Listen to this. When you complete the TMB, you will remember this sound. It will be the soundtrack to your sweetest dreams, because it's the sound of happy dairy cows in serene subalpine meadows, contentedly making milk for you to drink at the next alpage.
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My father first brought up the Tour du Mont Blanc, or TMB as it's commonly called, a few years ago, somewhere around 2012. We finally had the chance to tackle the hike this year, so we're excited. Dad is 72 and hiking in sandals, and he looks like Santa Claus, so he should be easy for me to spot if we get separated on the trail. The UTMB finishes up only 48 hours before we start, so the refuges will still be open. We haven't booked any refuges, but we have both a tent and a scout tarp to sleep under, so we have options. Plus, we both like sleeping al fresco, so we're hoping the weather cooperates and we can sleep under the stars. Here we are before we started out.
Part of our TMB preparation consisted of doing similar activities - long hikes of any sort, training at elevation, long cardio workouts. I had to travel back to Canada a couple of times before our TMB, so I took the advantage of my proximity to Canada's epic Rocky Mountains, particularly Banff, Alberta, around which is some of the greatest alpine and subalpine trekking and day-hiking to be found anywhere in the world. Azure-blue glacial lakes, dramatic peaks, and clean, crisp air are all in abundance here. So I got in a series of day-hikes in; no multi-day trips, but a number of 8 to 12-mile trips that absolutely spoiled me for anything except the most dramatic alpine vistas. Here are pictures of Moraine Lake, the nearby Valley of the Ten Peaks, and an elevation shot of Lake Louise from near Lake Agnes, all taken on different days some time apart, but each spectacular examples of what is out there for even someone slightly adventurous and willing to walk a little... all in all, a great way to log some beautiful miles in preparation for the French Alps, and the White Queen of the Alps, Mont Blanc. |
AuthorMy name is Sean Hamm. I'm a small-town Canadian boy living in the United States. I grew up camping, backpacking, and hiking in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. I've traveled to dozens of countries on five continents, trekking and adventure-traveling most everywhere along the way. This seemed like a great way for me to share some of my experiences, and in doing so maybe help someone take a trip they might have otherwise skipped. Archives
September 2017
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