Chamonix, France

Terry on the Tour du Mount Blanc

Journal Entry September 10, 2025: Chamonix has been on our wish list for decades. Some would call it the birth place of modern alpinism. Early climbers began inventing ways to safely climb on the glaciers with crampons and ice axes on the slopes of the Mount Blanc massif. This trip certainly did not disappoint.

More Life Adventure Group on the Aiguille du Midi

We began with a rare thing for us; we joined a group. More Life Adventures is a small company that runs fitness retreats. This one involved people from the UK, Australia, and the US. We hiked or climbed each day. The evening ended with yoga and fantastic French cuisine. It surprised us how fast we bonded with this youthful, strong group. We have only had two group adventure experiences in our life. The first was hiking the Colorado Trail in 1988. And now this...it is icing on the cake! Each person was an athlete, fit, and had a tremendous attitude. It is pretty awesome to bond with people from multiple backgrounds and ages.

Ibex on the Tour du Mount Blanc

Enjoying Mount Blanc

Jane on the Tour

The French have installed several ladders along the Tour du Mount Blanc. This is our group hiking Le Brévent.

We spent one day rock climbing. Terry had not been on a rope for a few years, so this was a great experience. Our group consisted of mountain runners and fitness gurus, but they had not climbed outdoors. Needless to say, they will not soon forget this!

Evening in Chamonix

Paragliding in Chamonix is simply incredible. We took a gondola to the midway on the route to Aiguille du Midi, 4200 feet above Chamonix. My pilot told me to start running, and before I knew it. we were soaring with eagles and over a glacier. Simply breathtaking!

Credit: @matthausfilms and @morelifeadventures