When traveling with Backroads, be ready to find yourself in the right place at the right time.
Imagine hiking on a sunny day at 6,500 feet of elevation in the Swiss Alps. It’s the second day of a Women’s Adventure trip. After conquering some steep hills in the morning, we have lunch by a lake in Switzerland before crossing the invisible country border back into France. We see the Chamonix Valley in the distance where our beautiful hotel waits for us in the middle of town. We are ready to come down, after a day well spent outdoors.
In the distance we hear cheers, the buzzing of a crowd. We look around, unable to identify the source of the clamor. As we continue our leisurely descent, we suddenly feel a herd stomping down behind us. What a relief we felt when we realized we weren’t being chased by alpine cows but being passed by trail runners competing in one of the multiple ‘Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc’ (UTMB) races going on that week. We step aside to let dozens of runners flock down the hill. A quick search online confirms that they have been running through the night to complete this 25-mile race from Martigny-Combe, Switzerland to Chamonix, France. We are frozen in place, in awe of their prowess. Eventually, we realize that there won’t be a break in the race for a long time. We do the only thing we can to get off the mountain: we join the race! One of our guests throws herself in line amongst the runners and starts jumping from rock to rock to try to keep up with the galloping pack. I have a hard time keeping the cadence, because of the speed as well as the laughing fit induced by the situation. We finally get to a clearing where our path splits from that of the race, and we wave goodbye to the anonymous mass of brave souls continuing on their journey.
Fast forward a few days, to the last morning of the trip. By this point, we have traversed to the other side of the Mont Blanc trail, and we are enjoying our final hike in Courmayeur, Italy. As we exit a forested path and reenter the town heading towards our hotel, we stumble upon hundreds of runners at the starting blocks of yet another UTMB race--this time it’s the CCC (Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix, 62 miles). The energy is electric. We can’t resist stopping to watch the crowd of anxious runners, who still look fresh and clean (but not for long). A sea of humans, waiting under a hopeful sky, waving to their children or partner before starting this incredible challenge. My eyes fill with happy tears; the joy and excitement are contagious. The final wave of runners is set free, and we head towards our hotel to say our final goodbyes.
As I reflect on that week, shared with ten strong and kind women, I think that from an outside perspective, we may have looked quite different from these ultra-trail runners. However, one thing intrinsically linked us to them: we were all there for the same reasons--for the same mountains. All of us ready to overcome personal challenges to feel more alive.
When planning a trip around a major international event, it can be hard not to think of the logistical impacts it can have on us. In this case, we got the perfect scenario, and we were able to enjoy the best energy that this region has to offer. We were always in the right place at the right time. And while it’s hard to predict these exact moments on a trip, a good rule of thumb is that traveling with Backroads, spending your days outdoors with an inspiring group of people and being open to new experiences is a good recipe for such magic to happen in your life!
