Unlike our other favorite trips, reflecting on this little outing is primarily a blur. The experience as a whole is there, but the individual components are not so sharp. Thanks to some IT Band issues, it hurt. But still, it makes the list of 5 Favorite Trips. This is why.

The south end of Mont Blanc

I knew who Topher Gaylord was but we had never met. So when he rang us in Switzerland, completely out of the blue, and asked if we would like to run the Tour du Mont Blanc with he and his wife Kim, I was surprised. Let’s see… he was risking running 150km in 3 days, with strangers. Well so were we, but I knew he and Kim often did this sort of trips while Janine and I had never done anything so long. We were the wildcards. Regardless, the answer was, “Yes”.

The Tour du Mont Blanc is just that, a trail around the highest peak in Europe, the 4808 meter Mont Blanc.

Aid Station Euro style

But the Mont Blanc massif is something even more, it is so large it sits amongst three countries, France, Italy and Switzerland. To do the trip means crossing the borders and experiencing what each culture offers, and all three are quite different. This is mountainous terrain, huge in fact with deep valley’s and high passes. The total elevation gain for the trail is roughly 8500 meters. Ouch.

The beauty of the tour, especially for running, is the hut system. Conveniently spaced, the huts offer both food and beds. It is possible to run the entire tour with little more than two water bottles, some day food and an extra layer of clothes – in other words, about 4kg max. Better yet, the three larger villages that the trail passes through come at about the thirds of the total, thus the three day push. And remarkably, each village is in a different country with its own character. Split the run into thirds or stay more nights using the huts – your call.

Ibex

Topher Gaylord is an intimidating running partner. In the 2003 inaugural Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc Race, in horrific weather, he tied for second place. For training he and Kim, who also competes, run the tour each year prior to the event to see how their fitness is. For them it was preparation for something larger, for us it was a test to see if we could do it.

So we set off the first day from Chamonix, France, arguably the world’s most spectacular town, for Courmayeur, Italy, exactly opposite Mont Blanc from Chamonix on a map. Through the morning we moved up into the alpine world which in the Alps means wide open green hillsides loaded with wildflowers. With the glaciers of Mont Blanc’s south side still high above, we were in Sound of Music terrain, perfect for running. The first huts came and went and with them coffees and torts.

Topher Gaylord running above Lac Combal. Tour of Mont Blanc

Janine descending

In the afternoon we dropped into Italy and ran alongside flowing glaciers as we steadily lost elevation on our way to Courmayeur. Toph, in training mode, blasted off and charged solo. For Kim, Janine and I, once we were above Courmayeur and the final steep descent we gave into temptation and dropped not on foot but via tram, right into Courmayeur and a Pizza al Taglio.

Once showered, we got to put our running clothes back on and go to dinner. Nothing like making a spectacle of yourself through consumption in a good Italian Restaurant while wrapped in lycra.

Toph straddling borders

The next day we had a plan. Toph wanted to check out the actual race course which differed from the true Tour. Kim and Janine wisely opted to stay on the real trail while I chose to follow Toph up a big climb before traversing into the Val Ferret and the Swiss border. My decision would be a blessing and a curse. Up we went in the early morning hours until we reached a high plateau directly above Courmayeur. There, a small hut sat alone and quiet with a thin stream of smoke rising from its chimney. We entered a dark room and were taken back in time thanks to the original nature of the hut and the people inside. An old woman approached, eyeing us and our attire. In thick dialect she informed us we were too skinny and needed to eat. Out came the tort, the butter, the yogurt and the coffee. We followed orders and ate.

Kim and Janine at a hut

Stuffed, we departed. Thick clouds were developing and our views were disappearing. But in front of us a trail unfolded that was so perfect in its singletrack “ness” that it had us hooting and hollering as if were skiing. This would later be my downfall when my enthusiasm got a reality check.

Meeting back up with Janine and Kim on the pass into Switzerland, we ran as a group until the descent to La Fouly. At this point I watched as first Toph disappeared, then Kim, and finally Janine, leaving me to hobble all the way to the Swiss holiday village of Champex. There I crawled into town and spotted the team enjoying drinks and snacks at a nice lakeside restaurant. Never have I been so glad to finish anything.

Toph opening it up on perfect singletrack, leaving Courmayeur

Toph arguing with locals about trail ethics

The final day was the opposite. We were horses and we smelled the barn. As a group we all charged full steam around the north end of Mont Blanc before dropping steeply into Chamonix Valley. A jaunt down the valley could end the trip, but instead the trail traverses back up on the western Aiguille Rouge side. There, high above town, we ran into two fully equipped backpackers, slumped over their trekking poles and still huffing and puffing from their upward progress.

“Hey guys, how’s it going?”, we queried.

Chamonix & Mont Blanc

“12 days out, and this is the last of the Tour du Mont Blanc. What are you guys doing?”

We didn’t have the heart to tell them, so instead, “Oh, just out for a run”. Obviously the trail is an entirely different experience for runners and for us, it was confirmed, we had made the right choice; super light/super fast on a trail perfect for running.

The final descent to Chamonix was one I will never forget. Once again I was off the back but at least able to run. As I neared town the sounds of nature turned to the sounds of a European tourist area, the descending trail turned into a dirt road before flattening and finally with a sharp left turn, joining one of the walking streets of Chamonix. I was thrilled to have been able to finish it up and overcome some physical problems. Toph, Kim and Janine were waiting and together the four of us strolled through town, still wearing our same clothes and tiny packs. I don’t remember what we ate that night, but I sure remember smelling the fondue as we walked through town.

