The Mont Blanc Esprit de Corps – Rick Steves’ Journey Weblog

Climbing Europe’s Tour du Mont Blanc was a completely totally different slice of European tradition for me: Coming upon a distant farmhouse-turned-thriving-cafe serving fantastic lunches…flowers and cows (with basic bells) scenically sprinkled all through…and an esprit de corps the place everyone seems to be like household.

Our path went via three nations — France, Italy, and Switzerland — earlier than returning to our place to begin in France. This cow is completely Swiss.

One of many delights of the TMB is coming upon an previous farmhouse on a mountain alp (or pasture) that, nowadays, is a thriving little restaurant for hungry and thirsty hikers. Costs are affordable, service is pleasant, the meals is nice, and the vibe is certainly one of pleasure.

As practically everybody hikes in the identical route (counter-clockwise), you grow to be associates with fellow hikers. It appeared like half the folks on the path had been from the US, and I met plenty of Seattleites.

It was simple to go lengthy stretches of the hike immersed in deep dialog with folks we met alongside the way in which.

I loved assembly this fan of my books and TV exhibits, who was celebrating his sixtieth birthday by mountain climbing the TMB together with his son.

And within the curiosity of mountain climbing gentle, lunches had been quite simple — only a sandwich from the lodge, perhaps a carrot, a bit of fruit, and water. However upon reaching the mid-day summit, lunch was a marmot’s banquet. (Talking of marmots, we noticed no wildlife besides a few mice that had been squished underneath mountain climbing boots on the path.)