TOUR DU MONT BLANC

The Tour du Mont Blanc is one of the world's classic hikes - 100 miles around and through the Mt. Blanc Range in France, Italy and Switzerland. At nearly 16,000 feet, Mt. Blanc is the tallest mountain in Western Europe, dominating the Alpine skyline and, along with the rest of the Mt. Blanc Range, visible for many miles. The hike crosses several breathtaking high passes and descends into beautiful valleys, often with small mountain villages and farms, gaining and then losing over 60,000 feet en route. In August, I set out on this adventure with my college friend, Sue Tomley, and a small group of fellow hikers led by REI Adventures. Our French guides, Marie-Guislaine and Marc, were extremely knowledgeable, helpful and lots of fun. We hiked for 11 days, then spent a last day in Chamonix, paragliding and riding the spectacular cable car up to the 12,000 foot Auguille du Midi. A fabulous adventure!

Our hike started in the scenic Alpine town of Chamonix in France, in the shadow of Mt. Blanc's glaciers and rocky outcroppings. The photo is taken from Mt. Brevent, looking down on the Chamonix valley and across to Mt. Blanc.





Here the trail traverses the high ridge, always with a commanding view of the Mt. Blanc range.






This zoomed-in image clearly shows the immense glaciers spawned by the mountain.

Marie-Guislaine looked like Mata Hari in her hat, scarf and gloves. Even though it was very warm, she spends so much time in the sun she has to keep covered. She's a very experienced guide, and has climbed all over the world, including Mt. Blanc and up to the South Col on Mt. Everest.

This is Col Tricot, or Tricot Pass, complete with grazing sheep, green hillsides, and snow-covered peaks. I expected Heidi and her grandfather to arrive any minute . . . .

After a long hot hike, this tiny bistro magically appeared, like an oasis.

This glacial stream was icy cold, perfect for soaking hats and bandanas to keep cool . . . . .

Approaching the little town of St. Gervais, the houses all had colorful windowboxes overflowing with flowers.

History is everywhere here in the Alps, like this beautifully ornate church bedecked with more flowers . . .

We stayed in very small hotels or auberges, and feasted on meals cooked by the proprietors' wives. Some of the hotels were very old and quite rustic, but all had running water and at least some semblance of real beds - real luxury compared to sleeping on the cold ground in a tent as we did in Nepal and Peru!

More flowers in windowboxes, color-coordinated with the shutters!

A street market with fresh fruit and vegetables . . .

Colorful, historic St Gervais . . . . .

Beautiful and historic churches are everywhere . . . .

Karine, our van driver and lunch-maker extraordinaire, setting out our lunch for the day. In the morning after breakfast we assembled our own lunches from the gourmet assortment she put together and packed it in our daypacks. Marie-Guilaine always picked a beautiful and scenic spot to stop for lunch along the trail, where we would take off our boots, relax in the grass surrounded by wildflowers and with a stunning view, and feast on our chosen delicacies.

Our weather was mostly excellent, and we never had to hike in the rain, but one afternoon after we arrived at our hotel there was a mountain thunderstorm with heavy rain. In the afternoon light the raindrops are visible in the air . . . .

On this morning we started our day's hike on a 2000 year old Roman road - the route the ancient Romans used through the Alps as they expanded their empire.

Our trail leads through peaceful green valleys surrounded by mountain peaks . . .

and up a steep pass called Col du Bonhomme, where we ate our well-deserved lunch . . .

In some of the valleys there are small farms where they raise dairy cows and make cheese, like this farm in the Beaufort valley. This cheese is considered a real delicacy, and sells for many Euros in the markets of Paris and other cities.

The trail sometimes climbs gently through pastures where cows graze during the summer, and sometimes passes old stone houses or abandoned barns, but always offers panoramic views of mountains and wildflowers.

On the fourth day of hiking we climbed up to a high pass, Col de la Seine, which divides France from Italy. In this photo I'm standing on the boundary rock between the two countries, with one foot in each. No customs or border guards, just a rock . . .

Now we're in Italy . . . . . .

We're enjoying our lunch looking down on this beautiful Italian valley. . . .

Hiking down the valley toward the small Italian mountain town of Courmayeur . . .

Afternoon clouds cast shadows in the valley. . .

The turquoise water in this small lake comes directly off the glacier on the left of the picture . . .

This sign is referring to the 100 mile trail race around Mont Blanc, following much the same route we are taking - but they run the whole way, and the fastest runners complete the course in a little over 24 hours!

The lovely Italian mountain town of Courmayeur was a welcome sight after a long day of hiking, and we enjoyed a delicious dinner at a local pizzeria in the town square.

