Episode 52: I Cried, Then I Climbed: The Tour du Mont Blanc

I'm back from Europe and I finally get to tell you all about the Tour du Mont Blanc... 10 days circling Mont Blanc (around it, not up it), about 105 miles and 33,000 feet of climbing through France, Italy, and Switzerland. This one has everything: the logistics of booking through a company, huts with beer and Coke in the middle of nowhere, the wonderful humans I met from all over the world, and the day 9 ladders that had me crying for 30 minutes before I climbed them anyway.

• Booking through a company vs. DIY, and why we chose Adventure Base
• What to actually pack (yes, you need poles... and how to fly with them)
• Hut life: refuge dinners, hiking beers, and half board explained
• The exposed ladders, my fear of heights, and the advice from a stranger I needed to hear
• A trail etiquette rant... please step aside, people
• How to train for 10 back-to-back mountain days (you don't have to be an ultrarunner)
• The real lesson: take your days, unplug, and find the thing that's for YOU

Links & Resources for This Episode

• Several pics of the ladders can be found in this blog or this YouTube.
• Follow me on Instagram
• Visit my website: www.sunrisetrailscoaching.com
• Want to work together? Learn about 1:1 Coaching
• Free guide: What’s In My Pack? Download here

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey y'all, welcome back to Dirt Nab Diaries. I'm your host, Brittany Olson, Trailrunner, Women's Trailrunning Coach, Hype Woman, and Professional Overpacker of the Mid Run Snacks. This show is for the everyday trailrunner, the ones training on real life legs and real life time. You've got work, relationships, laundry, pets, a group text that never shuts up, and maybe a big goal sitting quietly in the back of your head that you're not totally sure you're allowed to want. You're not out here chasing podium spots, you're chasing finish lines, sunrises, and maybe a little sanity. This podcast is about trail running, but it's also about life. The hard seasons, the joyful ones, and the ones where everything feels like too much. So let's get into it. Alright, y'all. Um I am back in the US, uh, a little sad, a little little melancholy here. Um just got back uh from France, technically France, Italy, and Switzerland, but we'll get into uh that. But uh quick life catch up. Uh Jetlag was actually not that bad. I'm not saying I didn't have some tired moments, but because of when our planes uh landed, um, it really worked out really well. Um so we landed as early in the morning in Zurich one day, and we just stayed up as long as possible and then uh slept through the night. Uh and sleeping through the night was a little different too just because. Uh, but then uh landing back in the US too, uh landed in New York at night and then in Phoenix at night. So it was like bedtime. So anyway, try to plan your trip like that if you can. Well, I'm gonna get into some logistics by the way, first about it, but just just so you know, jet lag hasn't been too bad. Uh, I really haven't re-entered real life yet. Uh, I start back uh with my consulting work tomorrow. Um, yay, I guess. Uh but coaching. Uh coaching never stops, but I definitely um have some amazing athletes and got it got a few text messages here and there. But uh yeah, they just I think they just let me go out and play and they they handled things on their own. So thanks guys. But um uh yeah, so uh just been working through like coaching things, programming, but outside of that, it's been you know unpacking, doing laundry, uh meal prep, uh that was a big thing. I did a lot of that yesterday because I wanted to focus on a couple podcasts today, newsletter, all that good stuff. Uh it was good to see the zoo. Uh we found out Kai, our dog, uh may have been a little bit spoiled, which we love because we want her to be loved. Uh, but she is uh, well, she's just walking away now. I think she was gonna say she's she's gotten a little chonky in the 17 days we were gone. So um she is uh she was so hungry because I gave her her normal food that she just ate cat food actually about 10 minutes ago, so she got a hold of that. So um, but outside of that, it's it's I mean, it's fine to be home. Um I'm a person who um even though I enjoy my my consulting job um and I absolutely love coaching. I plan on coaching forever, by the way. Uh I could not work. So going on adventures like this, it makes me be like, okay, how can I do more of these? What can I do? Uh so just trying to first of all get back into my normal routine of getting up running. I've done a couple of runs. Uh, and also like saying, well, what do I want to do next? Uh, because the list is growing since doing that. That was my first European trip. Um, and it was amazing. So, but that's what we're gonna talk about. Uh, we're gonna talk about a little bit about logistics. I'll try not to give too much because some of you may not be that interested, and also like the actual adventure is probably the most exciting piece of it. But if you're wondering like how to do it, you know, what's best for you, what's maybe uh more cost savings for you, uh, if if you need that and all of that. But first of all, what actually what did I do? Like, what is it? So I did the Tour de Mont Blanc. Uh, it's about 105 miles, which is 170 kilometers around Mount Blanc. Not up it. There are ways to climb and stuff. I don't do that. And there's roughly over that time 33,000 feet of climbing. There is a big race there, UNT UTMB, um, that happens at the end of August. And uh, so I actually got to go to where uh the mount that actually starts and all that. So it's cool. We actually stayed in Chamonix uh for a day before and then a couple days afterwards, and then also went to Las Hoches, which is where the um like the arch is for the beginning of that. So that was super cool. Uh but obviously like 30,000 feet of climbing is um that's quite a bit of climbing out there. Uh so uh you can do it uh over different amounts of days, um, depending on if you're booking it yourself, if you book it through a company. Um, so we did 10 days, uh, but some people can do five. I think there's some eight-day options. I mean, there's all if you're booking it on your own, you can do as many as you want. Um, you can do uh zero days, which means our days you don't do anything in hike. Uh that can be either done by skipping a day of the hike or simply planning it, so that's just a zero day, and then you continue on your hike um after that. And you do pass through three countries, so France, uh Italy, and Switzerland, and we got to stay um in hotels and in different areas. So in Italy we did have pizza. We had quite a bit of pizza when we're out there. But um, yeah, so there's a lot, but let me get into the Lisa logistics first, uh, before I just start rambling on, because I've already missed like, or I've added five bullet points in my brain. So um let's first what I want to mention too, like I totally understand the privilege and the money it takes to do something like this. This is on my list um since I heard about it. I started uh trail running in July 2018, beginning of July, and I heard about UTMB um around the time it was happening at the end of August. So very early in uh my trail running uh experience. So um it has been on my brain for a while. Um, and then I actually have seen like a couple of friends on social media. They shared uh the uh some some footage of them out there actually doing it, and it kind of re-sparked just like okay, like let's let's save some money, let's figure this out. Let's get with let's get the logistics, let's see what's the best way to do it. Luckily, I asked one of my friends just a couple of questions, and they had booked through um a company. We'll call them adventure companies, but like an adventure company, um, and I looked into different companies, and so that's how we booked. Uh so anyway, I did, but I want to acknowledge that privilege, the money, all of it that it takes. I know it's not a cheap trip. Um, I know people have kids and lives and work and different things that they can't always get away. Um, but I do want to encourage you, like, if there's something you want to do, try it. Uh, maybe it takes a couple years to save for it, but um, logistics. Okay, so we booked all of our things. Uh, not flights, not flights like that. Flights are on your own always. Um, but we booked through Adventure Base. Uh, there are many companies who do this. Adventure Base was fantastic. Uh, they have a WhatsApp, so if you have like a question that you need answered a little bit quicker, uh, you can text them during the trip. Uh or before even, but like during the trip, you you text them through WhatsApp and they're there to help you. Um, for example, we had a uh taxi service that a couple times the hotel that we were staying in was further away from the trail. It was like a 20-minute drive, 15 to 20 minute drive. Um, so that'd be a much longer walk. So uh but one, but uh, if we had had an issue, say we're gonna be late, we could send them a text and just say, hey, or WhatsApp text, just be like, hey, like we're running a little bit late. Can you let the taxi company know? Do we need to make other arrangements? Blah, blah, blah. So it was nice that they had that. So they handled like those types of logistics. They they booked the taxi, they booked the hotels, um, just made sure everything was squared away, answered all the questions. Um, they actually have an app. Um, it's called, I believe it's called Roadbook. Um, but each day was spelled out, it had a written description. Um, it talked about the uh huts uh and refugios that that were throughout uh that you can stop in and get drinks and food and all that. We'll get into that too, because those are amazing. Um, but like they just set all the things up for us, and it does cost a bit more money because somebody else set it up for us, but it made things so much easier. We got to just wear our normal fast packs, which are is the pack that I run in. Um, and they transferred our luggage for for us. There is a um 15 kilogram limit was actually quite a bit of space, um, just so you know. Um, so we had so and you don't bring an outfit for every day, just so you know, that's not a thing. You you you're washing you're washing some of your laundry or all of your laundry in sinks. Uh it's not that you bring one outfit. I mean you could, uh, but like you I you bring probably two or three outfits for those 10 days. Um so just just so you know, there's gonna be some hand washing of