Stage 8- nearing Bovine

PROLOG

Richard’s: Once Missy set her retirement date, of August 31, 2015, our travel plans were set in motion. But first we needed to see about her bunion surgery and what if any limitations she may have from that. After six months or so she had a clean bill of health and we started making plans. Missy had long dreamed of hiking in the Alps. Our niece, Roxanna Rouhani, an avid hiker, at one point sent us an article about the top ten places to hike in the world. The Tour du Mont Blanc was #1. Plan B was sitting on the beach in Indonesia. Feet good. TMB it is.

Now the planning begins. I did lots of reading of reviews and people’s Blogs. I knew what we needed to bring. A couple of key items boots and hiking poles. We got the poles and started using them on our day hikes. Loved them. I spent a long time thinking about boots. Finally settles on Keen, lightweight low boots. Wore them a lot to break in. Wore them at the gym for miles after miles on the treadmill, on hikes and around town. Packs, wicking clothing, light jacket, gloves, rain gear, etc. All looks good.

Needed a good credit card. Got Chase Explorer card with 50,000 miles. Had some miles. Had enough for two free tickets to Geneva. Yay!

I knew accommodations at the Refuges and local hotels are a challenge during the busy season but since we were going on the last 2-3 weeks of the season beds should be available.

With a typical elevation of 5000 to 7500, no more than 10-12 miles between stops and often less and elevation change of 1200 to 2500 feet I felt the walk would’ve doable. If we needed to slow down surely there would be additional places to stay in villages as I read that new accommodations are going up all the time.

Le Contamine, France

We have the authoritative guide book. We are packed, in shape and ready to go.

Trail

Missy’s: As far back as I remember I loved the outdoors.  This I owe to my dear father who used any opportunity (a few hours to several weeks) to take us (my mother, five siblings and I) out on picnics, hikes, beach holidays, and camping.  No matter where we were always assured that somehow our Dad would find a place to buy hot fresh bread, butter, jam and cheese to serve us, along with delicious hot tea, for breakfast.   My other strong drive for outdoor adventures was my fascination, as a youngster, and later my deep respect and love for Shoghi Effendi (the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith.)  I had heard stories and seen pictures of him hiking in the Alps, for many months, so when we were ready to begin our world travel I thought it would be great to start with conquering the beautiful trails circling the majestic French, Italian and Swiss Alps.

I am so blessed to have married a man who shares my love for the outdoors.  He has been hiking and backpacking, sometime alone, since he was 12 years old, been a Boy Scout  with tremendous desire to think things through and be prepared for our sometime unusual undertakings.  He patiently and carefully guided me through getting appropriate gears (backpack, shoes, socks, walking poles, head cover, gloves, proper quick dry clothing -3 layers- jacket -2 kinds, etc.) He spent months researching and educating me as to what was to come.  He insisted on our training which included climbing the stairs at Amicalola falls, going up and down Kennesaw mountain (800feet ascent and descent) 3 times in 2 hours, hiking at Raven falls, Hike Inn and segments of the Appalachian trail, not to mention the 3-4 times per week, 4-5mile hill walking each time, on the treadmill.

After months of preparation, we vacated our very cozy flat in Woodstock, stayed with our daughter for a few nights and with hearts filled with excitement and anticipation left Georgia, on August 25th, ready for the adventures ahead.

Rifug Mottis at dawn

EPILOGUE

Richard’s: We did it! I am so proud of our accomplishment. It was an amazing trip. As I write this I’m a little sad to be off the trail, not seeing our trail family any more.

The views were spectacular. We met many very nice people. It was an experience of a lifetime. One I will never forget.

Missy was fantastic. Those of you that know her know she is very determined. Here she is having never done anything like this. Having no real idea what is ahead but she met every challenge. She is 66, mostly an administrator, fit but not athletic. We were planning on walking 110 miles. She asked “Richard do you I can make it? ” I said yes. Did I know she could? No.  Here she was likely having to share a dorm with unknown strangers, food with little choice, peeing on the side of the trail, rain, cold, high winds, near hypothermia, getting lost. She trudged on, walking long days. Protected Persian girl. None of this was easy for her. She had to carry all her own gear. Wow!

Sculpture garden-Martigny

Courtyard of church in Martigny

We were NOT prepared for this hike. I have hiked in the Sierra most of my life. These trails were on the whole the toughest I have ever seen. 6,7,8 miles of constant up with no let up. 6,7,8 miles of steep down with no flat. Medium size rocks making up the trails for mile after mile. Disappearing trail markers.

My boots were terrible. After the first day my big toes turned black. Blisters. They hurt every mile. I should have gotten a mid weight boot. They would have hugged and protected my feet over this very rough terrain. They were just too light and ill fitting.

There were many people our age. What they did different than us is they used a service to book (and ensure) their accommodations and bag transfer. This allowed them to carry a much lighter backpack. And they didn’t need to worry about getting a bed. A 5-10 pound pack would have been heavenly.

We found getting a bed on the TMB a challenge at times. One time we needed to call a taxi to take us to a local village. This resulted in a forced rest day and an unplanned $150 taxi cost. One time there was no beds for several days, so we were forced to skip a stage and take a bus to the next stage.  As it turned out getting a bed was a challenge.

Stage 9 pretty much requires climbing ladders for enough of the way that me with my fear of heights was scared away.

In the end we needed to skip stage 5 and 9, and do a partial stage 3 and 4 . We originally planned to skip the last stage. We plan to do stage 10 and/or 11 as a day hike from Chamonix. So far we have done 56+ miles. Awesome. We are so happy to have done this trip. We don’t expect to do this trip again.

For anyone thinking of going this trip just do it. It’s fantastic. Here are a couple of thoughts.

1. Do get good folding hiking poles.  In this terrain they are essential.
2. Do not try and go lightweight with boots. Medium weight is good.
3. A rain suit is better than a poncho
4. Think about a service like Sherpa to help organize your trip. Going unassisted will cost you about $150/day for two people. Think of the value of getting support.

Looking down at the mountains at ~11000m

Missy’s: 9 full days of communing with nature, most of the time, surrounded by beautiful mountains, with no distractions but the sound of our foot steps and the walking poles, the wind, the river, the falls, the streams, is what my soul needed.  There are not enough words to thank my dear Richard, my best friend and soul-mate, for his belief that we could do this and yes, WE DID!

Our experience was tremendously rewarding, not only did we spend time rejuvenating our minds and bodies, we met and had meaningful conversations with so many amazing, like minded and joyful people from 15 plus countries.  I, like Richard miss our trail and refuge mates.  Each one of them will be remembered with fond memories.

If you have done any hiking and enjoyed it, I highly recommend that you consider TMB.  Nothing I have seen in the States compares to it.  You can do parts and as Richard mentioned you can have bag transfer service (and carry 5-10 pounds on your back instead of 20-25) and if you wish, you can hire a local guide.

As for my preparation, besides what I was wearing and a few, get to quickly, little items in my pants pocket, I carried the rest of ALL that I needed (and used) and a quart of water in my very comfortable back pack.  I have to admit that my pack would have been a lot heavier if my beloved companion had not carried 3 additional liters of waterJ.

My boots were perfect (and I used nice breathable sock and liner), I hardly used the down (very light) jacket but was glad to have it when it was cold.

I ditto everything Richard recommends and emphasis the need for adequate training, good shoes and a “YES I CAN” attitude.

Would I do it again, YESJ and in a heart beat but there is so much more to see in this beautiful world so I look forward with joy to our next adventure.