (ATA rating of 4-5) but IT IS DOABLE if you are in shape and you train (see my training schedule below)!  This is not a hike to ‘learn on the job’.  No technical skills are required, but there are some steep ascents and descents (bring your poles!!!).  Also, like most mountains, even in the summer, you need to always be prepared for extreme weather conditions and sudden changes.

Is Altitude an Issue on Mont Blanc Circuit

For most people trekking the Mont Blanc Circuit, altitude should not present a problem.  You are not climbing Mont Blanc, which is over 12,000′, but rather walking at lower elevations AROUND Mont Blanc.  At it highest point on the circuit trail, you are at 8743’/2665m at the Col des Fours in France and the Fenêtre d’Arpette in Switzerland.  I would guess that most times you are between 4-6000′ altitude.

Is Hiking Mont Blanc Expensive?

One great thing about this trip is that you can tailor it to both your time AND budget!  You can do it on the cheap by backpacking or camping, you can stay in the mountain huts, or upgrade to pensions and hotels (some legs you will need to use the hut or skip ahead).  If you go with a guided tour like we all did with my affiliate Active Adventures–they make all the arrangements for you (and don’t forget to email me to get the $100 discount!).

Download all the details you need to plan your Mont Blanc adventure HERE – you’ll get access to ALL of the travel planners and also get the once a month newsletter (no spam promise – unsubscribe anytime).

Where to Start Your Mont Blanc Circuit Hike

Most people start at Les Houches, near Chamonix, but many also begin at Les Contamines in France, Courmayeur in Italy, or near Martigny in Switzerland.

Tradition has it that you hike counterclockwise, but of course, you can hike your own hike.

How to Get to Chamonix

If you are flying, the cheapest way is to fly to Geneva, Switzerland and then take a bus (1.5 hours) from there.  I like FlixBus (download the app or book online), or wait until you arrive and book at the desk (more expensive).  How to Get Cheap Flights

I generally find the cheapest flight to Europe and then take a budget airline from there.  If you are already in Europe, you can also take a bus or train to Chamonix.  I like the app Omio to help me figure it out.

Special Things to Pack for Mont Blanc Circuit Trail

I generally pack the same things anytime I go into the mountain (get access to my complete packing guide for daypacks and back packs HERE), there are a few items that I would pack specifically for the Mont Blanc trail:

• Non-slip UV Sun Gloves with no tips : You are above treeline most of the time, so protect your hands.  They weigh nothing and I was delighted I packed them!
• Mini Travel Coffee Maker : Hotels don’t serve breakfast very early in Europe, so you usually won’t have much time for coffee.  Pack a small one so you can have your fill before your quick breakfast.
• Travel Clothes Line : You are on the move each day, so in addition to only packing quick dry performance clothes, pack this mini clothes line with ‘pins’ that weighs just 1.3 ounces and fits in the palm of your hand.
• Sleeping Bag Liner (as a sheet) : Whenever I go to Europe, I pack my lightweight silk sleeping bag liner.  Why?  Because most hotels use duvets on the beds with no top sheet and it’s too hot for me.  Plus, most hotels DON’T have air conditioning.  If you are very sensitive to heat at night, also consider:
• Portable Travel Fan : If you can’t sleep when it’s hot, check the forecast before you go.  You may want to pack a fan!

Get your FREE Mont Blanc Travel Planner HERE

What Other Fun Adventures Can You Do near Mont Blanc

My Active Adventures 12 Day Mont Blanc Tour included guided sea kayaking on Lake Annecy and then spending some free time in delightful and historical old town Annecy.

We also had the opportunity to go mountain biking in Chamonix on our last full day, which was also a total blast!  No experience needed, as it wasn’t technical, but I needed to remind myself of the mantra I learned in Moab on a montain biking class to “Trust the Bike – Trust the Bike – Trust the Bike” on a downhill section.  It was thrilling!

EMAIL ME to get a discount promo code for Active Adventures.

White Water Rafting on our Free Day in Coermayeur

And unexpected highlight and delight was taking a two hour white water rafting trip with Totem Adventure, the only outfitter allowed to run a particularly technical stretch of the river.

All I knew was that Robyn, a fellow travel mate, signed me up to join her family for a two hour Class II and IV run.  Two hours sounds like a short run, but the first 2/3 of the seven miles is CONSTANT RAPIDS!!!  Ivan, our guide ( and it takes four YEARS to train for this section!) was constantly barking orders to “Paddle Forward – Get Down – Get in Position – Paddle Back – Get Down” etc, that more than two hours would’ve been exhausting!  It was SUCH A BLAST!!!

Take the Gondolas from Chamonix to See the Glacier from Above

Make sure you take the time to go up the Aiguille du Midi cable car to see the glacier from the many platforms above!!!  A definite highlight (included with my Active Adventures tour).  You will be so close to Mont Blanc’s summit and can look down below at the hikers and climbers doing their thing.  

We got to see some climbers just finishing up (they actually climb up the side of the platform) – some use the cable car to get mostly up the mountain so they just climb the hard part on the glacier.  We also saw many people jumping over crevaces (plus a rockslide) all from the safety of the platform! EPIC VIEWS!!!

Take the train to Montenvers and to Go INSIDE the glacier!

Another super cool thing we did was take a super steep train up to Montenvers for a nice hike and then took a gondola to see Mer de Glace’s Grotto de Glace (Ice Cave), where we actually got to walk INSIDE the glacier!!!

EMAIL ME to get a discount promo code for Active Adventures or One Foot Abroad.

For my adventure, I used my affiliate Active Adventures for her trip. Unlike traditional hiking tour companies, Active Adventures always adds a little twist to make it multi-sport. You’ll often have the opportunity to kayak or cycle, or do other cool things as well as predominantly hiking. They make all the arrangements for you, so all you have to do is train and show up!

Be sure to let Active Adventures know that Active Travel Adventures sent you (I know the company names sound similar, but we are two different companies).   Don’t forget to get your ATA discount code to save $100 on any of their tours.  EMAIL ME to get your Active Adventures Promo Code.

Please use my links!  At no additional cost to you (in fact you actually save when you use my exclusive promo codes), you’ll be helping to support the program and to help keep it ad free – thanks!  Kit

Typical Mont Blanc Circuit Itinerary

You can use this table to get an idea of how much daily ascent and descent you can expect, how hard each day will be and about how long you will be hiking each day.  This is a very challenging adventure and you must train for it, both for your own safety and enjoyment, and so you can keep up with your chosen tour group.  Here’s a link to my Training For Adventure Travel that can help.

Remember that you have ALL DAY to do it!  You can do this!!!  I’ve rounded up the daily time averages.  To use this chart, for example, Leg 1:  Les Houches, you would have all day to hike ten miles (16 km), and during the course of the day, you will be climbing a total of  2120′ up (646 meters), and descending over the day 2075′ (633 meters ).  So of the 16 km (= 16000 meters) you are hiking that day, 646m + 633m = 1279m (1.3 km) of ascent or descent, which means about 8% of the hike you will be going up or down, and the rest of the time won’t be killer.  This does not tell you if you have sharp ascents or descents.  That’s where your guide book comes in handy.  The hours listed above can give you an idea, too. Note that the Active Adventures tour I took skips one somewhat technical area and also some of the valley villages – see their website.