laundry. Uh, but like I so we had them handle the accommodations and the luggage transfer because we didn't want to deal with any of that. And so that way we could just hike in our normal packs. Like we we had brought snacks with us to uh from the US. Their grocery stores um are a bit different. There are, oh by the way, there's an Aldi in Zurich. For those of you listening, if you don't know what an Aldi is, it's how I I survived um college in my early adult years, uh, because the groceries are cheaper than other places. Uh, but they had one in Zurich, so I was like, what? But anyway, but their grocery stores, there's a it's it's quite like it doesn't always have the same snacks and stuff that we do. And we did buy some stuff from grocery stores and different things so we could, you know, have their bread and have some of their sandwiches because their sandwiches are amazing and fresh. Um, but we still like I brought some bobos with me um and a couple of like and some running uh nutrition that I have because that's what I'm used to having whenever I run, because I did run, I didn't just hike the whole thing, um, I did run some of it too. I said just hike, and that sounded very condescending. I apologize, I didn't mean it like that. Um, but I hiked and I ran, so is both. Um, so just a tip. Bring some of your own food if there's something you really like when hiking, and also grab some local food too, because that's what you're there for. Um food, not just food, but you know, having some local stuff. So now, what is like if you think about a company versus like doing it yourself, um, so you still if you would decide to use a company, you still want to contact them early. I think we were uh we had talked to them and said yes to them either by September or October of last year. So we're looking at uh nine to ten months before before like we were even leaving. So just so you know, some of them do payment plans or you pay half at the beginning, you know, or you do a deposit and then you pay you after a certain date you have to pay by. Um, but like just so you know, you do want to book early. If are you if you're booking on your own, you might even want to start earlier. Um, I talked to a group who said they did theirs um in October, so by the time we booked through the company and they did all their logistics. Um, but it does take some time because you need to know um, are you gonna stay in a hotel? Do you want to stay in a refuge or a hut? Um, you'll see me use those words back and forth, just you know, I'm talking about the same thing. Are you going to camp? You can add there are actually camp spots and you can through hike with all of your gear on you, including like tents um and that. So it's a little bit obviously more difficult with that much climbing, having that much weight on your back, but you if that is something you want to do, you can totally through hike that thing in camp. Um, so what what also um between company and DIY, so if you're just doing it by yourself, period, um, you're not gonna have a guide. Uh some companies offer guided and self-guided tours. I did a self-guide, which means just go out by yourself, have the app and all of that. That is what I always prefer. Um, I do not want to go out with a group of 10 to 15 people, even though we met some wonderful groups of 10 to 15 people. Oh my gosh, so many great people. That's in this episode, by the way. But um it just like it it just means like you can pick which one you want if you are more comfortable having a guide with you. And a lot of times the guides are not just there like moving with you, they're also telling you like different history stuff um and all of that. So there's nothing wrong with it, just not something uh for us. So um, again, I mentioned the luggage transfer, it's just waiting for you at your next stop each night. So you just make sure you have the things you need, which is normally your pack, water, food, electrolytes, whatever you carry on you, um, sunscreen. Make sure you have that. You will need sunscreen. Um, and then you just hike with your day pack, which is great. Um, so just so you know. Also, there may be a time if you do uh book a hut, like a remote hut, that doesn't take vehicle deliveries. We did not experience this because then we did not stay that way. But um, there may be a night or two where you just have your day pack. So that might be a day where you throw, you know, like your toothbrush, your deodorant, um, and like anything you're gonna sleep in um into your pack, probably in a plastic ziploc, uh, and then you uh just wash your clothes right away when you get there, chained to what you're gonna sleep in. That way you can have clean clothes. So just tip. I didn't have to do that, but again, there are some spots where, depending on what huts you stay in, where again the delivery vehicles for luggage transfer cannot make it. Um, so yay, but I keep mentioning huts. I'm gonna mention a little bit of it here, but that was part of the adventure. There are these huts uh throughout the hike um where they are there are places you can stay, right? There's places you can sleep. You have to book those things, though. Maybe there's a bed that opens up randomly because somebody doesn't show up, um, or whatever happens, but like these, but these are things you have to book. Um, some even do reservations for food, some some are a little bit bigger and have more kitchen services. But these huts are throughout where you can um have a Coke. Coke is out there everywhere. Coke is better than Pepsi. Um, you can grab a bag of chips, uh, you can get a sandwich, you can get there was one that we hit in the morning, we had coffee uh and croissants, you know. Um I think I think Greg had a cannoli too, I don't remember. But like they just have they have things you can grab along the way. So um when you're thinking about budgeting, try to budget in if you can uh some money for that kind of stuff because it is fun. It is fun to grab that stuff on a hike. Like if if the if the US had hikes like this where there were just things like that, I think more people would do it. But it's just a really cool environment, and you run into people that you're seeing like day over day because maybe they're doing a 10-day like you are, or they're stopping at the about the same places. So you just kind of overlap with these people over and over. So you're having a coffee or a beer. I had some beers while hiking and and a couple glasses of wine while hiking. Um, and you just sit there and you meet people. So that's super, super cool. Um, but again, I'll talk more and more about that as we go because that was a really, really fun part of that. Um now, flights for the most part, people will fly into Geneva, um, and then they will take some kind of shuttle to uh Chamonix, typically. There are other places you can go, uh, because some people do start in different areas. Uh like you can actually do the Easter, Easterly and the westerly, like you can actually split it too. So there are different different play ways to do that, but typically, like a lot of people do start in the Shamini Valley. Uh, but again, that's more research if you decide to start somewhere else, decide to do half of it, um, or decide to also do we did counterclockwise, which is very normal. Um, they say it's a bit prettier that way. I cannot imagine it's not pretty the other way either. But clockwise, you can do it that way too. You just don't see as many people going that direction. But so normally Geneva, Shamini Valley, and then um from Shamini, uh from Shamani, when you're done, uh you just go back to Geneva and you get on your flights. So uh I did learn a lot about airline points and different things, so that's a whole nother episode. I don't know if I could explain it to you all, but there's that part too. So um, but be be checking for flights because uh flights have been going up and up. Uh so yeah, it's a big deal to try to save some money there. Uh, but that's all I'll say about flights, because like that's just something you have to research. Um packing. Ugh. So it just depends. So we were told to bring, like, you know, like micropuffs in an insulated layer because it is the mountains. Uh, weather can come in. We also received emails about a heat advisory that was happening in Europe, um, which is I think last year, the last couple years they've had them too. And it did get warm. So, but we definitely know the mountain weather, so it was very difficult of like, okay, I guess we're bringing these layers and we might not use them. Um, I will say by day three, I left my puff um with my transfer luggage. I I watched the weather, like I looked at the weather every day and I was like, you know what? I'm seeing some rain. I'll bring my raincoat, but and but I'm not gonna have my puff. So I did eventually leave my puff with my transfer luggage because it was just weight on my pack I didn't need. But you want to have a rain jacket, you want to have um maybe an extra pair of socks in your pack, uh, just in case. Uh, especially with we got rain inhaled on. Um, I did not change my socks ever, but it was nice. The rain jacket was definitely a necessity. You want food, you want sunscreen, um, making sure you have water, electrolytes, salt tabs if you bring them. Similar, like if you are already a runner, it's very similar to what you would bring on you. Um, having your poles, I would say yes, yes, yes. Um, I didn't see too many people without poles. That is 33,000 feet of up is a lot. And the descents are also technical. So I highly, highly recommend poles. Um, just so you know, when it comes to having poles, uh rarely will you get them that far uh in a carry-on. Um, I've had a few people say, I've got mine through, I've got mine through. I've had way more people tell me uh they get to security and they pull them, and you have to like get them tagged, and then you know, get them on the plane, and then if you just get them tagged and get them on the plane, that means they're just hanging out loose too. So that's kind of igw. So we had always planned on having a checked bag. Uh that way the poles could go in there, and that's where we kept like just the stuff we wouldn't need for the plane. So just made travel a little bit easier, knowing we'd put in the check bag. So keep that in mind with poles. Uh, but I do think you you should bring them. So um, and also just like uh chargers. We did not bring a battery pack with us to charge while on the hike because we were, like I said, we were fortunate we stayed in hotels, we