Arriving in Switzerland and France

 

After a mostly sleepless 14 hours (8 hours for Bob and Dorothy) of travel with an hour delay, my mom and dad arrived at the Geneva Airport in Switzerland 30 minutes before I did on Wednesday, June 29, 2016.  They flew in from Dulles in DC, whereas I had a 5 hour leg from LA to Newark, then to Geneva.  

In a sleepy stupor, I gazed out the right side passenger window from the airplane and could see the summit of Mont Blanc on the horizon.  Our adventure would take us around the tall mountain and will be the the consent theme our our tour.

 

We were all tired from the restless trip, but in good spirits at our rendezvous at baggage claim.  They had already retrieved their container  of hiking sticks and crampons, but I, on the other hand, waited for my hiking sticks to arrive, but unfortunately, they were stalled in Newark. So, I had them mailed home, decided to buy new sticks in Chamonix, and will ask United Airlines to reimburse me when I get home.  It was frustrating, but I refused to let it put a shadow on our trip this early in the journey.

We purchased tickets to take a shuttle to Chamonix, France and waited with some coffee and pastry.  

 

We were one of 13 passengers aboard the "Alpy Bus" and I took some time to blog.

 

  

While traveling on the shuttle for 1.5 hours,  we came closer to the Goliath of a mountain, the Mont Blanc.  Covered in snow year-round, it boasts at a height of 15,776 feet above sea level.  We won't summit the mount, but we will tour around it to view it from every side. 

 

We finally arrived in Chamonix, France!  It's a beautiful ski-resort type city, with a heavy emphasis on hiking.  We took time to get advice from the visitor's center, exchanged money, had lunch at "Poco Loco", repurchased my hiking sticks, visited the French Alpine Club to investigate insurance, went grocery shopping, checked into the Ski Chalet (a dorm-like hostel for hikers), and discussed the weather coming to our trail the next day.  Let's just say, it wasn't looking good...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Departing America for Geneva, Switzerland!

On June 28, 2016, Hans will be departing from LA, California, while Bob and Dorothy depart from Charlottesville, Virginia to meet in Geneva, Switzerland!  

Once we arrive, we'll take a shuttle to Chamonix, France, to buy supplies and stay for the night.  The next morning, on Wednesday, June 30th, we'll start hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc trail.  There will be a total of 11 stages taking us on a counterclockwise route around Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe.  This trail will take us about 12+ days to cover 105 miles.

Hiking Training with Francsico

My friend Francisco and I were able to train together to get ready for hiking.  Here's a few of our hikes.

Hiking Cards Ready to Go!

 

Hiking cards with our contact and blog information are helping to have on the trail.  We put them in stuff sacks and valuable items-- in case they get lost.  We also pass out cards to people on the trail, in case they'd like to follow our journey or contact us for a group photo we took together.

Preparing for Hiking the Alps 2016

WHO: Bob, Dorothy, and Hans
WHAT: Hiking the Alps 2016 - Tour Du Mont Blanc & Alpine Pass Route
WHEN: June 28, 2016
WHERE: France, Switzerland, Italy
HOW: 

1. Flying by plane to Geneva, Switzerland
2. Hiking by foot from Chamonix, France, counter clockwise around Mont Blanc for 110          miles in 11+ days
3. Then hitch hike up to the Alpine Pass route for a few days

WHY: To travel, to see mountains, to conquer, to live

Preparing for Hiking the Alps 2016

Since October 2015, we've been planning and preparing for this trip-- which for us, includes 3 things:

1. Supplies

2. Exercise

3. Languages

Supplies

Since my dad and I hiked the Alps in 2013 (blog/YouTube), we already have most of the equipment we need, but have learned some important lessons from our experience.  Here's the lessons I learned from carrying hiking gear for 152 miles:

• Don't forget stuff on the trail
• Ultralight supplies are WORTH the extra cost
• Don't pack tons of food
• Get your pack weight as low as possible
• Heavy duty 3.4 lbs hiking boots are overrated-- light trail runners are better

For a complete list of my gear, see the items and weight of the Google sheet below and the photo:

Exercise

We'll be hiking an average of 8 miles each day and ascending 3,104 feet.  So getting in lots of running and hiking will be important.  Each day will potentially be the most physically challenging activity we've experienced-- so getting used to pushing our limits beforehand will make the hike more enjoyable.

Languages

We'll be hiking through France, Switzerland, and Italy, but the main language will be French.  My dad has been preparing for all 3, my mom French, but I just dabbled in German.

Introduction to Hiking the Alps 2016: Reflecting on the Past & Considering the Future

Reflecting on the Past...

In the Summer of 2013, my dad, Bob Tullmann, and I, Hans Tullmann, went hiking in the European Alps for 34 days covering 152 miles in France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, and Austria.  It was pretty epic.  If you'd like to explore our past journey, make sure you check out the summary blog and our YouTube Playlist.

...Considering the Future

Once again, the mountains are calling and we must go!

On June 28, 2016, my Dad, Mom, and I will be departing from the US for Geneva, Switzerland to hike the alps on the Tour Du Mont Blanc (TMB), a 110 mile trek around Western Europe's highest mountain and then part of the Alpine Pass Route.  We'll be hiking for about 3 weeks and we hope to blog along the way.

My dad and I had such an amazing experience Hiking the Alps in 2013 (also see Facebook Group), we wanted to share the experience with our family!  So, originally we had planned on bringing my wife, Alina, with us, but in February-- she got PREGNANT!  Since the doctor advised her to not travel or hike while pregnant, Alina wasn't able to go.  We were so disappointed she couldn't come!  I have 2+ months of the Summer off and would end up staying home while Alina went to work.  So after a lot of discussions together, I decided to go spend this time with my parents, agreeing it would be better to hike before the baby comes. 

Two weeks and counting... Our big Alpine Adventure is 2 weeks away!!!