Branson described being “seconds” from death while climbing Mont Blanc One of the most notable men on Earth recently survived what he described as a near death experience on the slopes of Mont Blanc. No. Not this guy. THIS guy. Sir Richard Branson, the globetrotting British billionaire and founder of Virgin Group, stated in post on Twitter than he and […]
Charm-on-ee…The Cradle of Alpine Mountaineering
Chamonix: Post Hike Day One. ***The Tour du Mont Blanc is obviously not for everyone. But even for non-hikers, Sylvia and I very strongly recommend a visit (if you can afford one) to the two major cities on the Tour…The French Alpine outdoor hub of Chamonix, France, and its alter ego on the Italian side, Courmayeur. We might be tempted […]
NEXT UP: The Grand Circle Complete!
TMB wrap up: Chamonix *The Tour du Mont Blanc is the most famous and celebrated hike in Alpine Europe and is the fifth Bucket List Hike that Brian and Sylvia have completed together. It is also our first hike together of any kind in Europe. Sylvia and Brian finished the full tour, walking every step of the way, on the […]
Tour du Mont Blanc: We all walk out like it’s Halloween!
TMB Day 11: La Flegere to Les Houches *The Tour du Mont Blanc is the most famous and celebrated hike in Alpine Europe and is the fifth Bucket List Hike that Brian and Sylvia have completed together. It is also our first hike together of any kind in Europe.* It was here at last. The final day of our trip, […]
Tour du Mont Blanc: The Delicate Passage
TMB Day 10: Tre-le-Champ to Refuge La Flegere *The Tour du Mont Blanc is the most famous and celebrated hike in Alpine Europe and is the fifth Bucket List Hike that Brian and Sylvia have completed together. It is also our first hike together of any kind in Europe.* The tenth day of the Tour du Mont Blanc was in […]
Tour du Mont Blanc: The Return of Our Buddy, Mont Blanc!
TMB Day 9: Trient to Tre-le-Champ *The Tour du Mont Blanc is the most famous and celebrated hike in Alpine Europe and is the fifth Bucket List Hike that Brian and Sylvia have completed together. It is also our first hike together of any kind in Europe.* After an uneventful rest day in Trient, which both Sylvia and I felt […]
Tour du Mount Blanc: We Opt for The Bovine Route!
TMB Day Eight: Champex to Trient The eighth day of our trek dawned ominous and cloudy, a low gray ceiling that promised a near certainty of rain. Weather was on our minds. The M.E.P. had seriously debated taking the high variant for day eight, described by Kev Reynolds as “…The toughest of the whole route.” This was the Fenetre d’Arpette, […]
Tour du Mont Blanc: We LOVE Mountains (and Switzerland)!
TMB Day Seven: La Fouly to Champex *The Tour du Mont Blanc is the most famous and celebrated hike in Alpine Europe and is the fifth Bucket List Hike that Brian and Sylvia have completed together. It is also our first hike together of any kind in Europe.* There aren’t many good things to say about getting a poor night’s […]
2018 UTMB Results!
The 2018 Ultra Tour du Mont (UTMB) race is over and Frenchman Xavier Thévenard is, for the third time, the winner. Not only is the UTMB the most celebrated off-road endurance race in Europe, but it’s one of the toughest ultramarathons in the world. Crossing 103 miles of mountainous terrain with over 30,000 feet of elevation gain (a greater total […]
Tour du Mont Blanc: No Easy Mile
TMB Day Six: Rifugio Bonati to La Fouly We had a fairly restful night at the Bonati. Though it was a shared room, three of the seven beds were entirely empty, and one gentleman sleeping by the window, reading a book most of the time, said not a word the whole time. (Well he said six, actually…”Mind if I open […]