A few days ago, 7 brave souls had the opportunity to do the Tour du Mont-Blanc Captain Wild style. Between breathtaking landscapes, sunsets on the summits and blisters on the feet that created a cocktail of adventure, we retrace the trip in pictures from the point of view of Kash, who took part in the trek.
The Tour du Mont-Blanc, made in Captain Wild
Home-made Captain
We're starting to make a name for ourselves: when we do something, we do it differently. Even if the GR TMB remains a must in the Alps, offering a very popular loop for a large group of people limiting mutual aid and exchanges wasn't really close to our hearts.
Self-guided, with hikes and refuges, in stages or all at once, on the trails or far from them, there are plenty of ways to do this tour and we had to choose. For this grand premiere, we decided to make the experience accessible to as many people as possible. So we looked for solutions for those seeking experience rather than performance, while retaining the notion of surpassing oneself. But don't get us wrong, we're not kidding about the sporting aspect of our trips, and a taste for effort is not an option!
And as everything has to be earned, our participants had to tackle around 1000m of ascent over 5 to 6 hours of daily walking, in order to take options that would keep them away from the crowds. The difficulty may have been heightened, but the wonder was constant!
Off the beaten track
It was off the beaten track that our 7 athletes took to the paths of the Tour du Mont-Blanc. Sometimes vertiginous, sometimes rocky, but often far from the rest of the world, they had the opportunity to admire the scenery from the ridges, regularly moving away from the valley floor.
As they made their way back to the authentic refuges and gîtes where they had spent the nights, Rima decided to offer them a different itinerary.
The route takes in the Swiss alpine pastures, the Arpette window, or even the high ground before reaching the Col de Ferret at the gateway to Italy. Not without missing out on the classics, a break is in order at the halfway point at the mythical Bonnati refuge (whose down jacket we restored, the story of which can be found here) to enjoy a coffee while admiring the mythical Grandes Jorasses, before returning to the cols to avoid the crowds.
After a cultural visit to the town of Courmayeur, we set off again for the Col de la Seigne, offering a different mineral scenery to what we've seen so far. The end of the Mont-Blanc tour doesn't come without a stop at François's, where we pick up a few kilos of Beaufort (an essential part of the tour's design) to fill our bags, which have become a little too light for our sportsmen.
Fuel for swallowing d+.
Remember, we don't skimp on meals at Captain Wild! For once, we've left the fondue aside (we're saving it for winter). Whatever your diet (vegetarian, vegan or other), the aim is for everything to go as smoothly as possible.
A healthy mind in a healthy body! That's how we see it, and Rima gets it. Organic picnic breaks with local flavors are the order of the day. For dinner, no one escaped the refuges' meals: hearty and local!
Travel light
For this first event, it was important to us that the trip should be accessible to as many people as possible. This raised the question of luggage. A 7-day trek, even one in a refuge, requires a certain amount of logistics and equipment. We opted for the shuttle, which will take luggage from hut to hut whenever possible (6/7 days all the same). Freed from a certain amount of weight, this solution enabled us to move more freely on the trails, which are sometimes more technical than those of the traditional tour. And... we can't lie to ourselves, we're delighted to find our bags back at the refuge in the evening, without having had to carry them all day!
The Outdoor brand
And when you say Captain Wild trip, you say an iconic outdoor sports brand to partner with. And this time it's MAMMUT who will accompany us this week. Loaded with history, this Swiss brand has earned its reputation. It was in the heart of Switzerland, in 1862, that the young rope maker Kaspar Tanner founded his own rope factory. Now experts in mountain sports equipment, it's from their bags that the 7 hikers will be equipped.
For this occasion, the Ducan and its Spine version are in the spotlight. Featuring Active Spine technology, they ensure optimum comfort of movement, light weight and pockets in the right places. The bag was perfect for the Mont-Blanc tous. The brand, which we're particularly fond of, is also our ally for adventures other than the Mont-Blanc, so we'll let you see it all here.
Having good equipment is one thing, knowing how to adjust it to your size is quite another. And to get the best advice, we simply went to visit Philippine from MAMMUT. Not disappointed, she explained to us how to correctly adjust our backpack. Pretty handy before embarking on a 7-day trek. We share all her tips in this article, with a video to illustrate?
We let the pros do the talking
"Appetite comes with eating" was the first sentence Kash told us. Present on the Tour du Mont-Blanc this week, the 6105m of positive vertical drop hardly satisfied her, which just goes to show how beautiful the scenery can be, once you've tasted it...
Constructed in the form of a voyage of discovery, the trip lives up to its description, that's the vision Kash brings us. A keen sportswoman and trail runner, she even had some new ideas for next year... But this time, she was delighted to join the Tour with Rima in the form of a trek.
The trigger: the size of the group. 7 people seemed to be the best option for this departure, as she wanted to make this week a shared experience in nature, where helping each other is a point of honor. And it worked! Right from the start, Rima created an atmosphere of exchange and sharing. As they say, "encounters make the journey"!
Prevention is better than action
Fortunately, he was spared the blisters on his feet, a blessing not enjoyed by all. After a brief stopover in Courmayeur to find something to ease the pain of their comrades, they set off again. As the next day's rain approaches, they prepare for a cool day. Despite everything, Kash knows how to bounce back. It's "the diversity of the landscape" and "the charm of the mountains" that she manages to bring out of these rainy hazards! Well-prepared and well-equipped, the team faced up to the downpours, which lasted throughout the day; an opportunity to see the mountains from a different, more austere but fascinating angle, and to put our MAMMUT bags to the test. It's sure to inspire us the next time we're caught in a downpour!
Then came the tricky part, the nights in the refuges. Although often warned about the sometimes noisy nights, the room shared with other hikers didn't seem to bother our hiker. That's not so surprising when you realize that everyone is starting to get a lot of mileage out of it?
The charm of the Alps
It's not long before Kash tells us about the itinerary. Here it was different from what she had found elsewhere during her research. The idea of seeking out the ridges and taking to the heights brought a new dimension to the week. "Nothing beats the feeling of getting away from civilization", a vision we all share with her at the office.
"No wonder, when they tell us about the ridges they've climbed and we look at the photos! Every day is different, in terms of difficulty, relief or landscape, and that's what makes the Tour du Mont-Blanc so rich.
The first version of the Tour du Mont-Blanc is a hit! We're delighted to have been able to avoid the popular routes we normally take, and we've kept our promise: to showcase this legendary trek with a different eye, leaving our customers with memories that will last a lifetime.
The last word
"- The total unison with nature, where the individual blends in perfectly, where you find your true self. It was a wonderful experience for me. Thank you Captain Wild for proposing this stay. Have a great evening with you and the whole team! See you soon. Kash "
