Well, I'm finally back to rewatching your videos as I begin my preps for 2025 TMB. I love how you explain things, give lots of details, and keep it real. I did have to pause though when you talked about not planning on taking any variants on the TMB. LOL, I do believe you've already taken your first variant of the TMB on this day. I hope to do this variant (Refuge de Miage) when we are there. It looks stunning.
Very cool Angelo. Difficulty aside, these are the best days of your lives. Embrace them. It wasn't so long ago that my wife and I had so many great European adventures. Now we're older and as you said in your short film, "we're being chased by the monster"... One day when the monster is at your heels, you'll look back at this with your family and wish you could do it all again. As some wacky motorcycle dude once said, "do it all now"!
I did this about thirty years ago. Fantastic walk, with a group, camping. I remember that the first day was just up, up and up. And the last was just down, down and down! Loved it all, particularly retrospectively.
Great hike. I have some friends headed there this coming weekend for a ski vacation. My brother took his honeymoon there in 2003. All I got was a tee shirt! Beautiful country.
What a great trip to experience with your wife and daughter. We hiked in the French Alps while vacationing with our French friends a few years ago. A wonderful experience. We look forward to seeing the videos in this series as you spool them out.
Ha Ha love this honest video of the TMB with people nearer to my age! Will be doing it this summer with my husband both age 60-am afraid my one gammy knee will let me down!
Im a long time hiker, with a fair amount of miles under my belt on both coasts of the US, with some Midwestern miles thrown in for variety. I've seen some wonderous things... But I've never seen the Alps. In my mind, it is perfection attained on Earth. Would you agree? Is there a certain something there that you just cannot find in the States? Thanks for sharing!
It's for sure a special place. But I have to say - some of the national parks we've visited like Zion were pretty close in pure mind-blowing-ness. The Sawtooth mountains. The Colorado passes came close. And I've never been to Glacier or Yellowstone but I'm sure those all compare too. But the area around Mont Blanc is just completely insane. Plus there's definitely something cool about walking from france to italy to switzerland and back to france. And I don't know of a place in the US that has the cool huts along the way... that was pretty fantastic too...
I spent a few months in Feldmeilen, Switzerland back in 2001. As I was driving on the highway there, I saw a sign that said, Aúsfahrt next to an exit. I thought I'd like to check out that town. I drove another 20 km and I saw another sign by an exit that said, Aúsfahrt, and I thought, Hmm, must be a pretty big town. In another 25 km, another Aúsfahrt sign. I thought, wow, it must be a big city that I never heard of . . . Turned out Aúsfahrt means exit . . . Doh!
I appreciate the transparency about the hike difficulty, and the realistic perspective. How did you train, or maybe wish you had trained leading up to the hike? (I’ll be going in July and also have no business attempting but committed anyway!)
We started doing a 3,500 8-mile hike once a week (when we could) about 2 months prior. That's a big time commitment though and we were lucky that a hike like that exists close to us. I also started doing a neighborhood walk that was about 3 miles with 600 feet of elevation gain daily. That stuff definitely helped - but could have definitely done more! Probably should have joined a gym and did stuff like the stair master etc... I don't think you have to go crazy though - just do what you have time for and you'll be fine!
It was an apartment - i think that's what they called it. It was in a separate building from the main hotel. We stayed in the hotel when we finished the hike. Both were great - but the private hot tub was killer. it was on the deck of our "apartment".
It's comforting to know that Future Ang is going to impart his wisdom on this channel as well. Thanks!
Well, I'm finally back to rewatching your videos as I begin my preps for 2025 TMB. I love how you explain things, give lots of details, and keep it real. I did have to pause though when you talked about not planning on taking any variants on the TMB. LOL, I do believe you've already taken your first variant of the TMB on this day. I hope to do this variant (Refuge de Miage) when we are there. It looks stunning.
Very cool Angelo. Difficulty aside, these are the best days of your lives. Embrace them. It wasn't so long ago that my wife and I had so many great European adventures. Now we're older and as you said in your short film, "we're being chased by the monster"... One day when the monster is at your heels, you'll look back at this with your family and wish you could do it all again. As some wacky motorcycle dude once said, "do it all now"!
Well said. As long as we can all keep one step ahead of the monster for as long as possible - what else can we ask for really?!
I did this about thirty years ago. Fantastic walk, with a group, camping. I remember that the first day was just up, up and up. And the last was just down, down and down! Loved it all, particularly retrospectively.