Our hike out of Courmayeur was long and steep, but the scenery couldn't be beat, and distracted us from the hard work of climbing out of the valley and up into the high Alpine country again.

The vistas from the Italian side of the Mont Blanc range are spectacular, as the mountains rise even more steeply from the valleys on this side. The precipitous craggy peaks tower over the valley below, with sparkling glaciers gracing their flanks - magnificent and mesmerizing!

This is the Walter Bonatti mountain "hut" where we spent one night sharing dorm accomodations. Sponsored by the Italian government, these reasonably priced shelters ensure that everyone can spend a glorious night in the high Alps. This hut is new, and beautiful, but some are much more rustic.

The view from our dorm window . . . . .

The Alp called Grand Jorasse - a classic and very difficult Alpine climb.

The morning sun casts our shadows on the valley below . . . . .

Hiking along the high trail en route to the Col du Ferret, the pass separating Italy and Switzerland.

From the Col du Ferret we could see all the way back to the Col de la Seigne, the high pass in the distance dividing France and Italy where we were several days ago, and appreciate how far we've hiked so far!

Almost at the top of the pass we stopped for lunch - with a fabulous view!

The top of the pass - Col du Ferret, dividing Italy and Switzerland . . . .

Now the easy part - hiking down the other side of the pass into Switzerland, where the mountains seem more gentle, and greener.

This is the view from our hotel window in the Swiss village of La Fouly.

Our rustic hotel in La Fouly, with our intrepid crew of hikers preparing for the day's hike . . .

An Apollo butterfly . . . . .

Strolling through Swiss villages and farms on a sunny afternoon . . .

Bees on a thistle blossom . . .

We saw several crosses set high in the hills as we hiked through the Swiss countryside . . . .

Our small, rustic hotel in the mountains . . . .

Our guides clowning around - Marie-Guislane, Fabian, and the irrepressible Marc.

Beautiful Swiss Alpine scenery to inspire us as we hike . . .

Contemplating the peace of the mountains . . .

The oldest hotel of our trip, dating back to the 1800's - a real charmer!

Hiking along the Grand Balcon, back in France . . .

A mountain tarn . . .

Mont Blanc in the background . . . .

Vistas along the Grand Balcon . . . .

Our crew on the trail . . . .

A large rock cairn on the mountainside, with a glacier below on the other side of the valley . . .

Graceful spires of the Mont Blanc range . . .

My dessert!!! We had our farewell dinner at a gourmet restaurant in Chamonix, and a good time was had by all . . .

On our last day we had some free time, so four of us decided to try paragliding from Mt. Brevent down to the Chamonix valley. Sue, Lisa, Barb and I are waiting here for our pilots, just a little tiny bit nervous, but excited to try it.

My pilot, Jean-Paul, riding with us in the cable car to the top of Mt. Brevent - our take-off spot.

Getting ready to fly!!

FLYING!!!!!!!

Jean-Paul took a picture of me while we're flying - you can see Chamonix far below . . .

I took this picture of Chamonix below and Mt. Blanc in the background - with my feet in the foreground!

Our four fearless pilots . . .

For our afternoon adventure on our free day, the same four of us decided to ride the cable car to Aiguille du Midi. This is not just any cable car - it's a marvelous feat of engineering that rises up from the Chamonix valley floor at about 4000 feet, straight up the mountain to the steep rocky spire of Aiguille du Midi at 12,000 feet, on the very flank of Mont Blanc.

This is what the top looks like . . . .

Near the top of the cable - the car is going straight up!!!! You can see how far down it is to the valley floor . . . A thrilling ride . . . .

When you get to the top you can get out and walk around on a series of connected decks, some hung out over empty space, and all with unbelievably spectacular views of the mountains, rocky spires, and the cramponed and roped-up climbers nearby.

The ice tunnel used by climbers to enter and exit the cable car building.

In every direction are endless, majestic mountains - the Alps . . . . .

A sky bridge, seemingly suspended in space, takes you from one breathtaking platform to another.

Standing in the brilliant sun at 12,000 feet on one of the platforms in the sky . . .

Heading down in the cable car, with the cable disappearing into a cloud . . .

The lovely town of Chamonix - everyone here is a mountain-lover - my kind of people!!

Chamonix is the starting point for one half of the participants in the North Face Trail Race, with the other half starting on the Italian side in Courmayeur. Again, these crazy people RUN over the steep, rocky, arduous trail that we just hiked over - 100 miles. It took us 11 days of hiking, and the fastest of them will finish in a little over 24 hours. Here is the crowd of people waiting to see what kind of maniacs would accept this challenge, and to encourage them at the beginning of the race.

Here is our crew of hikers, lined up like birds on a wire outside a sidewalk cafe in Chamonix, waiting to see the maniacs run by . . . . .

