False Summits & Finding Myself (Sort Of) on the Tour du Mont Blanc
Let me just say: I’m not an alpinist (yet??) or a professional mountaineering guide, but I have had the unique pleasure of meeting a little monster called the false summit.
If you’ve hiked before, you know the drill. You’re trudging up a mountain, absolutely convinced you’re about to reach the top. Your legs are on fire, your stomach is grumbling, but you push on because victory is right there. And then... you reach that ridge and ugh…plot twist: it’s not the top. Not even close. Just another set of switchbacks and more trail disappearing into the clouds.
On the Tour du Mont Blanc, this happened a lot. At first, I could laugh about it. By day four? Not so much. It wasn’t just my body feeling it anymore. The mental toll hit, too. My progress, my sense of control, even my carefully curated illusion of being someone who “enjoys doing hard things” was slowly unraveling.
But here’s the thing—false summits aren’t just a hiking issue. They’re a life thing, too.
False Summits & life going “According to Plan"
I’m a recovering gifted and talented kid. You know the type: followed the “right” steps, chased the perfect GPA, picked the “practical” major, landed the job, checked the boxes. I bought the whole myth that happily ever after was a destination—you just had to follow the map.
And yet, by my 30s, I looked around and thought: Wait…this is it? I did the damn thing and somehow still felt like I missed something. Turns out life, like the TMB, is full of false summits. You think you’ve made it, only to discover there’s still more ground to cover and often, it’s steeper than you expected.
The Summer of the TMB: Hiking, Hurting & Hot Tubs
In summer 2025, our “big vacation” was hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc - a trip to celebrate my mother-in-law’s retirement. What started as a wholesome family adventure turned into something way deeper: a crash course in grit, surrender, self-love, and ofc learning to appreciate the cows and sheep along the way (literally and metaphorically).
By the end, I didn’t just finish the hike, I felt completely changed. Cheesy? Yes. Cliché? Also yes. But I don’t care. After day one, I genuinely thought I was going to quit. And yet, somehow, I kept going. I’m so f*cking proud of myself.
Wait, What Is the Tour du Mont Blanc?
Glad you asked. The TMB is a 170 km trek that loops around the Mont Blanc massif through France, Italy, and Switzerland. It’s usually completed in 7–12 days and includes roughly the elevation gain of one full Mount Everest. Yes, we’re now measuring hikes in terms of other mountains.
You may have heard of the UTMB: the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc a race where people RUN this whole thing in under 46.5 hours. Yeah, I’m not doing all that.
Planning & Prep (aka How to Hike Without Suffering)
Accommodations
Look, I’m not the hut-and-shared-bathroom type. I need a real bed, a private bathroom, and ideally a post-hike sauna. We worked with Cloud9 Adventures, who booked us a guide (shoutout to Barbara!) and arranged luggage transfers to lovely 4-star hotels. Yes, there were robes. Yes, there were fancy restaurants. And yes, I still call it hiking.
If you want to stay in the mountain huts (refuges), plan way ahead as some book out 9+ months in advance.
Timing
The TMB hiking season runs June through September. We went in July to catch peak wildflowers and (hopefully) avoid snow. Joke was on us—day two featured a surprise snow/hailstorm and a 3000+ ft descent in the mud.
Packing
I brought a 38L pack (Osprey Ktye) with layers for mountain weather (windy passes are no joke), a first aid kit, blister stuff, 1.5L of water, another liter with electrolytes, lunch, and lots of snacks. Your kit will look different obviously if you’re camping or foregoing a luggage transfer. Either way, hiking poles were the MVPs. Do not attempt this hike without them.
Trek Overview
We booked the Classic TMB a 10-day, guided trek with a group of six strangers (plus my in-laws). Barbara, our guide, was a photography pro with the patience of a saint, and managed group dynamics like a pro.
Our route:
Day 1: Les Houches → Les Contamines
Day 2: Les Contamines → Les Chapieux
Day 3: Les Chapieux → Courmayeur
Day 4: Courmayeur → Arnouva
Day 5: Arnouva → La Fouly
Day 6: La Fouly → Champex
Day 7: Champex → Trient
Day 8: Trient → Argentiere
Day 9: Argentiere → La Flegere (ft. Lac Blanc!)
Day 10: La Flegere → Le Brevent
Day-by-day recap coming soon, but in the meantime…
What I Learned on the TMB (Besides Which Cheese Pairs Best with Exhaustion)
I CAN do hard things. Especially with a steady supply of cheese, meat, and chocolat chaud. I seriously impressed myself.
Book the trip. Take the leap. Do the hike. No one got through this unscathed—knees, hips, shoulders... everyone had something. But the lesson? Do it while you still can.
Family time is underrated. Hiking 10 days with my in-laws might sound like a reality show setup, but it was actually amazing. I heard stories I’d never known, and our relationships deepened in a way that only happens when you spend two weeks trudging up and down mountains together. Hanging with Kevin wasn’t bad either.
No one cares. Truly. No one is paying that much attention to you, so live out loud. Embrace the cringe. Take the selfie. Be the main character. You’re the only one reading your own story anyway.
False summits used to feel like a cruel joke. Now? They’re a reminder that the goal isn’t just reaching the top—it’s noticing the wildflowers, the cows, the way your breath catches when the clouds part over a glacier.
And yes, it's cheesy. But I hiked the damn TMB, and I’ve earned the right to be a little cheesy.