Interesting Fact:  The trail signage ashows times to intersections, not distances!  I’m not sure they were particularly accurate.  There are many trails up there, so while the trails are well marked, you have to know the name of the next intersection so you know which way to turn.  Use GPS, too, plus a map to be safe.

Here’s how I would train to hike the Mont Blanc circuit:

Ideally at least three months in advance (but really make sure that it’s at least two months), start taking walks or hikes with your pack two times per week for 30-60 minutes, and then on one day each week, hike 2-3 hours with your pack.  If you live where it’s flat like I do, you may need to do the short hikes on a treadmill on the incline and then find some hills for your longer hikes (or do more boring treadmills).

Get more details on TRAINING for Adventure Travel HERE.

In addition, your body, especially your shoulders and feet, need to get used to carrying weight.  BUT DON’T ADD A LOT OF WEIGHT AT ONE TIME!!!  Ease into it.  Collect water bottles (I prefer the thicker walled juice containers with heavy caps because they are less likely to leak).  Fill the bottles with water.

I use a heavy duty trash compacter bag as a liner in my pack.  Put several of the filled water bottles to add some weight to your pack.  You may need to cushion them with a towel so they don’t poke you in the back.

Put the pack on and load with enough water bottles so that you FEEL the weight, but it doesn’t feel very heavy.  This is your start weight.  Then each week add no more than 10% more weight.  The goal is to build up and get used to carrying more weight than you’ll be carrying on the actual adventure so that when you are actually hiking the trail, your pack feels light.  This helps to compensate for not practicing with much elevation.

For example, if I find that my pack is going to weight about 20 pounds  (see my day pack packing guide), and I start feeling the weight at 15 pounds, here’s what my training weight might look like:

DO NOT increase your weight more than 10% per week so your body can adapt easier.

Other Training Tips

In addition to making sure that my day pack felt light for my hike using the training schedule above, I also did the following each week during the last two months before my hike.  I trained moderately for four months total, trying to get in at least one long 8+ mile hike per week for months 3-4.  

When I was 9 weeks away, I started doing the following each week, finishing training seven days before the start of my tour, to let my body recover.  I’m pleased to report that I crushed it and was as fit as I have been in a decade thanks to the training for my Mont Blanc tour!!!

• Hike:  One long 8+ mile hike (wear training pack)
• Hike: One shorter hike of at least 1.5 hours – try to do some of these two days in a row – (wear training pack)
• Yuks:  20 squats and lunges 2 x per week – I could usually fit these in while reheating things in the microwave, same with the balance exercises below)
• Balance exercise: Stand on one leg and tap the heel of your other on the step below repeat 12 x/leg
• Balance exercise: Stand on one leg and hold other knee up and in front and then swing back to a straighened leg ‘tee’ (like ice skaters do)
• Interval Training (I hated this, but it only takes 30 minutes (only 8 minutes awful), so would get it out of the way on Mondays):  Warm up walk five minutes.  Set timer for five minutes and RUN as hard as you can for two minutes, walk the rest of the time (3 minutes)  Repeat four times and walk five minutes to cool down.
• Stairs:  I found outdoor stairs (20 steps up):  Add a lap per week of each until you are doing 15 laps of all three:
  • Go down the steps one step and a time, but up the stairs two steps at a time
  • Go down SIDEWAYS, both sides
    • • These stair exercises help lengthen your muscles for irregular trail

PODCAST: Mont Blanc Trek: Hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc in the Alps

LISTEN TO THE ENTIRE PODCAST HERE

Thinking about hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc? In this podcast episode of Active Travel Adventures, Kit Parks shares her firsthand experience trekking one of the most iconic long-distance hikes in the world.

This 110-mile (175 km) circuit circles Mont Blanc—the highest mountain in Western Europe—crossing through France, Italy, and Switzerland with breathtaking alpine scenery every step of the way.

If you’re considering a Mont Blanc hiking tour, this episode covers everything you need to know—from training and logistics to what the trail is really like.

🌍 What is the Tour du Mont Blanc?

The Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) is one of the world’s most famous multi-day treks:

• Distance: ~110 miles (175 km)
• Countries: France, Italy, Switzerland
• Elevation: Typically 5,000–7,000 ft on the trail
• Difficulty: 4 out of 5 (challenging but doable with training)

You’ll experience:

• Glacier views
• Alpine meadows filled with wildflowers
• Mountain huts and charming villages
• Panoramic views of Mont Blanc

🥾 Highlights from This Adventure

• Hiking across three countries in one trip
• Stunning glacier views from Chamonix
• Exploring inside an ice glacier tunnel
• Wildflower-covered alpine landscapes
• Crossing mountain passes and ridgelines
• Visiting traditional villages like Courmayeur
• Seeing Mont Blanc from multiple angles

💪 How Hard is the Mont Blanc Trek?

The Tour du Mont Blanc is considered moderately to highly challenging.

• Long hiking days (8–10+ miles)
• Significant elevation gain (up to 4,000 ft/day)
• Multiple consecutive hiking days

Key takeaway:
👉 Training makes all the difference

With proper preparation, this trek becomes enjoyable instead of exhausting.

🧳 Training Tips for Mont Blanc

• Train for at least 2–4 months
• Practice hiking with elevation gain
• Break in your hiking boots well in advance
• Build endurance for back-to-back hiking days

🚐 Guided Tour vs Self-Guided

Kit completed this trek with a small group guided tour, which included:

• Luggage transfers between hotels
• Experienced hiking guides
• Pre-planned routes and logistics
• Meals and accommodations

Benefits:

• No navigation stress
• Safer and more efficient
• Access to hidden spots and local experiences

🚣 Unique Experiences on This Tour

This wasn’t just hiking—this was a full multi-activity adventure:

• Kayaking on alpine lakes
• Whitewater rafting (Class III–IV rapids)
• Optional mountain biking
• Scenic gondola ride with glacier views

🍽️ Food & Accommodations

Expect incredible cuisine throughout:

• French and Italian meals
• Fresh local ingredients
• Multi-course dinners
• Mountain huts and boutique inns

Bonus: You’ll burn enough calories to enjoy it all guilt-free

💡 Practical Tips for the Mont Blanc Trek

Packing Tips

• Lightweight gear
• Quick-dry clothing
• Hiking boots with ankle support
• Optional: sleep liner (many European hotels don’t have AC)

Money Tips

• Bring some cash for mountain huts
• Use bank ATMs for best exchange rates
• Avoid accepting ATM conversion rates

Timing Tips

• Best months: mid-June to mid-September
• Avoid late August (trail race crowds)

🌄 Best Moments from the Trip

• Watching climbers on Mont Blanc glaciers
• Resting beside alpine streams
• Meeting locals along the trail
• Sharing meals with fellow travelers
• Experiencing the Alps up close—not from a bus

📍 Where the Trek Starts

• Fly into Geneva, Switzerland
• Transfer (~1.5 hours) to Chamonix, France
• Begin your Mont Blanc circuit adventure

🎧 Resources & Links

• Full photos and videos on the website
• Recommended guided tours
• Packing lists and travel tips

📌 Is the Tour du Mont Blanc Worth It?