were able to charge our phone every night um in the hotels. So, like, I don't know when it comes to the huts, like how many plugins they have. Um, these huts are a lot of them are dormitory style, so that means you're sharing space um and sharing plugins and all of that. So it might be a good idea to have one of those battery packs with you. But um also no, just other things worth like knowing is currency. Uh, most places do take credit cards, um, just even the huts. However, in certain areas, um internet service isn't quite as great. Uh, so it's always nice to have some Euros um or Swiss francs, uh, just so you know, being in Switzerland, like they take Swiss francs, not Euros. Uh, just because uh their their machine may be down, and there were a couple spots that that's just they took they took cash, period. Um, so also the places that uh were in Switzerland that I had to use any kind of cash, I only had Euros and they did take Euros. So I don't know. I don't know how that works everywhere. Um, but for the most part, you are able just to use your credit card. I use my Apple wallet like crazy. Um, so I'd highly recommend that. It made it so much easier than trying to dig through and like grab a bag, which is on my phone. Um, but all but always have a little bit of cash. So uh cell phone coverage was also very decent. It was so weird to me. Um, there's a couple times I just forgot to go in an airplane mode when I started, and I went to take out um my phone to take a picture, and I was like, oh, oh, on my phone, and I was like, and I have signal and all this. So um you do, and I'm not saying you don't want to be in airplane mode. I prefer that. I like to unplug, but you do have coverage. So, like I said, if you needed to contact the company who would help book for whatever reason, um, you could contact them. There are there are some dead spots, but there were there were not that many. Um, as far as I know when I noticed. So, and they let me know that too, that there's not a whole lot of dead spots. There are many times when you're looking down, you can actually see a village below you, which is pretty cool. Um I think for that though, outside of like, hey, book early, the route does fill up. This is a popular trek. There were parts of it where we didn't see people for quite um quite some time, and then all of a sudden we'd be like, oh wow, people everywhere. Um, and part of that is just due to um first of all having those huts out there where people will, you know, stop, eat, drink. Um, and part of it is just like sometimes you get to a summit that's just beautiful, and you sit there and you have the lunch that you packed in your bag. So also in Italy, we got, I don't remember what we got, salami cheese, bread, and all that. Uh a bunch of it to make a call a few sandwiches, and it was dirt ass cheap compared to what we're paying for. Um not as good of like meat and stuff for sandwiches. So keep that in mind. I was told Switzerland it is not as cheap in terms of that stuff, but we stopped at a little um deli there and got just meat and cheese. And I don't remember where we got bread from, but um, it was hella cheap. Um I think we paid 16 bucks for a bunch of meat and cheese, like a bunch. Um, so just keep that in mind too. You can make your own sandwich. You can have places that make sandwiches too. But uh we saw a little deli and wanted to check it out, and so that's just another way to uh stay on budget if you need to. Most of us need to stay on budget, but you know what I mean. So okay, logistics. I went way longer than I had planned, but hi, I'm Brittany. If you don't know me, that's what I do. I really tried hard to make the actual adventure, the actual movement, the actual like circumnavigation, 105 miles, 30 that 3,000 feet of gain, all of that into like the actual meat of this episode. But I'm like, and I remember some days I'm actually still taking notes about what happened each day, who we met, and all that. Um, but it's like I just there's so many things that happened out there, and I wasn't trying to break apart this episode and get it all out there. So I'm gonna just talk about like how it was. I'm not gonna give you step by step every single piece of it, but like hopefully like you can you can see what we did and see the adventure, and maybe it'll you'll be like, you know what, I'm thinking about it, and I'm gonna do it now. Maybe you haven't thought about it, but um, hopefully this kind of you know at least gives you an idea of what the heck to expect. So day one, uh, whew, lots of actually road, which I did know going into it, by the way. Um, and you do get some like trails, some especially some double track. They're like uh what we would call jeep roads here. I'm not sure what they call them there now that I'm saying this. But um they do like you start you start on the road for a little bit and then you start going up. You start going up all almost every day. Um, even on some of the sh the days if you do like a five-day or an eight day, a lot of them are start started upwards. I think we only had one day that actually started downhill. Uh so you climb and you climb a lot, and there's some steep spots, there's some easier climbs, you know, but you're just going up. Um, and I am a climber. Um, people not climber like climbing up rocks. When it comes to trail running and hiking, I love going uphill. Uh, it's one of my favorite things to do. So, like my legs are just springing and ready to go on uphills. Even after a few days, it was like that. So um I would go off ahead uh quite often on those uphills. Uh, and it was just you just go. Um, and it was warm, just so you know, uh like I said, heat heat wave. Um, I don't know if we hit 90. Um, we hit 80s definitely some days for sure. But the difference between I know Arizona is like 112 today, maybe I can't remember. Um 115, but so it's hot, but I'm not moving at that time of day. But we have a hairdryer heat uh wind. So the the it feels like a hairdryer is blowing at you. Whenever we were there, there was a mountain breeze. So a much cooler breeze. So even when it got warm, I'm not saying there weren't times where it was like 10 to 15 minutes, like okay, it's it's it's warm, it's warm. But you would get this mountain breeze that would hit you. You would hit shade, and some of you may experience this. Um when we hit shade here in Phoenix in the Phoenix area, you don't feel a huge difference. It's nice to not have the sun pounding on you, but if it's 105 outside and you try to get in the shade of like a cactus, because we don't have shade trees here really, um, you're not really getting much cooler. Is it nice to not have sun beaming on you? Yes, but it's not the same as the mountain breeze hitting shade, um, uh whether it's a pine tree or whatever kind of tree is out there, it helps you cool off. So it was really nice um to have all those things um out there. So even when it got warm, you could eventually a breeze would come through. So absolutely amazing. I just want to mention that because there were some times like, wow, it's gonna be a warm, warm hike. And it was at times, but other times like the mornings are actually very beautiful. I would say high 50s to low 60s in the mornings. So and the evenings were gorgeous too. But um, but still, lots of road miles still, like there was, but the first part, like I said, we're going up Jeep Road, um, and it was the first like little uh it was actually a a restaurant. This was not this is not a little hut you could stay at, um, but it was a little restaurant up there, and we weren't we weren't too many miles, and we were a few. And we had met a guy uh who was born in Turkey, uh, but lived in northern Virginia. Um, and his name was Ilhan. And he uh we actually sat with him and got some fries, and I had my first beer on the hike, which was kind of fun. Greg got a Coke and a popsicle. Um, but it was just like I knew there would be little spots to eat along the way, but it's just kind of cool how people just like stop and people who don't know each other always end up talking. Um so it's just really cool. Ilhan was actually camping. He had just done the um Camino and then he uh was doing this now too, but he had his like he had his tent, he had his big through hiking pack. Um so he he had he has had quite a few adventures in his life, but super cool to talk to him about how he was doing it because we were doing it much different. Uh so we gotta stop there. Oh, also I wore my Mount to Coast H1s. I know I've talked about my shoes just a little bit. Um, those are the exact right call for me. Those are the hybrid shoes um that can be used on the road, on gravel, maybe on that so technical trail. There is some technical trail out there, guys, but this this helped out quite a bit. Like the H1s held up just fine. Um, and I do think because I had those, my feet were definitely a lot happier, especially for that first day where there's quite a few more road miles than others. Um, so H1s were the right call. So just when you're planning, think about okay, there's gonna be some road. How do my trail shoes feel? And you may still wear your normal trail shoes out there, but be prepped, maybe wear some thicker socks for the road portion because you need a little bit of uh protection on those feet. Trail shoes are not made for the road. So but yeah, so we did a lot of hiking upwards. There was a lot of hiking upwards that first there's just so you know, there are shortcuts throughout. Like there is a we could have taken a little um gondola up to the top where we actually hiked up. You know me, I wanted to hike though, but like you can actually take these things, certain things up and down throughout. I'm not gonna mention every single one because I don't remember, but there's different cable cars throughout where if you want to cut it short, if you're having a rough day, if that's just what you had decided to do, because that's what you want to do, because you want to get down to uh the town you're staying in or the the hut you're staying in, um, they have options to shorten days too. It's fantastic because, say, for example, you're with a group and somebody does get hurt or somebody's just not feeling well, there are options to be able to like get down off the mountain a little bit quicker. So just keep that in mind. There's actually several options. If you book through a company, at least mine, they gave them all to me. Like I had them in a PDF, so that was super nice. Uh, we didn't ever have to do it, but it's just nice to know if you want to take that