And here they come! Believe it or not, thousands of people come from all over the world to compete in this event . . . . .

Half of the racers started in the morning in the Italian town of Courmayeur, and the fastest of them was due to pass through Chamonix at around 10:30 at night. There was a crowd to cheer them on, and a few of us joined in, mainly because we wanted to see what kind of shape a person would be in if they had just run 50 miles over steep rocky trails through the Alps . . . .

Here is the first guy to come in . . . . smiling and running and looking like a million bucks!!! I thought for sure he'd be crawling . . . they may be maniacs, but they're in terrific shape . . .

So we say "au revoir" to our Alpine adventure, taking with us priceless forever memories and the peace that always comes from time spent in the mountains . . .

Au revoir Mt. Blanc . . . . .

Alaska - Valdez, Haines and Hyder

A change in the weather accompanied our trip south to Valdez - clouds and drizzle gave this town on Prince William Sound a misty, brooding beauty. We took a daylong boat trip out on Prince William Sound, the better to enjoy its serenity and the copious wildlife.





There are many small islands dotted in the Sound, with eagles, sea lions and otters playing on the beaches. We even saw a mother black bear with her two tiny cubs foraging on the beach!

We were glad to be inside the boat when the mist turned to full out rain, but it didn't seem to bother this puffin, swimming happily among the raindrops on the water.

We sailed up the Unakwik Inlet right into the ice chunks surrounding the end of the giant Meares Glacier - 250 feet high and 3/4 of a mile across - and watched as pieces of the glacier broke away and plunged into the sea.

These otters don't seem to even notice that they're swimming among ice bergs!! Their fur insulates them from the cold water, and they play happily in the ice . . .

We were lucky enough to come across a particularly playful gray whale, who entertained us for quite a while with his acrobatic leaps and twirls in the air. He was clearly showing off for us!!

The Valdez harbor is busy with many colorful fishing boats, tug boats, and other assorted watercraft, including colorful kayaks.

Fun is where you find it on a long motorhome trip, especially if you're a furry traveller. Kibo entertains himself with a small stuffed Alaska bear . . .

while Moshi plays house in the cupboard. . . . .

From Valdez we travelled north to Copper Center at the confluence of the Klutina and Copper Rivers, where Bob and Mark planned to fish for the famed Copper River salmon. Along the way we passed this mirror-calm lake ringed with the black spruce so common in Alaska, and reflecting the sky and clouds above. This is the kind of beauty you see everywhere in Alaska!

The mighty fishermen with their catch . . . .

The happy eaters of the giant salmon . . . .

On our drive south to Haines we stopped for a hike to St. Elias Lake in the Kluane National Park. The lake was beautifully clear and cold, surrounded by mountains.

Vivid purple fireweed was everywhere - along the sides of the highways, blooming in huge fields of color on the hillsides, along the shores of rivers and lakes, making every landscape more colorful.

We saw this charming bear in Haines, where she had been fishing at a fish weir along the river. Now she was full and heading for the forest . . .through the fireweed.

More fireweed, along the turquoise glacial lake above Haines.

Haines is a lovely coastal town surrounded by forested hills and glaciated mountains. Our park was right on the water, with a fabulous view of the harbor and the channel leading out to the Inland Passage from nearby Skagway, host to many cruise ships.

Leaving Haines heading north again, toward the Yukon and the Cassiar Highway, there were many small lakes mirroring the mountains and flowers around them. We were high here, on White Pass, and the air was crisp and cool, and the sky bright blue.

On the Cassiar Highway driving toward Hyder we saw this little group (herd?) of Stone sheep - two moms and two babies alongside the road. They were quite brave, and not bothered by the cars passing by. They posed cooperatively for us in between their grazing for lunch.

We stopped for the night at the Red Goat Campground on bucolic Eddontenajin Lake, where we went canoeing in the calm warm evening. This was a somewhat strange campground, with flakey power and some untethered llamas wandering around, but the scenery couldn't be beat!

Fish Creek in Hyder is a favorite spot for both grizzly and black bears to fish for salmon as they work their way upstream to spawn. The Park Service has built a wooden walkway so that people can watch the bears safely, and what a show it is!! The bears seem oblivious to the people as they single-mindedly fish, eat berries, and splash around in the clear water of the stream. We spent hours watching them, and would probably still be there if Bob and Mark hadn't insisted we leave as it got dark!!

One of our last stops on the way home was at Tchesinkut Lake in British Columbia. In the evening we rented a little boat with a 5 horse motor and putted around the lake listening to the loons and enjoying sunset, then watched the moon rise over the lake. A fitting way to end our Excellent Alaskan Adventure!!