Absolutely.

This trek offers:

• World-class alpine scenery
• Cultural immersion across three countries
• Physical challenge with huge rewards

It’s one of the best hiking experiences in Europe—and the world.

❤️ Enjoy the Episode?

• Share with fellow hikers and travelers
• Subscribe for more adventure travel inspiration
• Join the newsletter for exclusive travel resources

Full Podcast Transcript: Mont Blanc Trek (Tour du Mont Blanc)

This full transcript includes detailed insights, tips, and personal experiences from hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc.

[00:00:00] I admit to being a little bit nervous when I signed up to do the Mont Blanc circuit. It’s rated a four out of five for difficulty, and there are two particularly challenging days that I wanted to make sure that I was up for. But I have known ever since Linda first described it to me way back in the beginning of this show in 2017, that I too wanted to do active adventures, Mont Blanc tour.

The European Alps are of course incredibly beautiful, but the mountains are challenging. I knew it was gonna be tough, and since I’m closing it, I’m 65 years old now. I figured if I was gonna do this, I better work it into my schedule sooner rather than later in case my knees or my hips gave out. Boy, am I glad I did it.

The Alps are utterly amazing and that fear factor was just the stimulus I needed to get this body [00:01:00] in the best shape I’ve been in, in over a decade. I had an amazing adventure, stunning scenery, great company, outstanding food. We are gonna be in France and Italy, so of course the food’s gonna be outstanding.

It was simply an overall a plus experience. I can’t wait to share it with you, so let’s get started.

Welcome to the Act of Travel Adventures podcast. I’m your host, kit Parks. Today we’re gonna be hiking the Mont Blanc circuit, a roughly 110 mile 175 kilometer trek that takes you around Europe’s highest mountain Mont Blanc. It goes through France, Italy, and Switzerland. Tradition has it that you hike at counterclockwise.

On our hike, we usually get to see Mont Blanc throughout the tour. It’s an imposing glacier covered mountain. It sits at 15,777 feet or 48 0 6 meters. It feeds Italy’s last glacial rivers. The most popular trail is the Mont Blanc circuit, which goes [00:02:00] around the Mont Block, massive. So there are many people who climb and even ski on it, which is crazy.

We’re gonna be hiking down at the lower elevations, not up at the high peak. So we’re probably most of the time between say, five and 7,000 feet. So altitude’s not an issue, although you are going to see people who are climbing this mountain and it can be quite dangerous. I’ll get into that a little bit more later.

Some people even ski on it. This whole region is just built around the outdoors. This particular mountain section Mont Blanc, massive hugs the border of France, Italy, and Switzerland. So we’re gonna be hiking in all three countries. Back in the Middle Ages. People were worried that this mountain was possessed by a dragon, and as the glacier advanced, like dragon tongues through the mountain, passes towards the valley towns below of Shaman and er.

The villagers feared they were gonna be swallowed up by the dragon. [00:03:00] Eventually, a couple hundred years later, a reward was offered to the first person brave enough to climb to the summit of Mom Blanc, and it took 20 years for somebody to jit up the courage to do so. He survived, and the people have been climbing it ever since.

But the people were still afraid of the ice advancing towards these villages. So they hired some monks to come out and do a benediction to stop the ice from advancing on their villages, and it worked. And that ended up being the end of the little Ice Age Fun stores. I thought we’d start the show with.

My tour was with my affiliate Active Adventures and like most active tours, it’s not exclusively hiking active always throws in some biking, paddling or some other activities. They kind of spread it out, but it is usually predominantly hiking. So on our 12 day tour, we hiked maybe two thirds of the entire circuit.

And from what I understand, we skipped some of the valley villages and one section where it’s a little bit technical and you have to climb up some anchored in ladders on the [00:04:00] side of the exposed granite. So they skipped that section for us. So we were never in any like scary or exposed places. We were high.

It was hard, but there was nothing dangerous about it. I feel like we had a really well balanced trip that included mostly hiking, like I said, but we also got in some kayaking and biking for a little bit, and on our free day I went on the funnest whitewater rafting trip I’ve ever been on. I wanna thank Active for an outstanding trip, especially our tour guides, Kiwi Emma from New Zealand, where active is based, and our local hiking guide, Fabi, fabulous Fabi and Karen, who transport our luggage each day to the next inn and prepared an array of food for us each morning.

So could pack up a picnic lunch to take up into the mountains. And as I mentioned, active is one of my affiliates and they offer my listeners a discount with my exclusive promo code. However, they don’t let me publish it so nobody can just Google it on, you know, active adventures, [00:05:00] promo codes, and then get it if they’re not a listener.

However, somebody, one of these aggregators scraped the audio of my podcast, and so they published my old ad of 200. And some of the other promo codes I’ve used in the past. So I have voided out all of those and I’m not going to put it on the show anymore. So if you want the discount code, you need to email me at kit@actortraveladventures.com.

Sorry about that. I can’t control who ever it was that did that, but it’s out there and that’s not fair to active. It should be just for my listeners. So again, just email me if you want the promo code. And one thing that you, I wanna mention too, I do use the affiliates. That’s one way to keep this show ad free, which I have heard that now most podcasts, 10% are ads, drives me crazy.

So that’s why I never wanted to do that in the show. And this was a way that I figured I could come up with some kind of a way to help support the program. I am a retiree, don’t forget. Anyhow, let’s get onto the fun. You start off by flying into Geneva, [00:06:00] Switzerland, which is easy, accessible from anywhere in Europe.

I usually like to just get to Europe as inexpensively as I can, and then take one of the regional budget airlines to my destination. And if you need tips on saving money on travel, I’ll put a link in the show notes about some episodes I did. In fact, I just did some reruns while I was in Mont Blanc. So you can just scroll back to, uh, last month’s shows and see them there.

But I’ll put links in the show notes for you in case you miss those if you’re out doing your own adventures. The Geneva Airport isn’t that big. From there, you take about an hour and a half bus to Shaman France, which you can book ahead on Flix bus, which is a really good way to get around Europe.

There’s an easy to use app, or you can do like I did. I was worried that what if my plane was late? I didn’t wanna have a reservation and then miss my bus ride. So I just decided to wait till I got to the airport. It’s a little bit more expensive that way, but I just figured out what the heck, I’ll do it.

There’s buses that run pretty much, uh, throughout the day. But you can say about how price if you do book in advance. [00:07:00] So the bus dropped me off at the train station, which is about a two block walk to our lovely downtown Shaman Inn. Our inn was on a pedestrian walkway, so a cab couldn’t have gotten me there anyway, so you, you’re gonna have to walk at least a little bit.