option too, or the different options. So it was definitely like all the climbs, uh, not every single climb was hard, but there was there was a lot of hard climbs, a lot of hard descents. But really what keeps you going outside of that cool mountain breeze is uh the views. Um I had a lot I post a lot of pictures on my story um on Instagram, and the views are real. Uh, it does not look real to me. Uh the mountain, even though I'm in the pictures, I'm like, this doesn't look real, but it is so real. You see glaciers, you see all the mountains, you see a bunch of green, you see a lot of clear, flowy water, like mountain, mountain water. Like it is just so clear. Yes, there were some that weren't, especially after a couple of rains we were in, but it was just like crazy. Um how just just how like how clear for us, because I'm always amazed by water now that I live in Phoenix, um, because we just don't have that much water that flows. So just for me, it was super cool. Uh put my hands hands in a lot of water, would you know, rewet myself, you know, dunk my hat, all of that stuff. But there was like there was creeks and cascades just throughout the hike, um, a lot. Um, one thing that was also cool, uh, we saw a lot of them, especially day one, because of how many like little villages we went through. And yes, you go through little villages. They have these little um we're just gonna call them like little water fountains, and they are continuously flowing um into like a little trough. So that's where you can fill your water bottles, that's where you can like dunk your hat. You can do that too. So you don't just have to have a a creek. They have these in their little towns, and they are for you to fill up your your stuff. Um, I'm not saying they built them for you, by the way, but like you can use them. They're not just like, hey, this is just for the townspeople. So it's just a really cool um thing they have. We'll call them water features, but they have them in many places throughout. The first day, though, I I feel like is when we probably saw the most of them, but that's because we're on the road a little bit more, we went through more villages. Um, so just super, super cool. Uh man, but I'm trying to I'm like, I'm trying to think of all the things, even though I haven't bulleted it out. There's so many things to talk about. Uh, but like again, I mentioned this, like we we were in France for part of it. Um, and that day one, like the roads. After that, there were sometimes there would be on the roads, but for the most part, it was trail. Some single track, some not. Uh, I believe it was day three, and actually a race was going on uh where we were going. And uh during while when that when I was uh actually going right before we started going uphill again, uh there were racers going, but then it started raining and then it started hailing. So that was just a experience. The hail never got so bad that it was like ah scary. There was no lightning or anything, so we kept going. Uh, but I definitely got caught up in it and I ran ran with some of those racers for a little bit. But uh it was just cool to see, and then I found out later that these people were doing a hundred kilometers and 8,500 meters of gain. So I can never remember exactly how long a meter is. I feel like it's close to a yard, which for those who don't know, that's about three feet. So you're looking at over like 24,000 feet of gain, over 62 miles, over a little probably a little over 62 miles. So that's nuts. Uh so Europe does those races, they adhere to their cutoff times, uh, which I'm fine with. Like a cutoff time is a cutoff time. If a company's more lax, that's that's their thing too. But like for me, it's just nice. I'm like, oh, you like you know when you're gonna be cut off. Um, so but they have they have their I'm not saying their cutoffs aren't generous. I'm not really sure. I didn't look into that, but like they are strict with their cutoff times when you get there. Uh so but that was super interesting to see. And then whenever I uh got to one of their aid stations, it was where one of the uh huts were. So like where you can get beer, coke, food, you know, wine, uh, little snacks. Um, and then also it was an aid station, but then also it's where people could stay. So that was one where they had like dormitory styles, um, and you could actually check in and stay if you had booked there. We did not book there, we had to go downhill after that. But um, pretty big climb that day. I know I skipped over day two, but like day two, I mean, I I they all kind of come together. Um, but day two was also just amazing. Uh again, I'm gonna say this lots. It's lots of climbing, period. So you're going up, but when you're ever whenever you're in a place that's like that pretty, I'm not saying it's not hard, but I'm saying it's different because you're seeing things that you've never seen before. You're talking to people who have had a variety of experiences, who are from all over the world, um, and it's just cool. And it's just, you know, you're all out there doing this big thing. Um, maybe for a lot of people, I'd say for a lot of people it is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I met a couple people who had actually done it before. Um, but you're just out there doing it and you're grinding it out together. Uh, day two is also the first day that I saw the cows, and they have the biggest bells. Yes, bells, I didn't say bowls. Like, they're even their sheep, like, and you can hear them from like so far away. So that's the point. But it was it was fun just to see them. Like, I'm like, we have cows here and we have sheep here, but seeing them was fun. So did not see much wildlife throughout the whole thing. Uh, I saw a lizard on the very last day, which was interesting because there were some pretty warm days. But um, and we did see, and I was gonna look this up before the episode, and I didn't, but I was told it was called an Ibex, I B-E-X, and it's uh like looks like like a goat uh with horns. So um that was super, super cool. Uh I saw that on the very last day. Uh, so that was cool. But that was like really outside of that, not much wildlife, which was super interesting. I'm thinking um part of it is because of just how busy that trail is with so many people. Um, and then uh seeing with the people who saw those ibex, because some people saw them the day before, um, and I was and I saw them the day after, but uh it was in a like a national forest area. I don't know if they call them national forests there, I can't remember, but that's it was a protected area, like a reserve. Um, so that was super, super cool. But yeah, so again, I'm hopping all over my days. Sorry guys. Um, but it was so but for the for the rest of the days it was really cool. Like a lot of times you didn't know when you were crossing into a different country, uh, which is not a big deal, guys. Uh I know borders here, but anyway, I won't get into that now because I could rant. Uh, but you know, we did um cross into Italy at some point, and you can tell, sometimes you can tell just because like there's a flag at one of the huts that has like the flag, the the country's flag. So it's like, oh look, I'm in a different country. Um, so what does that mean for hiking? For me, not a huge difference. Like, you're still going up and down, you're still doing the things, but for me the food is what's different, right? Like you can have like let's try some Italian food. Like I said, pizza was our things. I think we were in Corm Cormayer. Uh yeah, I think is where we stayed a couple nights, even, which is when we had a taxi service to take us to our hotel. And um had some Italian food um and then also went out for pizza. It's also where we got that uh cheaper like meat for sandwiches. So uh, oh man. It was just but it was it was super cool. Uh we actually had a uh the typical um I'm gonna call it quintessential uh Italian driver who took us to our hotel. Um, you know, was very expressive with his hands, had no idea what he was saying, by the way, but like you could tell that, and I was like, and it reminded me of just like what you see in the movies. Um, but uh by the way, always safe in the car. Just more you could tell. Like if somebody was getting like close to the car or there was somebody not paying attention, he definitely was very vocal about it, so it was really silly. Um, but uh so so we definitely had the definitely had Italian food. Uh, you know, met all kinds of people. We met a cute little Scottish family at some point when we were in Italy and having pizza. Uh, and they were actually uh they weren't doing Mount Blanc, they were uh road tripping in a van. So that piqued our attention, but that was cool when they were traveling um with a couple little kiddos. So just really cool to see the different adventures people are having um and where they're stopping and what they're doing. So we had Italy. Uh we eventually did cross into uh Switzerland. Um I felt like when I look back at it now, and I'm not even 100% sure if this is accurate uh factually, but it's how my brain is is processing it, that it was a little bit quieter and greener, like the postcard villages that you kind of see. Um when but when I look back, it seems like that's what what I saw more of when it came to the Switzerland side. So super, super just like green, and there was still lots of green there, y'all. Like it it does like it has snow melt going on, it gets rain um around the whole like mountain. So it's not like there's no green, but it just there was something about it that made it feel a little bit different. Um uh, so you know, again, had more food. Uh a lot of our hotels, I forgot to mention this earlier, but they came with half board, which means you get breakfast um and dinners. Breakfast was pretty good. It was always a buffet, and it makes sense because a lot of those hotels rely on tourism um and the skiing and the hiking season. So if you want people who are leaving early, it is way better to have a buffet where people can grab their own food, grab their coffee. Oh, yes, we might need an espresso machine here, by the way, with how much coffee I had there. But it's a buffet style for the most part in the morning, slights it, which makes sense because of how um their guests are. Like they're not sitting down just to like eat and chill, they're sitting down to eat and fuel and get get on the trail or get out on the slopes. Uh, and then the dinners are definitely like they booked us in for us very nice hotels. Uh, we don't normally