Hiking The Alps

TOUR DU MONT BLANC

A Rite of Passage Challenge for Young People Age 15 - 19
With David and Nelson Denman

2006 Co-ed Trek: June 24 - July 2

THE SETTING. Mont Blanc (15,771 ft.) is the monarch of the Alps. It spreads its massive flanks across the wandering borders of France, Italy and Switzerland, creating dramatic scenes of unimaginable beauty.

In the high country around Mont Blanc is some of the richest flora and fauna in the Alps. Summer meadows are ablaze with wild flowers. Intermittently one sees the creatures native to the Alps – the inquisitive marmots, the curved horned chamois and, with a little luck, the squat, sturdy ibex. The trail meanders through high pastures, fir forests and up and over steep passes with magnificent views. The hills are, indeed, alive with the sound of music for within earshot almost constantly are the tinkling of sheep bells and the clanking of cow bells.

THE TOUR du MONT BLANC. The classic Tour du Mont Blanc is a circular route, starting in France and circling around into Italy and then into Switzerland before returning to France. It winds, mostly above the tree line, for 170 kilometers. The route is customarily hiked in a counterclockwise direction. All told, the complete high level traverse crests a dozen mountain passes at 8,000 to 10,000 feet and crosses several glaciers. Up and down the total altitude gain on the classic Tour is nearly 33,000 feet. Typically, hikers who are doing the whole Tour du Mont Blanc spend the better part of two strenuous weeks on the trails.

In the summer of 2006 (June 24-July 2) we will hike on the Tour du Mont Blanc from Courmayer, Italy into Switzerland and then around to Chamonix France.

OUR TREK BEGINS on the southeastern shoulder of Mont Blanc . a few kilometers from the town of Courmayer, Italy’s famous climbing and skiing center. The pre-trek orientation and our first night will be in a comfortable Alpine cabanne. The next morning we will hike up and into French speaking Switzerland via the Grand Col Ferrat, our first mountain pass. There we will have our first en counter with snow on the trail -- and greet those we encounter with “bonjour” instead of “buongiorno”.

The following day after a visit to an old water mill, we will hike to the charming lakeside village of Champex. The next day we will hike in the afternoon (perhaps after some canoeing!), but in the morning we will detour by van to one of Europe’s most intriguing museums, the famous Foundation Gianada in Martigny, Switzerland, is constructed around a well-preserved Roman ruin. Other special features of the museum, in addition to its notable collection of fine art, are its replicas of the inventions of Leonardo de Vinci and its stunning collection of classic cars!

On later days we will choose between alternative routes, some of them more challenging but all memorably scenic. On those days we will decide on the route by consensus, considering always the weather conditions and the matter of safety. On the 6th day we will cross over the Col du Balme from Switzerland into France, and on the next day the whole north flank of Mont Blanc will be majestically spread out before us. Two days later we will descend into Chamonix, where in the 18th century mountaineering began.

On our final day, we will either hike up the south side of the Chamonix Valley for another unforgettable view of Mont Blanc -- or take the world’s longest and most dramatic cable car network up and over the mountain! Then, on our last evening together, we will celebrate our accomplishment over a final dinner together.

AN EXTRAORDINARY LEARNING EXPERIENCE. Life in the high country is tranquil, and those who live there are wonderfully welcoming. In the Alps, people have made numerous environmentally responsible accommodations in order to live sustainably in the mostly rugged terrain.
The roads and bridges are unintrusive and aesthetically dramatic. One can travel almost anywhere by public transportation which includes soaring gondolas and cable cars. The trains run on time and there is no litter. Hillside farms are economically terraced and peasants in the high country are welcoming. We have much to learn in this multi-cultural area.

Customarily multi-lingual, sensitive, strong and wise, Alpine guides are estimable role models. Each day after studying the map and the route, one of the hikers will help the guide lead the way. Each evening one will help lead our reflection.

Among ourselves and in the huts and cabannes with other hikers, there will be many opportunities for stimulating conversation. On the trail, participants are interdependent. Comfort and delight as well as safety depend on cooperating and being considerate of others.

"The trek was wonderful, everything I’d hoped for. Thanks for the trip and your friendship."
Chris, age 18, San Francisco

EUROPEAN GROUND TRAVEL. Participants will rendezvous with the trek leaders at the airport in Geneva, Switzerland. They will be transported via chartered van to the village of Les Houches, France, an hour away. At the end of the trek, participants will overnight in Chamonix, France, and be driven back to the Geneva airport the next morning.

LODGING and MEALS. Overnights will be in pensiones and mountain cabannes, the latter spectacularly situated with stunning views of the nearby peaks and glaciers. Though high on the mountain, the cabannes provide wash and restroom facilities, mattresses and warm blankets. They also provide hot, nourishing meals served family style and hearty, packed lunches. As on the trails, the comradeship in the cabannes is convivial.

Because meals and bedding are provided, and clothing needs are minimal, a hiker’s small backpack is sufficient (and light!).

COST: $3,500. DATES: JUNE 24 - July 2, 2006

The fee for the trek includes:

• chartered van from Geneva to les Houches and from Chamonix to Geneva
• daily guided hiking
• Mont Blanc cable car and gondola
• all overnight accommodations
• all meals

The trek fee does not include: •airfare •snacks and optional beverages

SAFETY. The trek is strenuous and challenging, but no technical mountaineering skills are necessary. Although each day we are high above civilization, we are merely a few hours away on foot, minutes away by helicopter.

LEADERSHIP. Along with David and Nelson, a certified mountain guide will lead each day’s hiking. With three adult leaders, the ratio of adults to young people is ideal.

David Denman is a teacher, author, counselor and educational consultant. Widely read and widely traveled, he is a runner, skier, bicyclist, hiker, and a devotee of music and the arts. David is founder and Director of Siena Sojourn, a cultural immersion program in Tuscany. Acutely aware of the hurdles that young people must clear en route to success in school, college and life, David is an acknowledged advocate of young people. His life-long commitment has been to nurture in them autonomy, responsibility, and self-esteem by encouraging them to venture in uncommon ways. David’s graduate degree is from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Nelson Denman was formerly a ski racer in Rocky Mountain competition and later Alpine ski coach at The Putney School in Vermont. Nelson is an experienced hiker, kayaker and white-water rafter who completed the rigorous Canadian Outdoor Leadership Training. A classical cellist, Nelson studied at the Aspen Music School and is a graduate of St. Johns College and Harvard University Graduate School of Education. A devoted environmentalist, Nelson, a.k.a. the EcoTroubadour, has traveled widely as a teacher, storyteller and performing musician. Nelson will predictably have a guitar strapped to his pack – and he invites other hikers to do the same.

Inquiries to:

DAVID DENMAN
3030 Bridgeway Avenue, #233
Sausalito, CA 94965
Tel: 415-332-1831 Fax: 415-332-6205
E-mail: TimeODave@aol.com