So keep that in mind with your luggage. I loved at our Isabel in that I could see the glacier right outside my window and from my deck. I thought that was very cool. I’d be sharing my room with Peg, who, you know, she and I traveled so far to the Morocco and the Dolomites together, and so you’ll, you’ve met her on those and also on our tourist Noma, who you also met in the Dolomites Adventure.

I. The month before, in fact, we did a test hike together on Mount Mitchell in North Carolina to check out our fitness level on the East Coast tallest mountain, which sits at around 6,700 feet. So that’s approximately our, probably our average altitude for our trip. And plus that’s a very difficult hike, and that would get a chance to check out our hiking legs and see how prepared we are when we still had about a month [00:08:00] to really gear it up.

This is definitely a adventure you want to train for because it is challenging. Like I said, it’s rate a four out of five, so I actively trained for four months and intensely trained for two. Like I said, I love the shape that my body’s in, so this was a super added bonus is that I got myself really fit, which I’m very proud of.

Shaman, which is our starter trail town, is a charming and bustling outdoorsy town noted for both hiking and skiing and just all outdoors. You’ll also see people mountain biking around. It’s just a very active, upscale mountain village. It sits in the valley surrounded by the glacial mountains and it’s beautiful.

It’s filled with restaurants and gift shops, and the people dress either really nicely or in their outdoor gear ’cause they’re just about to head out or get back from having some fun. On our first night, we met up our guides and the rest of our group at a welcome dinner, which was an [00:09:00] amazing spread, which some of us consider the finest meal that we had there.

Although in contention, I would say is also our farewell meal. We really didn’t have a bad meal. We are after all one of the best regions for food. Everything was just super fresh, delicious, you know, either picked that day or the day before, or made the day before. It was just a really fine cuisine throughout.

Emma, our fun loving, active adventures guide from New Zealand and our local hi hiking guide was our fabulous Fabi, who despite also being her sixties, could hike rings around the group of us. Our other guest included a husband and wife, Brad and Robin and their teenage son Logan, a great 16-year-old kid.

He was an asset to the group. At our first dinner, Robin steeled up courage to try a scargo. And those of us who do like the buttered snails enjoyed the rest of the plate as well. We all turned in early so we could be fresh for the real start of our adventure in the morning. Like virtually all guided adventure tours [00:10:00] I’ve been on the first full day is fairly mild, so you can get over any jet lag and time change.

Plus it lets the guides kind of assess the capabilities of their new group. So we had a fun day, taken a train up to veers. It’s above shaman, and from there we can see the glacier. It’s a super steep train and it was once a coal-fired train that took 400 kilos of coal to make it to the top. Before the train was built, rich people were hand carried up by some kind of Quinn.

Now that is a backbreaking job. From up top, you’re gonna get a terrific vantage point, plus great views of the town down below. You also see tons of paragliders and that really sang to me. I remember that Linda did do the paragliding and I wanted to do it on her off day, and I just hope that I’m gonna have the courage to take that leap.

We hiked up through the trees in boulders to the signal. Forbes, a lookout point where we got terrific views of the mayor de glaze glacier, the sea of glass for sure. [00:11:00] We also got to see the jagged spires and the mountaintops that looked like knife edges. But Fabi said it was wide enough to actually walk on some of them.

No doubt. It was these powerful views that were the inspiration that kept drawing writers like Charles Dickens and Mary Kelly who wrote Frankenstein here. While we were doing the establishment Blanc Trail, crazy people are climbing all over these mountains. And each year, unfortunately, many people die rock climbing and ice climbing in and around these glaciers.

And sadly, since glaciers are always moving either forward or backward movement, dislodges some rock and ice. And this morning it actually killed a climber and injured four more. It’s not uncommon to see the rescue helicopters in the distance. Those people are up high in the danger zone. What we’re doing is not dangerous.

So like I said, in our trail, we’re not at altitude, we’re not on glaciers at this time of year, you only do this trail in the summertime. Active offers the tour from [00:12:00] mid-June through mid-September, so you might see a little bit of snow and might have to wear spikes, but it’s not gonna be any kind of anything crazy.

I did this in August. I just got back a a couple of weeks ago and we saw a little bit of snow, but nothing that we had to really go over. We were just hiking over normal rock and dirt paths. Although in the earlier late season, you might have a little bit of snow to walk over, as I believe Linda did. As, as I recall, there was no place on our trek that there was any treacherous exposure to worry about.

I said, the people that do have to worry, the ones that are climbing up above us, not us. So after checking out the glacier in Shaman Vistas and before boarding the train to return to Shaman, we took this erector set looking set of, uh, maybe like a hundred stairs down to an opening inside the glacier. It seems for generations that the single family has been boring, an entrance and maintaining tunnels inside this glacier.

So we got to [00:13:00] walk around inside the ice. It was amazing. It was definitely cool, figuratively and literally. You can be sure to check out my photos and videos on active travel adventures.com so you can see what it looked like. Very cool. And I found out the stairs are are ector set looking because the family has to change the entrance a couple times a year as the glacier changes, like I mentioned.

And sometimes the opening the sun will hit it and melt it and so they, they just keep rechanging the opening and drilling it back into the interior tunnels. I found the whole thing fascinating and beautiful.

A little bit later. It was another yummy dinner. And did I mention we are in France and then after that, off to sleep tomorrow instead of hiking. We’re gonna be paddling before I forget, thinking about sleep. All right. Two things very typical of Europe. The bedding is normally a duvet, which is too hot for me in the summer.

So normally [00:14:00] I pack my silk sleeping bag liner that I use as a sheet in Europe, but unfortunately I forgot to pack it. And most hotels in Europe do not have air conditioning, so the rooms can get warm at night. We were there during a hot spell. They called it a heat wave with heat warnings because the temperature was gonna get up to the mid eighties Fahrenheit, around close to 30 centigrade.

I consider that relatively cool for the August, but over there they don’t have ac and so it can get a touch warm. So I recommend packing a lightweight liner if you go to Europe in the summertime. And if you can’t take the heat at night, consider also packing a small battery operated fan like I was advised to take when I went to Haiti for that same reason.

So I would just check the forecast before you fly over and just pack accordingly. Another thing I wish I’d brought, and I normally do, I dunno, I just was kind of rushed when I packed, is that portable clothesline that Noma had recommended I bought that. I love that it’s, it fits in the palm of your hand and weighs absolutely [00:15:00] nothing.

Very handy because you should be bringing quick dry stuff so you can wash ’em in the sink and not have to overpack. Another thing about Europe is they do not serve breakfast very early in some places, I’ve been over there, breakfast isn’t served till eight o’clock, and if I’m hiking, I’m usually long in the trail by then.