stay in hotels because we have a van, but when we do, we're not staying in like four-star hotels. But uh, so they did. They had um a certain menu, you know, you could order from. Like you had your appetizer that you could pick from. Um, sometimes you had uh two courses, sometimes it was one, it just depended. Uh, and then you had dessert. Uh so it was always plenty of food. Don't you worry about that. And a lot of times it was something that was, you know, like local to them. Um, I actually had cold rabbit for an appetizer. I can't remember how it was, and it was delicious. Had some amazing salads. That's not all it, by the way. There's lots of bread. They have bread everywhere. Um, so lots of bread. Uh, and one thing, like, I did not have hardly any issues with food like I have here. So I was that's what I was looking forward to, was not having any food issues. Um, and I didn't. So that's that. You can take with that what you will, but I know they have fresher food. We do not. We have a lot of processed food. So, and if you try to get, you know, all organic, you know, not processed stuff, which is very hard to even find, you have to read the labels real closely. Um, it's super expensive. So, anyway, good food. So, just so sorry, so I meant to mention that because like some people like, oh my god, like feeling figuring out breakfast and lunch and dinner. Really, if you're if you book through yourself or through a company, you can ask for half-board at hotels or even the huts. They do breakfast and they do dinner. Some breakfast, by the way, it makes you wanting more because you could go somewhere and you have a breakfast that's like a huge buffet. Um, but then also uh you could have a breakfast that was very like plain where you could like hard boil your own eggs, have a croissant, you know, coffee. It's enough food, y'all, but when you go to one place and you have all these hot options and then you go to another, it's like, oh man. But uh, so just just just know that. Um, if you do have food sensitivities, um you can tell them. Uh there are there are many places that had actually a lot of vegan options um if you asked for them. So if you've got if you are vegan or vegetarian, they do have those options too. So that's part of the adventure, right? I think I went back to food. I we we I ate a lot of food when I was there. And I actually had a lot of beer and wine, not like excessively at one time, but when you're moving and you're actually having one every once in a while, it's more than I would normally have um in a normal week. So uh, but super, super cool. Um, so but again, like I said, lots of ups and downs. The one thing that I will caution you about, this would be day nine. So the day before the last day. Day nine if you're doing a 10-day, um, there is a checks uh section of ladders, uh, which I did know about. I believe there's 12 ladders, maybe it was 13. Um, and I had looked at some pictures and the app did not make them sound scary at all. And by the way, you should prep for your own hike, like do your own research, do all that stuff. Hopefully, this is just a starting point for you. Um these ladders are exposed, like right on the edge. The first three ladders, especially. I am terrified of heights. Heights, rattlesnakes, those are my two things. Um, didn't have to worry about snakes when I was out there. But uh, so the ladders are straight up. Uh, you go up one, you get on a little like railing kind of thing, and you scoot over the sidestep to the left, which means you're closer to the edge. You go straight up another ladder, and then the next ladder's kind of leaning that you have to get on. So you you have to step to another ladder. Um, and then you have like nine more after that. But um definitely I will link to a picture, I think, that you can see online. I I got Greg took pictures, I took pictures, like I didn't take pictures while I was on the ladders, by the way. Uh, I got pictures taken of me, but before I even started, I cried. I cried for like 30 minutes um because I had I'd taken the the uphill on my own and I was just waiting. Um I had several, so many sweet people who said, Oh, you can join me, you can join us, like, you know, and I was like, no, I'm waiting, like, uh, but it was super, super difficult for me because just terrified of heights. Uh, and it is expensive, like I'm not gonna put it lightly. Like, if you are scared of heights, it's gonna be hard. There is an option before you even get to that point where you can go around, by the way. Just so you know. So there is that option. Um, I had wanted to try the ladders because it was just part of it, it's part of the adventure. Um, and I did do them, but it was very, very difficult. Um, and it's the ladders are very sturdy. They're not like you're not like getting on a ladder and it's shaking. It is like bolted in. Uh, but it's right on the rock face. I mean, you're just out there. Um I don't even know how high up it was, but it was super exposed. Uh, you would go up some ladders and there would be chains along it before you'd get to the next ladder. So I would hold on to the chains. I mean, I had like three points of touch even when I wasn't on a ladder. And at one point, you're hanging on to a handrail and you're scooting sideways. Um, so you're not walking forward, you're scooting sideways, and your your feet are on the edge. Like, if you would lose your grip, you would fall and die. Um, now, the thing is again, all of this was very sturdy. Like, to let go of this, I mean you would have to intentionally like push backwards and let go. But like, um, yeah, you just just be prepared for that portion of it because it was scary. Am I proud that I did it? Yes. Um, still, uh, scary. I I don't even know. I I was talking to myself out loud, like whispering to myself. I think I was whispering, don't look down, don't look down for part of it, because it's weird because you do want to look down. Like, I wanted to see where my feet were. Like, how are my feet doing? And you don't want to look down. Uh, so just so you know, like this should not deter you from doing it. There are other um options, like there's a variant you can take. Um, also, and this is what I gotta talk about these ladies when I get to the people part, but um, Kirsten, she she was uh uh one of the Australian women I had met. Uh she and Nikki were the ones I met first. Kirsten we actually met first, first, and then we met Nikki and her together. Um, but when I I was sitting there waiting, and her and Nikki were like coming up and they're and um Kirsten was like, if like if this doesn't bring you joy, like if you if this does not make you happy, you're here to have fun. Like you're here because you want to be here. You don't have to do this, you don't have to go up the ladder. If it is causing you like I can't remember exactly how she put it, but how she put it was great because it gave me permission to be like, yeah, like I have paid money to get here, and I did this because I'm happy on the trails and happy to hike, and I don't have to do this. Like there there's there's not a reason. Yes, did I do it, but it was just something that I needed to hear. Um, not even sure why, because I still did, but it was something that's like, yeah, like dude, like this is this is my hike, and I don't have to do this if I don't want to. So always keep that in mind too, with many things, not just this in life, but it was a really good message. Um, and I liked it. So um, but that so that was day nine. Uh again, another beautiful hike. There is an option here to take um a cable car down. Uh and by the end of the descent, we were ready. And not be I mean the descent was hard, um, but it was boring. It was probably the one descent that I'm like, oh, like I could have taken the cable car, like it would have been no problem at all. Like, no, like I wouldn't have felt like I missed anything. Um, so uh I'm not saying like I'm mad that we did it. It was just more, it wasn't it wasn't the fun um scenic ones that we had had. So that was one I was kinda like, alright, maybe if we do it again, it might be a cable car down. Uh and then the final stretch, uh, there are actually several options here uh for cable cars. But uh for me, I was definitely like, I want to do the whole thing anyway. Um, but this was the last day, and I definitely wanted to, you know, get that full experience by that time. So um, I want to say there's three cable cars to help you get up and down. But either way, um definitely just like kept moving. Uh that day, uh saw a uh couple people that I had seen actually throughout the trek, which was cool. Um but and I I will say when we got to the top, it did feel kind of like that was final. Not because we didn't have to go nine kilometers down, but it just kind of felt it just felt like for like that was the last kind of summit, like the last like peak right there that we hit. Uh so but that is also where I uh saw the little Ibex that I talked about. And they are definitely used to people because I got several good pictures of it. But there was also some exposed areas too. Not as scary as the ladders the day before, but there were three more ladders on this day, y'all. Um so uh not as exposed, but I was with a couple of women at that point um and got up those ladders. They encouraged me, and it was fantastic. Uh, and then at the top there is a uh restaurant up there, so I hung it up there for a little while, um, had a coke, might have had a beer, I don't really remember right now. Uh, and you know, I was kind of just sitting there chilling before we went down. So um went, got to the bottom, um, and then had to take a bus back to Shamani because you don't start right in Shamani, just so you know. Uh but like uh but got down uh and they had a little I they have ice cream everywhere there, by the way, but uh had a little ice cream thing, so had a had an ice cream cone to finish that off on a warm day. So I don't know if that adventure actually helps you. Um, but it was just one of those things that was something that I planned. I had looked at pictures for years, uh, saw saw the vert. When I see vert like that, I'm like, yes, yes, yes, yes. Like I am in. So part of me can't even believe is like it's over. Like I can't believe I did it, but it's like I am now home, just back in 115 degree heat. Um, but it was worth it. Uh it was worth um the time it took to save. Uh how we did it with being able to carry day packs was super, super fantastic. Um, and it just went like it went well. Uh I I got to, I don't think I mentioned this. I