The Tour du Mont Blanc is the kind of trek that sounds intimidating on paper: roughly 100 miles circling Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe, crossing through France, Italy, and Switzerland. But it doesn't have to be a survival test. Travel writer Rick Steves recently completed a shortened version — the best 60 miles in six days — with three companions who, like him, had never done a long-distance hike before. Their verdict: it was the best hike of their lives.
The trick is knowing where to cheat. The group skipped the duller stretches by hopping on local buses, booked nights in mountain lodges instead of camping, and paid a bag-shuttle service (colloquially a "sherpa service") to move their luggage ahead each day. That meant walking with daypacks only, starting and ending in Chamonix, France, while still covering three countries on foot.
A typical day involved an early climb of about 3,000 feet up to a pass — a "col" — sitting around 8,000 feet above sea level. Trail signs promised five-hour days; reality delivered six or seven. The group's mantra, "take our time, this is why we're here," is a good one for anyone attempting the route. Each col brought its own reward: a cairn at the top, weather rolling dramatically across the ridge, big views in every direction, and the small victory of another pass ticked off.
The real preparation happens before you leave. Since a standard day on the TMB involves roughly 1,000 metres (about 3,000 feet) of elevation gain, Steves recommends finding a steep local hike with the same climb and using it as your benchmark. His family in Washington State used the Mount Si trail, and even adopted the term "a Mount Si" for any 3,000-foot gain. Do a few of those with a loaded pack and you'll know exactly what you're signing up for.
Why does this matter for ordinary travellers? Because the TMB is one of the few world-class alpine treks that's genuinely accessible to beginners. The infrastructure — lodges with meals, buses for boring bits, luggage transfers — means you don't need expedition skills or a heavy backpack. You need decent fitness, broken-in boots, and the humility to accept that a "five-hour" day will take longer. If you've ever wanted to wake up in a mountain hut, cross a col with vultures circling overhead, and eat dinner in a different country than the one you started in, this is the hike that makes it possible.