And most of your inns are gonna include breakfast, which is typically gonna be an assortment of breads and croissants, yogurt with some goodies to doctor it up. Sometimes you’ll get scrambled eggs, meat and cheese, sort of fruits, and of course, coffee and tea. Active is usually able to arrange for our breakfast to start at seven even when the ends normal time was later.

So one thing to consider, if you need more coffee then you can drink down in a quick breakfast. You may wanna bring a tiny coffee maker so you can have something to drink before the dining room opens. I’ll put recommendations for all these things in the show notes for you. On this morning, breakfast was at seven and we had to meet Karen and promptly leave in the van at seven [00:16:00] 30 so we could be at our kayaking site on time for our guided paddle.

So we had a super quick turnaround this morning to eat, get ready, packed to get our bags down, et cetera. And I like to brush my teeth after eating, so I waited until after I ate to run up brush, and then bring down my luggage for transport in my haste. I did not do a final sweep to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

I also didn’t bother to lock the door. I just dropped my key at the front desk, which all this turned out to be a big mistake, which I had learned about the following day. So off we head to Lake Anea, where our guide took us around this pretty and very active lake that we saw. I think three castles. The winds were mild, so it was a pleasant paddle.

The lake is surrounded by mountains, and like I said, we saw a few castles, so there was lots to look at. They gave us dry skirts to keep us from getting wet inside the kayak, but the water was probably cool. I don’t think the skirts were necessary, but it was nice to have that. I mean, we saw people swimming by the shoreline.

After a couple hours of paddling, we returned our kayaks back to the beach and then took a [00:17:00] van to historic downtown Antea where we had time to grab lunch and explore this bustling small, historic waterfront city. Since we didn’t have a lot of time, we split up so everybody could do whatever he or she wanted.

I wanted to check out the Waterfront Park and gardens, hoping to grab some street food, and with whatever remaining time, I’d go get a gelato from the place that Emma recommended as her favorite, and explore the famous flower box filled canals that pierce the city. I found the park easily enough, but only ice cream vendors at first.

Then I’d see aha, somebody’s got fresh fruit and that sound perfect. ’cause I had some leftover carby, crunchy snacky, salty things in my day pack that I brought for me on the plane. And so that made for a nice, easy, fun lunch. I could people watch along the shore, which is always one of my favorite things to do when I travel afterwards.

I headed for that gelato and had a yummy pistachio treat. Then off I went to check the canals. Before long, I had to use the [00:18:00] restroom and normally could just go to a restaurant, buy a drink, and get to use the restroom. But I saw a public bathroom. The kind like I saw in France that washes itself between uses.

I remembered being fascinated in puzzles as how does that sucker work? They are these huge stainless steel boxes outside the door. There’s three lights, like a streetlight red, yellow, and green to indicate occupied cleaning or available. When I used that one in France, it didn’t look like there’s even opening in the toilet bowl, but obviously the waste has to go somewhere.

Also, I didn’t see any sprinklers and I couldn’t figure out how was it cleaning itself between uses. I never forgot it, and so I recognized that steel box as a bathroom and went towards it. Both of the stalls were occupied, so I wait outside. Then a guy emerged from the left one, I grabbed the door and went in.

As one does when one’s waiting, or I should say, as one does when it is a non-self cleaning toilet. I get inside, I still don’t realize my error until the door bolts shut and I realize, A, I am trapped. And B, I’m about to discover [00:19:00] how these new Fal toilets get cleaned between uses. I’m smiling as I’m telling you, this story was so ridiculous.

I am pounding on the door to no avail, and then the lights go out. But just before I could see some pipes emerging from the floor, and then I see the start and hear the gushing water. For the record, there is a pierced pipe that comes up from the floor from both the front and the back walls, and there are, there’s holes in them.

So a string of jets are forced across to wash the floor towards each other. I am now horribly thinking, are the pipes gonna come outta the ceiling and wash me down? I didn’t know what was gonna happen. It was pitch black and as horrified as I was, I have to admit it was funny and I did think, I’m still finding the humor at the moment.

I just want you to know that. And it was dark, so I couldn’t see what came and washed down the toilet, but I’m sure there was something and the lights finally came back on the door. Side of pierce pipe had washed all the remaining water down the [00:20:00] drain in the back, and then finally the door unlocked. But now I still gotta go to the bathroom.

So I open and then shut the door again so that the, the toilet knows that I am in there. This time I’m there and I’m supposed to be in there. But now I’ve realized there’s no hangar in this big box. So I have to hold in my backpack while I tingle, and I’m laughing out loud. So at least the mystery of the self-cleaning toilet has now been solved.

I had planned to surprise my tour mates by letting them find out about this ridiculous mishap, just like you just did through this podcast. But I couldn’t completely hold my secret, and I told Emma, who kept telling me later, she continues to laugh about it and so do I. The whole thing was ridiculous.

Gratefully, the rest of the day was uneventful, culminating, and yet another amazing dinner. The Yummy Salad with slices of prosciutto being the most memorable.

I want to get a good night’s sleep as tomorrow is the hardest day of the entire tour. We’re [00:21:00] gonna be hiking 10 miles or about 16 K with over 4,000 feet of elevation gain and a descent of 2200 feet or up 1200 meters and down almost 700 meters big day. The big reason I wanted to train, we have two really hard days like this.

Peg and I tend to be pretty organized, peg especially. So she normally gets up first and when she’s done, I get up and get dressed and then we head down for breakfast. Our bags are mostly packed the night before, so all we have to do is stuff in our toiletries and nightwear after breakfast. So I’d already packed up yesterday’s water shoes that I needed for kayaking, and then I’m looking around for my hiking boots, my new less than 30 mile hiking boots.

You know how I’m always telling you to train in your hiking boots for at least a couple of weeks prior to your trip so you can avoid any kind of fit issues or blisters. But my feet have been changing as I’ve developed a bunion on my right foot. So I couldn’t wear my old boots anymore. And I went through three different tries of, of pairs that I had bought in the last month.

And I finally ended up buying a much larger [00:22:00] sized Merrill boot that I only got in maybe 10 miles before the trip. I’d worn Meryls before, and so with fingers crossed, I hoped that this new pair was gonna work out. European hotel rooms are small and I couldn’t find my boots anywhere. I tossed open my pack, but I knew I would’ve remembered trying to shove the boots in there ’cause I don’t think they would’ve fit.

I probably would’ve had a time to the outside for Karen to transport. Yesterday morning, my boots were nowhere to be found. A sinking feeling of dread filled my soul. I must have left them at yesterday’s hotel and I didn’t notice because I was wearing water sandals and I was in such a rush to get down to get to that seven 30 bus departure.

Now I’m gonna miss the biggest hiking day that I’ve been training for. I was so looking forward to and I didn’t have any idea when are we gonna be in a town where I can buy a replacement pair? I was worried. I had ruined my entire trip. Lucky for me. And sad for Peg. She had decided to skip this day because she was worried she was gonna be too slow climbing up the [00:23:00] mountains and didn’t wanna hold us up on an already long day.