I ran in, I hiked some. I ran I hiked some with Greg. Sometimes I would just hike ahead and wait. Uh there was one day where oh man, this day was this day was really beautiful when we stopped, but there's a uh lake where we stopped and had a hotel. But I ran that day all the way to that space. So it was cool, and I just got to sit at a lake. Uh Greg, when he got there, uh went jumped in and went swimming. Like it's um, I guess what it was called a public lake. Uh and it was super, super like just amazing to be able to relax there. Like if we had taken a zero day, I'd mentioned those earlier, that would have been probably a really nice place to take it just because there was that lake there. Um, but I would encourage you if you have the time and the funds um to be able to do that, to even take a couple zero days. Um we did not. Um, and I don't regret that either, just more like if you can, like it is kind of nice to do it. And again, even if you don't plan a zero day, um, these like no most of these villages, especially if you're staying like a spot where like a taxi can take you, um, they're not super far apart. So even if you have a day where you're like, I'm just tired and I can't do it, you can also like get shuttled um to the next place that you were going to end at. So lots of different options. Um, they are used to tourist and uh having people um with like different needs, so it is really cool because they are pretty fluid with how they do things. So um, but that is the adventure. Um, again, so many more details. I'm sure so many more things are going to hit me in terms of like the terrain and how beautiful it was. But it's hard. Like, it is not for the faint of heart. Like, you need to train, you need to do the work before you go. Um, but we'll get into that too, because like, uh, but um, you know, if you if you want to know what the typical day works, I kind of mentioned in logistics, but I mean, typical day is wake, breakfast, hike, arrive, shower, dinner, sleep, repeat. I mean, that is what you're doing out there. Um, it's not that you don't like see anything at all, but a lot of times by the time you get to the village, and this depends, like, if you're running the whole thing, you're gonna get to these places faster, so you actually might do a bit more. Uh, but in terms of hiking, most places, and you can even Google this too, like how they'll tell you about how long it's gonna take to get from like point to point, depending on what you're doing, the the the amount of uh kilometers you're doing in a day. Uh, but really it is. It's it's it's wake, breakfast, hike, arrive, shower, dinner, sleep, repeat. Sometimes it's dinner, shower, sleep repeat, depending on what's happening. Um so again, I mentioned the food already. I did half board, but like there are also places you can grab food because they are villages um and they are used to having tourist. Uh and really uh outside of that, like when I talk about the rhythm and and how it was, um, my body felt really good. Um, there was a couple days my feet I could kind of feel them, but for the most part, like I felt great. Um, everyone's all I'd wake up and I'm like, ooh, I can feel my hips. Uh on the especially on the big climbing and big descent days. Yes, there's climbing and descents throughout, but some there's just a little bit more of an impact to the body. So you'll feel some kind of way. If you don't train, you'll probably feel uh a lot worse. But with training um and all that, like you can get through those. Those do how many ever days you decide to do it to, um, that will be how you need to train. Like, if you're gonna do a five-day, your training's gonna look different than if you're doing a 10-day so and if you're hiking versus running. Uh so just keep that in mind. But really, it is all the same. Same on repeat day after day. I encourage you to take a couple days before and after if you can. Um, take take a week or two after if you can. I am always encouraging people to take more vacation. Um, but getting into that rhythm is really nice because your body eventually kind of starts just knowing it. I would say by day like three or four by me, I just knew I was like, okay, I'm gonna climb, I'm gonna descend, I'm gonna eat throughout the day, you know, and your body does get into that physical rhythm of movement, and I think mentally your brain just starts to come around about okay, this is what we're doing, and I think it makes those law those later days like even stronger. And not because you're not feeling some kind of fatigue, but your body knows what's happening, your brain knows what's happening, you can just keep moving. So, just so you know, and I met plenty of people by the way who were not ultra runners, so don't think you have to be an ultra runner to do this type of thing. Just get ready for it, get prepped. Um, I mentioned the water and weather already. Um, there was tons of warning water from snow melting because there was some rain. Uh, there's those little water troughs that I mentioned. They were very charming and practical, which I can appreciate. Um, and just how clear the water was, and then the weather. Like, you don't know, guys. Uh, if you have been in the mountains before, if you've done Humphreys here and Flagstaff, the weather can change very quickly. We were very fortunate, I feel like, with the weather. Yes, there was a couple of hot days, but even the weather didn't change like crazy too much. Like a little bit of rain here and there, but nothing. But I think we had, like I said, two it rained two days, but not even two days. I think one day it rained for like less than an hour, and another day it rained for like right around an hour. So it wasn't it wasn't bad. But you want to be prepped for that. So just watch the weather, watch the forecast. And again, you always have like cell service. You might have to buy an international pass or whatever you have with your cell, but like you will always have that, so you can you can check those things too. And there are locals you can ask as well. And the ho if you're saying a hotel or a hut, they're pretty good at telling you things. So um, yeah, so we've talked about logistics, uh, the actual adventure, the like the just the rhythm of getting into it very briefly, the water, the weather, um, and also like the big part for me was the people. Um, and y'all know me, I'm a peoply person. I I mean, I love people and I don't like people for many reasons right now, but that's again a story for another time. But talking to people who are out there, especially in the outdoors while you're moving, is definitely one of my favorite things. You're doing something similar, like you're putting forth um effort as they are, and they're doing the same as you, and they are eating and they are feeling the heat and they are feeling their feet might be hurting and they're feeling a little sore. Um, but I feel like for me, like that's kind of like the heart of the trip, too. Um, where I met just like wonderful people everywhere. Um, and I probably won't be able to name it on them all right now only because like I can't think of them. And what I'm most mad about is like I don't have WhatsApp information or Instagram information. Um, I have a couple people who started following my coaching page because they asked me about coaching and trail running, um, which is amazing. But outside of that, I'm like, I don't have all the people I talk to because I like to keep the people. Even if we don't ever talk again, I just like having my people. I don't know, that probably makes me a little weird. But if anybody has been coached by me and all of you who actually know me in person, you know I'm just like personal and personable, and I like to get to know people. So, um, but um a couple of we'll so we'll just talk about a couple people I met briefly. Um, Sunil was one of the first ones. He is from India and he has had some amazing adventures. In fact, he was doing the trek, um, then going to London to meet his wife, then they were going to the Galapagos to take a, I can't remember how many day trip. I want to say it's 10 days, but a 16-person like boat trip around the Galapagos, and then they were going to Machu Picchu. Like, I was like, holy shit, I want to pick your brain about everything. Didn't have time, but he started trekking around 2020, but has been a marathon uh roadrunner for years and years. So um, he uh he has done, I believe it was 55 road marathons, uh, which is quite a bit. Uh, and like it was just cool because I got to talk to him. So normally it seemed like their group would start a little bit before we would, and then I would uh pass him on the uphills and chat with him a bit, and then when I would stop at like uh a hut to wait, like he would be there and we would just chat about things. So um he was just super cool to talk to. One of his friends took a picture of us two together, but I don't have that picture, so I'm like, man, Sunil, I need that picture. But he was just it was just super cool to chat with him about what he'd done, some of the harder treks he'd done just since 2020, right? Like that's only been like six, that's only been six years. Um so just just so many adventures he's had and what he does, and it's it's very inspirational to see people doing these things. Um so he was super cool. What's crazy though, and this is where it is, is like we we actually stayed the same uh mountain hut as the group that they they they're with um did and then saw him in the morning and then didn't see him ever again. So just so you know for for somebody if you like to get to know people, you know, um sometimes they just disappear because they have like different amount of days they're doing, they're on a different day than you are. They might have started in a different location. Um, they may be doing a zero day, you know, all of that stuff. So um, Sunil, if you're listening, find me. Uh Sunrise Trails Coaching on Instagram. Uh but uh just super cool Doc Tim. Um we also met uh I believe it was was it Utah University, State of Utah. Oh man, they're gonna be so mad because I should know the college, but it was Utah. Um it was in Utah, and a group of 19 of them, I talked to like three, three of the women. Um, like they I know one, Molly, who follows me on Instagram, not so I know her name, uh, but she had done it the year before camping and this year was doing Hutt to Hut and helped organize and do all the logistics with it. Uh, and like just talked to uh them like after dinner. So in the huts, it's super cool because it's