Kim & Topher Gaylord with Janine Patitucci

As professional mountain sport photographers, we have this massive database of photos that I must work within each day. But for us it is far more than a collection of work images, it is a collection of memories. The nature of the way we work is to photograph our experiences, not just document others. As a result, we have a visual reminder of our lives and all the things we do.

In the last ten years we have been on countless trips; climbing, skiing, running and hiking. So, which experiences stand out amongst them all, and why? Finally, can our trips inspire others to go on their own?

What are the criteria for a favorite trip? Beauty, Emotion, Landscape, Travel, Difficulty, Effort and of course the friends we share it all with. The envelope please…

In no special order, according to Dan & Janine Patitucci, the Top 5 Mountain Sport Trips are :

1. The Ortler Ski Tour, Italy

2. Hiking & Running Iceland's Laugavegur Tour

3. Trail Running the Tour du Mont Blanc. France, Italy, Switzerland

4. Climbing the Evolution Traverse, Sierra Nevada, California

5. Alpine Climbing the Berner Oberland Region's three classics: Monch, Jungfrau, Eiger. Switzerland

Now for the fun part, or parts 1 – 5, telling each story of each experience, with photos. Stay tuned.

The Pfunderer Hohenweg

The Pfunderer Hohenweg

We have just returned from one of the most enjoyable tours we have ever done, the Pfunderer Hohenweg. For now this will have to be a brief summary as I will do a full tour write up in the coming days for both the Hiking and Trail Running Pages. The trail is approximately 75km in length with a lot of up and down, we’ll consult the Garmin devices to see just how much.

Let’s just say that the Hohenweg is a classic, but especially for mountain running which is the style in which we did it. We had it all; ridge traversing, wide open meadows, huge flower covered hillsides, countless peak bagging opportunities and lots and lots of late season snowy couloirs to trudge up.

We were shocked at the amount of snow still in the high country, and also at how many skiers are still out. In fact the only other people we saw on the tour were skiers and other mountain runners. Hut keepers told us we were likely the first to do the tour this season as the passes have so much snow. This announcement was usually followed by a reminder that we had running shoes and lycra on, not alpine boots and Schoeller. It did look like winter but it all went down not too far off a typical summer outing in the big mountains.

This trip was particularly satisfying for us as photographers as we shot how we did it in the early days, all on the fly and all just for fun. A perfect combo of life as an athlete and life as a photographer just spending time with our closest friend. Below is a quick glimpse of photos in order of capture, from our home in Bruneck to Sterzing.

And remember, to follow our live feeds from these runs or whatever other silliness we are up to, visit our Twitter page

Next week we’ll be running Italy’s most famous trail, the Alta Via 1.

Day 1 above the Pfundertal

Janine airing out the feet and having Andreas check scent

Andreas Irsara and Janine, kilometer 26, day 1

Day 1, gaining elevation to the hut

Andreas and Janine, day 1, final kilometer to the hut

Dan & Andreas, course 2, Edelraut Hut

Janine and Andreas, day 2 departure

Andreas and Janine

Andreas and Janine arriving to the Bodner Alm, day 2

Climbing the first of our big snow couloirs, day 2

Janine and Andreas, easier ground at the Brixner Hut

Andreas Irsara eating at the Brixner Hut

Janine and Andreas, day 3 and another snowy pass to climb

Andreas and Janine running in a not so summery landscape, the Wildersee/Lago Salvaggio

Lower elevation encounters

The final kilometer to the car

Flavoring the fountain water

One of the biggest benefits of the European mountains is of course the hut system. Perhaps no other sport benefits as much as trail running. In fact in some ways, thanks to the huts, a whole new sport has started with the massive popularity of trail running. Long, multi-day tours running in alpine terrain with less than 8 kg (18lbs) on your back (much less if you are not a photographer). And with a comfy bed to look forward to after a big, tasty, calorie rich meal in a beautiful setting.

For the mountain runner, the Alps and Dolomites have endless potential. Open a map, connect the huts via all the many trails – grab your gear and go.

This weekend kicks of the mountain running season for Janine, our great friend Andreas Irsara and myself. The first goal is what we look at from our bedroom window, the Zillertal Alpen’s Pfunderer Hohenweg, the mountain range separating Austria from Italy. We are not exactly sure how long it is, about 80km with a lot of up and down. And there is still snow. We’ll do it in three days, staying in two huts. A warm up for next weekend’s departure to run the Dolomite’s Alta Via 1.

So what to put inside my pack? My pack’s content and gear is pictured below.

Shoes: La Sportiva Wildcats

Pack: Deuter Pace 20

2 hand bottles

Minimal clothing: just keep moving. But rain gear for sure, and extra socks are mandatory for wet, snowy feet.

A few bars – the huts sell day food

Garmin GPS – we’ll post the trip to DolomiteSport, this is a super classic hiking tour as well with views to the Dolomites on one side, Austrian Alps the other.

iPhone – for Twittering…… follow our progress with pics at: http://www.twitter.com/dolomitesport

Headlamp

And of course my burden, the camera gear. For running tours we use the Canon 5d, a 16-35 2.8 and a 70-200 4.0 – which Andreas we’ll find in his pack tomorrow morning.

Ah yes, and a handful of Euros.

Pack contents for a three day running tour

For a complete trip report, check back in next Tuesday. And as a reminder, follow us on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/dolomitesport