19 Jun Be a mountain climber, without giving up your luxury comforts
Planning a luxurious week in the Alps, where you will learn to be a mountain climber is possible with the right itinerary.
It’s easy to make a molehill out of a mountain
Anyone who’s skied has done it: summiting a snowy peak in minutes in a ski lift, before bombing down in seconds with two glass fiber friends strapped to your feet. The crisp, clear air… the awesome views… the slightly blurry plastic lift window blocking your photo opportunity.
Calling all of those mountain enthusiast who really want to get intimate with a mountain
Head out to the European Alps this summer, to learn how to be a mountain climber, with guides, ropes, crampons, the whole caboodle. Walk green valleys, maneuver the tumbling glacier of the Mer de Glace and the world-famous peak, the Mont Blanc. Unconvinced? Take the luxurious seven-day test. We’re talking charming 14thcentury hotels, bubbly Italian hospitality, and expert guidance on everything from ice axes to aperitifs.
Wake up to the sight of Europe’s highest mountains
Let your guide walk you through alpine pastures and traditional villages before hitting the glaciers and snowy peaks. Train to be a mountain climber with ropes, slide down a crevasse (safely, of course) and listen to the popping sound of the ice around you shifting. And if you’re up for the ultimate challenge, summiting Mont Blanc as the grand finale is a must. Not only will you push yourself and come home hugely satisfied, but also you’ll learn how to be a mountain climber and have a new respect for mountains, which will never leave you. Ever.
Forget mind-blowing, climbing is absolutely mind clearing
Focusing on every step, every breath, and every second of making it to the top is so far away from your normal daily routine that you’ll practically forget your own name. As your crampon-encrusted boots crush the two-foot deep snow beneath them, and you look up to see the highest point you’ve ever reached outside of an airplane just meters away, nothing else matters.
Earlier this month, we planned a trip for good friend of ours whose goal was to be a mountain climber, to climb the Mont Blanc in the French/Italian Alps. At 15,782 ft., or 2.9 miles (depending on the thickness of its snow cap) it’s the highest mountain in Western Europe. Impressive. Before they left, we outwardly admired their ambition, but inwardly wondered what motivated them. When they returned, they explained it all.
“Two smashed and exhausted but elated guys just finished their ascent and descent and are safe and well…for both of us this was the most physically and mentally challenging thing we’ve done”.
They described the climb as “not with our bodies, which were finished long ago but with our minds. There is something truly wonderful about being able to think about nothing else in the world but where you will put your next step and the mountain and conditions allow you nothing else…you are forced to be completely in the moment”.
This sums it up for us, and we’re now convinced.
Planning another right now in fact, trying to imagine what it must feel like to only have birds for company. If you’re interested in becoming a mountain climber, being completely mind-cleared and physically challenged like never before, get in touch.
We will create a luxurious week-long hiking experience for you, where you will learn to be a mountain climber and appreciate a mountain for what it is. A magnificent mountain. No molehill mentality required.
To plan an unforgettable trip, contact us today
For those of you who are not ready to tackle climbing but who are looking for some high altitude inspiration for your next hiking trip in the Alps this season, I have finished an article on the famous haute route that you can check out here.
Warm regards from the mountains,
Danielle