more communal. When we were staying at hotels, you have your own table, but this is more of like, you know, you're you're near people, which I enjoy. Um, but uh so uh but Molly had started asking questions and asked about what was my big trail race in May, and I went to say like Coca Dona and I didn't even get the whole thing out. She's like, I didn't realize I was in the presence of greatness. Um so first of all, it made me feel good, but then she had questions and wanted to ask all the questions because she has started trail running. So super fun, made me feel really good. But y'all know me how I talk trail running. I mean, I have a podcast where I monologue about it. So uh, but that was super, super cool. Uh, she has graduated as a nurse and uh has been volunteering at some trail races in Utah. So I thought that was super cool um that she gives back to the community and she's like into trail running. Um, so that was just a really cool experience. And just chatting with her friends that were there too. Uh we were just sitting in little like uh they're not beach chairs, but that's what they remind me of. Like just those long beach chairs you can lay out on. Um, because by the way, daylight there, the sun rises, I don't know, before six, and it sets after nine. So you have a ton of daylight, which is amazing. So no headlamps were ever needed, by the way. But like it also makes you just when you're chatting with people, it's not that weird dark environment. You're all just sitting out there, like, enjoying the weather because it's beautiful and you have plenty of light. Uh so we've met Sunil, Molly, and her friends. Um, and then gosh, so many. We met a very sweet um Danish couple. Um, oh my gosh, love chatting with them. Um they we actually met them on the trail. I I had passed them, and then we ended up sitting by each other at dinner. It was one of those more uh where you actually uh they say more communal dinner too. Um so just got to chat with them a bit and then saw them again on the very last day as we were descending. So, but super sweet. Um they had said uh Norway is the place that we need to visit. So that is going on the list uh for us. Um but it was just nice to just talk to people. These people there asked, like, oh, like, how long are we going to be on vacation? We're like, yeah, we end, you know, in shamanis on this day and we're staying two extra days and may go home. And you could tell they were like disappointed, like, you Americans. And not in a bad, like, I was just like, I know we Americans don't know how to vacation so well. Um, but like I would have loved to take another month off, but that's just not how life works. So, um, but they were so super, super sweet, super cool um to talk to. And then I mentioned the Australian women earlier. Um, so um met Kirsten one day. Um later in the hike, I was actually at the top. I was waiting on Greg. I'm standing on the top of a rock because I had gotten slightly off trail um and gotten to a little it looks like it was a little lookout, like people take a little trail um to take a picture and then get back on trail, so it's just kinda weird little spot, but I was just standing there so he could see me in case he took the same way. And then Kirsten was there too. Um and we took her picture a couple times because she was solo that day. Um her friends were taking a zero day. So it was super cool. Um, and just like got to chat with her. Uh she was moving downhill. Like this was a rough downhill when we started going downhill, and she was amazing and just moving. Uh, and then um it was the I'm pretty sure it was the very next day we ran into her and Nikki, um, both Australians, uh still, by the way. Um, and just like chatted with them. Uh, we sat at one of the um huts and uh they had hot chocolate. Uh I think I had a Coke, maybe a beer, I don't remember, but like just like got to chill and like hang out with them and talk. And we had talked while we were hiking too. Um and like just I don't know, we just talked about things, all the things. And then uh they had booked through Adventure Base 2, which we found out later. So that night, uh we were staying in the same uh hotel. And it's a cute little hotel too, uh, and uh met uh their friends, uh Brendan and Becky, uh, who had taken a zero day that day. They had actually already done this trek a couple years before. Um so they were cool, like taking zero days and just chilling because they'd seen the things. And like, who doesn't like a good cable car too when you can when you can use one? Uh so super, super like just fantastic people. We talked about all the things, uh politics, all the things, you know, that kind of stuff. Uh dogs, uh, animals, just it was great, but they were they were the people that I was like, I'm super disappointed not to have like their Instagram or WhatsApp or whatever, because I was like, oh man, like enjoyed it because after that we saw them. I think that was it that night. It might have been another day. The days are blending together, y'all, which is why I feel like I should have explained that adventure better and written more down. But um thought we'd see him again, uh, because when they got to Shamini, they were leaving the next day, but they were they because then they were on the same path as we were. They did a 10-day. Uh, but we were not in the same hotel. So, um, and they were leaving, like I said, the day after they were finishing, and we were staying a couple extra days. So, um, but just it was a joy to just like get to talk to them, just to get to chat with them, um, hearing about Australia and why we should visit, and also maybe some things about why we shouldn't. Um, just kidding. Just more they're hearing all the things about the Outback and all of that. But no, it looks, it sounds like for trail running it'd be an amazing place to go, and I have not been. So it's on the list now, too. But uh, seriously, just met some really amazing people, and really, really, really like loved doing that and talking. So, as the as anybody can tell, I love talking. So, uh cool. That was so those were the people. Um, there are more people, but those are the ones that right now are really sticking out in my head, um, because it was amazing. Um, a couple of things also to mention outside of like what I've talked about with the adventure is um I'm keeping this light, but the trail etiquette was a little rough, so just be prepared for that. Um people would just not step aside if you were faster, like they would even look back at you, and there was no like I would have to get off the path to get up, and I was not the only one, like I could see other people having to do that too. Uh it was very weird. And it like I said, some of these hikes or some of these like uphills were very difficult, and people would just stop, like right in the middle of the trail. Um, and which is something I'm not used to either. And it's not that I've never had bad trail etiquette here in Arizona, trust me, I've had it. But it was just kind of a weird thing to do. Um, so just be prepared for that. I'm not mad, it's not something that ruined my trip. It was just sometimes it was like, what's happening here? Like, what what's going on? So, trail etiquette is very universal. Um, so just so you know, like if you are coming downhill, the uphill person has the right of way. There's people on their feet, by the way. Bikers should be yielding to everybody. There were some bikers out there, and I cannot imagine doing that, because there could be a some pretty um not a clusterfuck, but there there's just a lot of people at times, so it'd be hard to mountain bike. But m bikes are always supposed to yield. Um, downhill yield to uphill hikers. Uh, I do not see any horses out there, but horses always have the right-of-way. What else is there? And just because you're going uphill, if you decide to let the downhill people come down because you want to break, that happens quite often. Just make sure you step off the trail if it's single track. Like, and if you see somebody behind you going faster, move over just a little bit. Or even if you don't move, you don't have to move off the trail, just move over a little bit and kind of wave them forward. That's just trail etiquette. It's pretty basic. Um, to be fair, people are out there grinding, they're doing something hard, but it's also not cool just to like stand in the middle of the trail whenever somebody's going by. So keep it in mind. Um, so there's that. Man, I'm over an hour, guys. I'm just gonna keep talking until I get through this. Um, I could probably break this into two episodes, but I'm not going to. Uh, what would I change in terms of like packing? I think what we we didn't have as big of a bag as what we should have. So I don't think we would have packed more, but we needed a slightly bigger bag, so every day, because every day of the luggage transfer, you have to have it dropped off at um the front desk or the front of the refuge, wherever they pick things up, um, so they can transfer it for you. And we we always had to like play a little bit of tetra, trying to get things fit into the bag. So I don't I wouldn't change what I had packed. It was more um just making sure like the bag was a little bit bigger. Because 15 kilograms um is quite a bit of weight. So uh just uh so like I just had my running shoes and my UFOs, which are sandals. That's all I had with me, and then just um I think a pair of linen pants and two tops that I could just wear um whenever I was there. Like whenever I wasn't running. That's it. So, and then obviously like toothbrush, toothpaste, all those things. But like you don't need to bring makeup if you don't want to. Um, if you want to, just make sure it's very small. You don't need to bring a whole bunch of stuff. So there's not too much I would change in terms of packing. I think I had one pair of socks I didn't use, which was really strange, but I think it's because I didn't know I had one more pair of clean socks. Um, so outside of that though, I don't think there's anything I would change. Um, just make sure you bring your necessities and don't be too excessive. You're not gonna feel like really dressing up afterwards. Like, I oh, this is what I would have changed. I had seen some people because it was so warm. I was expecting to be a little cooler at night. I probably would have just brought a dress I could wear to dinner. Like a very simple, plain dress that I have here, and I probably would have brought that because it would have been easy to slip on. So that is something