So pegs opting out meant that I could possibly wear her boots. She’s much taller than me, and her feet are a couple sizes too big for me, but with my bunion, and then tying the laces up tight so my feet wouldn’t slide down or around too much. I decided to go for it. And fortunately, while the trail has lots of rocks and I recommend shoes with ankle support for that reason, there are rarely any roots, and surely I would’ve been catching my toe with an extended toe box I wasn’t used to.

But it turned out pegs boots actually worked out fine for me. I wore several pair of fixed socks to fill in the shoes as well. Along the trail. I saw people at Gators, but I don’t think they’re necessary for this trail. But I, like I said, I would recommend ankle boots. Not, I suppose you could do trail runners, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

I, I, I, I think he would want some ankle support. There’s someplace that was just rubble. Karen was gonna call the old hotel when they opened and have them go look for my [00:24:00] shoes and then she could pick ’em up. ’cause fortunately she’s had to go back that way today anyway. But sadly, they never appeared. So after our hike.

I tried on a pale trail runners that Noma had packed, and I wore them the next day. And then the following day we were at a trail town. Uh, I could buy some new boots there, but today on the big hiking day in pegs, boots off, I went to hike on this challenging day. The trails are pretty well marked. And I say trails ’cause there’s lots of intersecting trails in the area.

One thing I thought that was interesting, they tell you the time it will take you to get to the destination or whatever the intersection point is, rather than the distance. I thought that was, so I might say four and a half hours instead of 10 miles. And it seemed like a lot of times they were way off.

So if you do do this on your own, you wanna make sure you have a good map and probably even a good app. And I can’t tell you if it’s because [00:25:00] the trail was more gradual going up or the fact that I overtrained played a part, but I was really proud of my body chugging up that mountain. I never really felt outta breath or needed to take a break to let my heart rate calm down, which thrilled me.

And I also was thrilled when Fabi commented that I was able to carry on a conversation while going uphill. That made me feel really good. It is always better to overtrain so that you aren’t exhausted at the end of the day and it feels more like play than work. I’ve never regretted training hard, but I’ve definitely regretted not having done so.

Plus inadequate training tends to lead to injuries like that bum knee I got in Scotland and episode three.

I think Fay’s original plan was to hike up a little bit beyond an upcoming mountain hut to one of the special lunch spots she always found. But the weather turned and we soon not only rushed to put on rain jackets and backpack covers, but also had to laugh at the short burst of hail, a bit smaller than a pee while it was raining.

We still managed to [00:26:00] make it to the hut just in time to miss a downpour, us and many dozens of other hikers who had the same idea to run for shelter. The mountain huts offer dormitory bunk rooms that you need to reserve way early if that’s what you wanna do. ’cause they sell out all the time. And they also have a kitchen where you can buy hot meals, snacks, or hot or cold drinks.

There are lots of indoor picnic tables, and despite the crowds, fab and Emma managed to snag a seat for each one of us to eat our packed lunches. Most of the huts require cash, as they probably don’t have internet to do credit card transactions. The only cash I needed on this entire trip was for the huts and guide tips.

Your credit card or debit card works everywhere else, including the buses. And note that when I got to Geneva, since I was staying there, they give you a free public transport pass, which I found super helpful. If you need a little cash when you’re traveling overseas, you usually get the best exchange rate using a bank.

Not some of these. Make sure it’s a bank, ATM, [00:27:00] and if you need cash just to get to town from the airport, even in the airport, look for a bank, ATM instead of just any old ATM or money exchange. I learned a super important cash tip from Peg. A little too late for me to use it, but I will remember it in the future.

Every once in a while, a bank ATM will tell you an exchange rate and ask you to accept it. They’re always awful rates, and I always thought that I had to accept it if I won the cash and in Shaman I need to get some cash to, to tip the guides. Everywhere I went to the rate was awful. But Peg said that you can say no and still get the cash.

That just means that you’re gonna accept whatever rate your, that your credit card or debit card, bank rate, which is always gonna be better than the awful rate that they offer you at the foreign bank. Had I known that probably would’ve saved me about 20 bucks. So for this trip, you’re gonna need euros for France and Italy and the Swiss Franc in Switzerland if you’re using cash since they aren’t part of the eu.[00:28:00] 

But I found out later in Geneva that they accepted my Euros at a museum that I was trying to get rid of some of my Euros, but they would gimme change only in francs. The Swiss businesses can decide whether they also want to accept euros or not, so you can’t count on that. But chances are because they’re fairly close that you might be able to get away with that.

Back at the hut. Shortly after we finished eating, the clouds parted and we departed. We still had a long way to go. I loved how the gray clouds offered a brooding look to the mountains, which then also got cheery by the sound in the view of, of sheep eating grass in the pastures. We were above treeline, so it had a panoramic view for much of the day.

And the Alps are prettier than any photo I’ve ever seen yet. My photos are still beautiful and you can see them@activetraveladventures.com, which I strongly encourage you to do. So I, in some places, the mountains here are rubble, yet in others, they’re grass covered [00:29:00] balls with nothing higher than your knee.

Sometimes just grasses and wildflowers. We started to recognize some of the flora and its habitat. There’s some white cottony looking plant that likes the wet, foggy area, so we knew we weren’t gonna be sitting there for a picnic. I’d have to say that my biggest surprise of the entire trip was all the wild flowers we saw.

The mountain sides were covered in blooms of every color and variety throughout the whole hike. I think it’s like Glacier National Park, which I covered in episode two, where because the summer starts late and fall starts early, pretty much. Everything has to bloom at once so it can get it done and produce seeds for the next year.

So it was just a bonanza of blooms and while I recognized many of the blooms like sc Bosa and the Spirally Seedheads of Anini, there were some, especially pretty ones that reminded me of turtle heads I can’t remember the name of, but I would recognize ’em if I saw ’em again. They also have this dandelion looking flower that has a black center that when it’s ready to be pollinated, attracts flies to do so.[00:30:00] 

They have some carnivorous plants as well, which is always fun.

It was a great day and I was thrilled that I didn’t miss it. Thank you so much, peg, for sharing your shoes. We had a special treat the next day. Fabi knows the folks who make the best tasting French cheese, a variety called Beaufort Cheese, so we got a sneak peek at the operation. They’re able to make two large a hundred pounds blocks of cheese per day.

The cheesemaker came in the processing room with a cigarette and the ash dangling out of his mouth. Hopefully Ash isn’t their secret ingredient, but we all got a laugh from it. In this relatively small room, the milk is mixed in this ginormous vat with a paddle, and then it gets sucked up this huge shop vac looking thing, which can then dump it into the round blocks.

It then goes in this cool room where it aged and gets dated and coated in wax, and they salt it every day during its curing period, which takes six to 12 months. It’s all very interesting [00:31:00] and I’m delighted we had the opportunity to see the operation. The day was beautiful, both weather and scenery wise.

Again, lots of flowers and I took lots of photos, many of which you can see on the website and on my YouTube channel, but no one took more photos than my travel mates. Brad and Logan, they were stopping all the time, usually at the same time, maybe every 20 minutes to take one. So much so that it was teasingly started calling them the P team.