02:40 looks like how all my backpacking trips I've done in the Yorkshire Dales have started. 😂
Should have had a beer with lunch, it's good carbs/energy 🍻
Great hike. I have some friends headed there this coming weekend for a ski vacation. My brother took his honeymoon there in 2003. All I got was a tee shirt! Beautiful country.
Great video! “In literary circles this is called a foreshadowing” 😂😂😂 looking forward to watching more!
Allie!
What a great trip to experience with your wife and daughter. We hiked in the French Alps while vacationing with our French friends a few years ago. A wonderful experience. We look forward to seeing the videos in this series as you spool them out.
Thx Dave!
I just loved this, i really appreciate your honesty. Thanks for sharing 👌
Thx for checking it out - come back for the other episodes if you get a chance...
I did it back in 1988 as a young man and it was tough, so I feel your pain.
My friend and I are doing this hike in July of this year. Love this series of videos, so real lol
You two will have an incredible time. It's truly mind-blowing. If you like huffing and puffing - this series is for you!
Ha Ha love this honest video of the TMB with people nearer to my age! Will be doing it this summer with my husband both age 60-am afraid my one gammy knee will let me down!
You got this!
Im a long time hiker, with a fair amount of miles under my belt on both coasts of the US, with some Midwestern miles thrown in for variety. I've seen some wonderous things...
But I've never seen the Alps. In my mind, it is perfection attained on Earth. Would you agree? Is there a certain something there that you just cannot find in the States?
Thanks for sharing!
It's for sure a special place. But I have to say - some of the national parks we've visited like Zion were pretty close in pure mind-blowing-ness. The Sawtooth mountains. The Colorado passes came close. And I've never been to Glacier or Yellowstone but I'm sure those all compare too. But the area around Mont Blanc is just completely insane. Plus there's definitely something cool about walking from france to italy to switzerland and back to france. And I don't know of a place in the US that has the cool huts along the way... that was pretty fantastic too...
Hey. I live in AVL also! And I'm leaving on Sept. 29 to head to the Alta Via 1
Enjoy!!!
I spent a few months in Feldmeilen, Switzerland back in 2001. As I was driving on the highway there, I saw a sign that said, Aúsfahrt next to an exit. I thought I'd like to check out that town. I drove another 20 km and I saw another sign by an exit that said, Aúsfahrt, and I thought, Hmm, must be a pretty big town. In another 25 km, another Aúsfahrt sign. I thought, wow, it must be a big city that I never heard of . . . Turned out Aúsfahrt means exit . . . Doh!
HA!
Yup just another cow peering into Ang’s soul lol!
Damn cows...
I appreciate the transparency about the hike difficulty, and the realistic perspective. How did you train, or maybe wish you had trained leading up to the hike? (I’ll be going in July and also have no business attempting but committed anyway!)
We started doing a 3,500 8-mile hike once a week (when we could) about 2 months prior. That's a big time commitment though and we were lucky that a hike like that exists close to us. I also started doing a neighborhood walk that was about 3 miles with 600 feet of elevation gain daily. That stuff definitely helped - but could have definitely done more! Probably should have joined a gym and did stuff like the stair master etc... I don't think you have to go crazy though - just do what you have time for and you'll be fine!
@@OurExitStrategy thanks for the info! I love this series, probably my favorite videos I’ve watched so far leading up to my trip :)
Good stuff
Keep going ! Its fantastic
Thanks a lot!
What time of the year is this hike? Headed there next week - very excited!
End of June into July. Have a great time!!!
Wondering what is in your backpacks? What was essential and what did you bring that you didn’t need?
Going to try to get a video on all of this out soon. Stand by!
You stayed at the Heliopic hotel? What room type was it? Is the hot tub connected to your room or is it in the spa?
It was an apartment - i think that's what they called it. It was in a separate building from the main hotel. We stayed in the hotel when we finished the hike. Both were great - but the private hot tub was killer. it was on the deck of our "apartment".
Great!!!
What was the month of a hiking trip?
Thank you! Day one was June 23. We had very nice temperatures! But there was definitely still a bit of snow.
What month?
end of June.
Slow morphine drip. Problem solved.
Constant Advil consumption was about as close as we could get!
Props. Sally forth!@@OurExitStrategy
You sound like an American trying to pronounce Spanish. Badly.
Amazing trip!!
Judgemental cows.
They're everywhere!