10 Days, 9 Friends and a Lot of Bread

In August, eight friends and I took on the Tour du Mont Blanc, a 10-day hike around the base of Mont Blanc through France, Italy and Switzerland. We were a mix of friends from uni and school, and I think it’s fair to say none of us quite appreciated how hard some of the days were going to be.

There were some seriously long climbs, tired legs and moments where the next mountain pass looked very far away. But the scenery was so worth it. Walking through the Alps every day, with huge mountains, glaciers and great views made all the uphill sections worth it. Doing it as a group was probably the best part — there was always someone to talk to, complain to, or remind you that you’d voluntarily signed up for this.

Food became a pretty major part of each day. Nothing fancy — lots of French bread, cheese, cured meats and massive sandwiches — but after walking for hours, it honestly tasted gourmet. Hunger definitely improves your appreciation of a baguette. The sandwich in the photo probably wouldn’t win any Michelin stars, but at the time it was basically the best thing I’d ever eaten.

Dinner each night was the same. We’d arrive absolutely starving and suddenly the simplest plate of food tasted incredible. It made me realise how different food feels when you’ve genuinely worked up an appetite all day.

Finishing the full Tour du Mont Blanc in 10 days was such a good feeling. It was tough, but between the scenery, the food, the laughs and

doing it with eight mates, it ended up being one of the best things I’ve done.