Fortunately, they’re fast hikers, so we never had to wait for them, and we all found it funny. Make no mistake. This hike is hard, but it’s definitely doable. If you train, Fabi would describe each day’s hike and train at a briefing the night before, using her hand as the terrain, she would describe switchbacks, as she said, up like a metronome.

On occasion, we would hear undulating, which you always loved That part, meaning that section was not gonna be hard. On the hard days, she and Emma would describe the day’s hike, like a big meal. They’d tell us how many courses. One day we had a big six [00:32:00] course meal, so after each chunk of the hike, she’d say, oh, we just finished the first course.

Now you finished the second course. We’re at the fourth course. Now we’re finally in the sixth course. So we could tell our bodies and our minds how much further we had to go. Another new expression for me was balcony. So whenever we hugged the mountainside, lengthwise, horizontally. But weren’t on the ridge.

Fabi said we were on a balcony, which I think is an appropriate word. I just never heard it used that way in hiking before. One thing I found amazing is it wasn’t just us hikers on this trail. Every once in a while you’d see mountain bikers. I personally think they’re crazy. There are places where you have to carry your bike going downhill has got to be wild, especially since there’s lots of hikers out there and they’re not expected to be passed by a biker.

The trail is smoother on the Swiss side, so we saw more bikers there. On occasion, you would run into other Americans, but mostly we met other French and Italians whenever [00:33:00] we were clustered, say at a, when we’re at a country border or at a mountain hut. One important thing I want you to know about too is in late August each year, they run a race.

So you wanna make sure you do not schedule trip for whatever week that is, or I imagine everything’s gonna be way too crowded and uncomfortable with crazy runners running by you. And since we were there in early August, we did see a lot of trail runners trying to get some practice and learning the train before the big race, other than not doing this trail in late August, you can do it anytime from mid-June through mid-September.

And while we saw lots of wild flowers, mostly animal life that we saw were sheep and cows. Sometimes we’d see some birds including an osprey, which surprised me and lots of Marmite, although we heard more of them than we saw, they chirp a little bit like a bird, which gives you an idea where to look to see the guard outside the burrow.

They blend in beautifully, so Brad had the sharpest eyes for finding the Marmite. We [00:34:00] end our day in the delightful village of Cormier. My favorite stop on the tour, and we get to stay a couple nights since we have a free day tomorrow. I love the mountain architecture in colorful window boxes with the curved alley streets.

They have a big promenade where I’m able to buy a pair of Italian hiking boots that I hope are gonna work out for the rest of my trip. There are lots of things you can do on your off day, and I chose to enjoy the family and go whitewater rafting. It was only a couple of hours, which I thought might be too short a period of time to raf, but looking back, I’m not sure we’d have had the endurance to raf longer.

I should have been a little bit suspicious when our guide Ivan gave us a real workout. Practicing our commands. Paddle forward, power back, get down the superposition, get down, hold on. Paddle forward, power down. Get down. Paddle forward. Get down, get down. Frankly, I was glad my knees were cooperated with the fast-paced commands.

We’re still on dry land and I’m exhausted. The river itself is class three and four, which I love. It’s exciting, but I don’t worry about dying. Now I’ve wor water rafted maybe a dozen times on some of the [00:35:00] world’s most iconic rivers, but never have I rafted on a river where it is nonstop rapids. Mind you, class three and four rapids continually, it had to be for five of the seven mile run.

I regret that I didn’t bring my GoPro and attach it to my helmet. But frankly, all you would mostly see is me getting down in back up in position like four to six times a minute. It was unbelievable. It was exhilarating, exciting, and a total blast. I have never had so much fun in a wrap before, and I’ve done the pcori, the Tully, and the Middle Fork of the Salmon River.

We were three wraps heading out together. The launch was a bit daunting as you start by plunging right into the rapids at a very steep angle from the shore. I mean, we would drop down like 10 feet. And then off we go. Within the first minute I hear Ivan tell me to grab my paddle. I should explain that this raft was unlike any I’d been on before.

It looked like a regular raft, but it had a metal cage like support in the middle. And Ivan, instead of being in the rear like most of my raft [00:36:00] guides, he was in this side, this cage and had two long oars. And this contraption provided the much need stability for this crazy river. Robin and I were up front.

So our job, if we heard Ivan say hope, my paddle was to grab the ore on our side while still holding onto our own hope my paddle. No sooner had, Rob and I complied. When Ivan plunges in the rabbits, he had first gotten us over to the shore where we held onto the vegetation to remain in place. It turns out a guy had fallen out in one of the rafts behind us, and Ivan went to rescue him, which he did, although I don’t say how.

With all this powerful raging water. The guy was obviously shaken up, and so he ended up walking back to our original put in because he didn’t feel like going on any further. Then a few minutes later, off we go and had the ride of our lives. Once the rapids finally calmed down, the rafting company had kindly brought the guy who fell out into the river so he could participate in those last relatively calm couple of miles.

I would [00:37:00] So do this again, so when you go, if you like to raft, do that on your off day. It was so much fun. Wherever we crossed a country border, there would be a large stone carn, sometimes decorated with prayer flags, as well as signage. On crossing days, Emma would bring the appropriate flag so we could hold them and straddle the border for a great photo.

That was fun. A lot of people tend to take a break at the border, so that’s when you could hear different languages and accents. On our next day of hiking, we actually saw a bit of snow along the trail. I walked in it just because it was there, but the patch was small enough to walk around if you so chose.

There’s a fair amount of stream crossings on the circuit, but not nothing really major. And with all the pasture land, I personally wouldn’t drink from it without treating it to avoid Giardia, which is a parasite found in animal waste that I’ve had the unpleasant misfortune to become acquainted with.

Each day. [00:38:00] Fabi would instruct us on how much water to bring and when and if we could get a proper refill. Usually at a hut, water’s heavy at eight pounds a gallon, so you only wanna bring what you need and maybe a tad bit more if it’s really hot. I prefer to use a bladder as it makes it easier to drink while you’re hiking, so you tend to get in the fluids that you need.

I had brought electrolytes just in case, but I didn’t use them as, I’m not a big sweater, but I think everybody else pretty much did. Fabi always chose the prettiest places for our lunch and rest stops, and we got plenty of rest stops along the way and never felt pushed or rushed. We always had a spectacular view at our stops, often of Mont Blanc from the different angles.

Although there were a couple of days when the peak itself was out of view. Once though, instead of Peaks and Wildflower Meadows, we ate around Old World War II bunkers, which were kind of cool. How the men fought in these rugged mountains blows my mind. I remember thinking that in the Dolomites too, when we were on the v Ferras and it could see the other V RAs.

Crazy, crazy. [00:39:00] On afternoon rest stops, Fabi or Emma would usually pull out some fun local treat, which gave us a chance to taste French junk food. I thought that was fun. On a hot afternoon, we got to a cooling river just in time to snag the best sitting rock so we could cool our feet in the frigid water.