for whoever wants to wear a dress um or has them and has just like it it actually had been a good idea because it would have been very simple to put on for dinners every night. So that is the one thing I probably would have changed. But again, you don't need to bring a whole bunch of stuff. You are hiking for how many every days, you're doing a hard effort, you're not really feeling like, you know, getting all getting all dressed up and having like a different outfit every night. Plus, it's not gonna fit in your luggage transfer and they will charge you more money. So now, who's the adventure for anybody? Uh, you know, trail runners, hikers, you don't have to be an ultrarunner like I mentioned earlier. Like it's really making sure you train. It's not a joke. Um, you're averaging 10 to 11 kilometers a day. I think we went between 14 and 25 and a half kilometers. Yes, we had a 25 and a half kilometer day. That was a big one. Um, and you're looking at 3,000 plus feet of climbing per day. So, um, so I think that's like around a thousand meters. Somebody can correct me with all my math right now, because I'm just going going off the top of my head. Um, and we did it for 10 straight days. So, again, depending on what you do, but it's not a joke. Like, the you're doing back to back to back. Fatigue is a real challenge. Uh, your net legs never fully get that reset. I was fortunate I had just ran the Coca-Dona, so like I had ran 250 plus miles, which is 400 plus kilometers, y'all. Um, so my body was very much showing shape for this. Um, I had done so much training, I had carried a heavy pack, so like I had that training going into this. So it, but it is something to take seriously. You don't want to go in untrained and be extra sore. You don't want to go in untrained and feel like shit whenever you are surrounded by so much beauty. Um, so train with consecutive long days. Hill get on some, make sure you're getting on hills, you know, get on a stair stepper. Um, load that day pack up. Know what it's like to feel like, and you don't have to have like a shit ton of stuff on you, but you still don't want to just have an empty pack on you. You need to know what it feels like to carry some snacks on you and all that. And practice with your poles. Um, have those poles out there, even if you know how to use them, it's always good to train with them if you're going to be using them for a race or an adventure like uh the trek around Mount Blanc. So, um, and again, you don't have to run the thing. Like, you can hike it. Even as a runner, I feel like as a hiker, it's nice to actually run some because it does help. Like it helps the strength of your legs, it helps your cardio, so I am all for that. And even as a runner, you can actually train by running. Now I want you to do some uphills and you'll be power hiking those. And you can still hike the whole thing, you don't have to run it. And there are many parts that are unrunnable, so keep that in mind. But train. I mean, I'm a coach, so I'm gonna say train, but I have always loved training and practice, um, sometimes more than the actual like race or game. I remember playing softball and basketball. I love doing drills. I love the drill after drill after drill. That's where you hone in your skills and and get better and better. Um, and the same goes, I think that's why I like training and coaching so much, because I've always liked that practice piece of it. Uh, so train. Uh, if you have questions about what it looked like for me or like what you can do um to get to this point, just reach out, let me know. All my contact information is in the show notes. So um, I am happy to ask or answer any questions. I might be asked questions too. Don't get me wrong, I asked tons of questions. So, but this is like hey, if you want coached for this type of effort, reach out too, man. I love coaching. I've got a like four spots left on my team right now, four, maybe five. Um, but yeah, so you know, happy to coach you through that too because it is an effort worth getting a coach for, whether it's Me or somebody else. Like if you need that accountability, if you're not sure how to program yourself, it is something to look at because you're going to spend money doing this, you're going to spend time and energy doing this. You want to be at your best for that. So, all right. And just so know, y'all, the 10 days to do the track and the time before and after in France, for me, it wasn't enough. Um, I'm I've been home less than a week and I already want to be back out there. But I am an outdoorsy mountain person. Um, it's not just the hike, it's made me think of how I need to make time throughout the year to unplug. Um, yeah, I did get to unplug during my race week at Cocodona, but like I was pretty busy moving for five days. Uh so but it it does make me think like I need more than than what I'm doing for myself here. Like uh it's 10 days of uh it was 10 days of not working. It was over 10 days of not working, by the way, it was like 17. Um, but it was like not checking my phone, not even thinking about work. I thought about coaching because I love coaching. It is my business, it is my people. Like, so that goes through my brain, but it goes through my brain in a good way of what can I do to be better? What can I create as a group program? What can my next podcast be about? That kind of things I do think about, but not not work. Um, not um, and nobody out there was, I think was was a big part. I'm not saying I didn't see people, maybe there are people at their hotels or somewhere checking their work stuff, but people were just enjoying it, um, not staring at their phones. Um, I would, you know, people watch at dinner and you nobody had their phone out and like was going through it. I know in the US when I'm looking around, a lot of times I just see people on their phones. Um, but so it was just a nice like be being able to see this. Um I feel like the Europeans, and there's probably other countries who have it figured out too, um, or other places that have it figured out. Um, but like they take real holidays and they're in them, fully. Like I said, the Danish couple, and I was like, yeah, we're gonna leave a couple days after that. Like, they were going somewhere else. The Australians, I think they were going to Germany. I don't want to mis misrepresent that, but I think that's where they're going. So like it's like vacations keep going, which I think is how it needs to be. I also know Australia is not part of Europe, by the way. So just so you know. But um, but meanwhile, people back home, people here, are letting their PTO expire. Yes, I know people who let their PTO expire. I I I have never let my PTO expire, so so, but like, they're just losing it. And so what are we doing here? So it's like, you know, yes, the mountains are calling and I must go. That's how I feel. Um, but why are we not taking the time? And I'm not saying go to the mountains. I'm saying you gotta figure something out for you. But I miss the rhythm of what we did over those 10 days. I miss that getting up, moving, you know, eating, all those things on repeat. I like that kind of thing. I'm not a person who has to work all the time, like I said earlier. I would I would coach forever. I love what I do for coaching. Um, and my consulting job is fantastic. Holy cow, guys, I am treated well. I have great colleagues that I work with, but if I had the money and the time, I would totally be be out and about much more. Um, but you know, I I I don't mind waking up a little tired, a little sore. Like I like that feeling um of what I've just did. The climbs, the descents, like just filling your bottles, doing it again. Like, for me, it's not suffering, it's a whole bunch of joy. And that's like what I need more in my life, and I think what most people need more of in their life. Um, except for the people who are always full of joy. Ah, I love those people. Um, but it makes me feel like it makes me feel that's uh super alive. Like not staring at a phone, not staring at a computer screen, but moving. Um, and let me know, and I'm gonna say this again, this trip is a privilege. Um, it's not cheap. It doesn't mean privilege doesn't mean you didn't work to do your trips, by the way, but it is still a privilege to be able to have the opportunity to do these trips. It's not cheap, and some of you are in a season of life, um, little kids, caregiving, budgets don't have friends in them, where this is not gonna happen for you right now. This exact adventure is not. Um, I do get that. I really, really get this. This has been a long time goal of mine. So I understand that you just can't take off sometimes. Um, and it doesn't have to be mountain belong, it doesn't have to even be in the mountains, um, but it has to be for you. You have to take the time. I just mentioned how I've realized throughout the year, like I'm not unplugging enough. I'm really not. Um, and I think that's why I've felt some deep fatigue lately outside of running 250 miles. But no, I've had a lot of feelings of deep fatigue over the past year, year and a half even. And I do think it's the not unplugging. It's the not taking the time for me to do the things I do to r need to do to reset. Now, sometimes we do mini resets. We go out for an hour-long run. You know, we lay on a yoga mat outside for 15 minutes when it's nice outside. That's something I do. Um, but you do need to take some time. Whatever that is, and whatever that looks like for you, it needs to be for you. And that is something I cannot figure out for you. Um, I do not even know who's listening to this podcast. I don't even know who who you are right now, but you gotta figure out what that is. Hopefully, you can take some time. Hopefully you can take PTO as a mental health day when you need it. Hopefully you can take a week or two here or there. Hopefully there are things you can do, but the big thing is take the days for you. Find your version of what you need and protect it. Do the thing, train for it if you need to, respect it, and go meet your mountain. Uh, and leave the laptop at home. Alright, y'all. Thanks so much for uh listening here. Holy shit, I had a whole bunch to say. Uh, if you love this episode, please make sure you download it, follow the show, leave a rating or review, and share it with a friend. It really does help this message reach everyday peeps just like you. Now, go move your body, drink some water, stretch your calves, and if you're listening while running, loosen your shoulders. You're welcome. Good effort, positive attitude.