A small group came up behind us and looked wistfully, ’cause we had taken all the good rocks. I could only keep my feet in for about five seconds at a time, but I kept dabbing ’em in and out, in and out, in and out, because it was refreshing, as well as invigorating, and my feet loved it. Each evening we would go to a restaurant where we usually got a choice of appetizer, mane and dessert.

I ate decadent desserts for lunch and dinner for 12 days, and I usually had a croissant with breakfast. It’s a good thing I was working it off every day. This is definitely an advantage of adventure travel. The mountain peaks look different when we enter Switzerland. They have some jagged fires that catch the sunlight [00:40:00] beautifully late in the afternoon, we stop at our last hu of our journey.

Emma says, activists treating us for a drink. She recommends a lemony spritzer. So instead of my usual beer, I go with it. It’s a beautiful day, and with wonderful people enjoying incredible views. It really doesn’t get any better than this. We end the day in a small lake town. It’s only a mile walk around the lake, but I do believe everyone in town is either out swimming, paddleboarding fishing, or doing something by the water until the late afternoon.

I buy a beer and find a shady bench wreck, and people watch as well as silently cheer on a fisherman who doesn’t seem to be having much luck or pay me any mind. He puts his bated rod down the ground and walks 50 feet to chat with a friend. Yep. That’s when he finally gets a bite. He races over and reels in his fish.

I don’t speak French, but I, I know the word for trout and Spanish is roucha. I pointed at the fish Roucha tr. He pulls out his phone and gets a translator to confirm indeed it is a trout. We celebrate and now our best buds as simple as this interaction [00:41:00] was, these are some of my favorite memories of a trip.

Connecting in some real way with a local, it somehow brings our differing worlds together. Here I am telling you about my encounter with a fisherman when he got home. He very well may have told his wife about the crazy American who clapped when he caught a Spanish trout. In our little way, we both became part of each other’s day and story.

I just love that we waved hardly goodbye when I headed back to the end to get ready for dinner. Eventually we make it back to shaman decision time. I have wondered, admired, envied, all the paragliders I’ve seen crisscrossing over the mountains all week. I want to do it. I’m scared to do it. I have to decide if I’m going to do it.

They need to reserve now for tomorrow, and I’ll have to miss out on one of our activities, one that Peg and Noma did before the trip and loved. I don’t wanna miss it, but I really wanna try it. My hangup is I also wanna [00:42:00] watch people take off to see if I think I can just jump off a mountainside. This is impossible and it’s gonna cost 200 euro or around 225 bucks for 20 minutes.

In the end, I decided I was gonna stay with the group. I don’t wanna spend that kind of money. And then chicken out, B, chicken, chicken kit. I know I would’ve loved it, but I also loved what I would’ve missed. Taking the gondola up to, I’m gonna really screw up this name. The il ti at 12,600 feet are about 38 50 meters.

You have to watch my fast frame video of this gondola ride. It’s super high and the views from the top are unparalleled. It was one of the highlights of my trip. They have many different platforms, so you can see the glacier down below and are quite close to the top of Mount Blanc. We are close enough to see the climbers on the various trails that they had made that day.

On glaciers ces open up all the time, so climbers will reroute once it gets dangerous. One looked dangerous to me, but we solved the little [00:43:00] ants down below, stepping across these big cracks, not me. No way, Jose. That looks scary also, many of you climb Mount Blanc, uses cable card to get up the mountain so they don’t have to hike all the way up from Shaman.

In fact, we saw a small group of climbers with all their impressive ropes, their car bunks, ice picks and ice axes climbing up a ladder up the side of the platform as they finished their climb. That was so cool. In fact, I caught this one group as they were coming up on video and shared it with them, which they were thrilled.

Most definitely some of my favorite views in the photos come from this day, so I felt glad that I chose this instead of paragliding, although I do hope one day to do so, even if it’s not in shamini. Our hiking may be done, but there’s still one more event on our tour mountain biking. Only the guys and I decide to go.

I don’t think I mentioned before that Brad had previously taught mountain biking, so I’m sure not only is he a good, Logan, I’m sure is quite comfortable up on that trail. [00:44:00] Me, I’ve only done it three times before. Oh yeah, yeah. That’s some experience. Ha. Yeah. Ha. So we sued up and then ride through Shaman and we got to see some cool areas that I wouldn’t have known about without going on the bike ride.

So I liked that. And going up the hill wasn’t so bad. I was like, I can do this. Not too bad. I mean, and we, nothing scary. And then it was time to go down. To me, that’s the scary part of mountain biking. And somebody had once told me, don’t break on the downhill, your slide out your body over the front of the bike.

So that always scared me. So if ever I go downhill, I just kind of pulse it a little bit. I don’t break hard. And fortunately I taken a mountain biking class in Moab and the instructor told me, trust the bike. And so for the, I’m gonna guess somewhere around quarter, half a mile of straight downhill screes, which is lots of little loose pebbles that wanna psyche you out, so you will fall into them.

We got all this scree coming up straight downhill, and the boys, the guide, they’re flying ahead of me and I was like, okay. [00:45:00] The guide had told us beforehand, stand on the pedals, so we’re upright and the pedals were horizontal. So with trust in a prayer and a mantra of trust the bike, trust the bike, trust the bike.

I flew down the scree hill. Maybe not as fast as the boys, but I think for novice I held my own. And more importantly, I didn’t fall. We then go down by a river, which was uh, like a little hidden paradise for locals, and you could see all the families out playing. It was just a lovely little ENC cove. Again, never would’ve known about had we not gone on this ride.

And then eventually we end up near a pasture where a paraglider was just starting to land. So I got to see him come in and it looked like so much fun. So one day I promised myself I’m going to do that, hopefully someplace as pretty as shaman. Our farewell dinner was a feast match only by our welcome dinner.

All of our meals were great, but those two were definitely above and beyond. The desserts were a work of art, truly, and they not only looked amazing, they tasted fabulous as well. [00:46:00] This was an amazing adventure. Thank you to Active Adventures for Always Overperforming and providing such amazing experiences.

This is my sixth tour with them. In addition to the Mont Blanc, I’ve also done their North and South Island New Zealand trips, Peru with Machu Picchu, Patagonia, and the Dolomites. All were epic and I highly recommend, I’ll put links to all these in the show notes. Now I just need to figure out where to go next.

Oh yeah, that’s right. Next fall. I have booked Everspace Camp and as I looked the other day, they still have space available. If you wanna join me, email me at kit@activetraveladventures.com. I’ll give you the dates and the promo code. And thanks also to Noma and Peg Robin, Brad and Logan Fabi, Emma and Karen, for making such a wonderful memory together.

If you’d enjoyed this show, please text it right now while you’re thinking about it to a friend who might enjoy it. Word of mouth is the number one way people discover new shows. I’d be most grateful and I’m grateful for you listening. [00:47:00] Until next time, this is Kit Parks Adventure on.

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