Ok, technically I only did around 2800m because I started from around a 1000m. And there is an even bigger lie truth though, I didn’t really climb any of this at all, because I was sitting in 2 cable cars and they did the heavy lifting – great pun – as there are around 50-60people in the cabin that takes you up from the bottom to the top.
On this fine Monday morning, I had a booking to jump onto some engineering magic that takes me up to the very top of a mountain at 3842m so I can have a nice view of the Alps – and to freeze my ass. No kidding, I thought my fingers would break down at some point. It’s all good, I have some cool pictures and I can type now so it was all worth it.
One day, I’ll have a nice big TV or digital frame on my wall that will randomly display the pictures I’ve taken over the years.
Back to Aiguille du Midi. Loved it, highly recommend. Get a Mont Blanc pass, plan ahead, use all the perks that come with it. Sit on the mountain train, go to the glacier cave, hop on a bus, discover the town. Intro done, onto the real reason I’m writing this: the walks. Or is it?!
I probably did around 2800m elevation on my feet as well on the previous two days. Did two walks in the mountains, overall around 30km in distance (plus the extra thousands of steps daily to discover the town). I let you be the judge if you think that is easy, hard, boring, or cool as f*ck. IYKYK.
Sometimes when I write about or tell some of the things I’ve done I slow down and think twice how to say what I want to without sounding arrogant or selfish and such, but one of the ideas behind sharing this is to present how (much more) simple we could approach things that at first maybe appear to be difficult.
For 90% of the people I saw there, my weekend activities were just a normal weekend. For 90% of the people I know, it was not. So, where is the truth? How do you define what’s normal? Did it hit you yet? If not, maybe read it again: how do you define what’s normal? Or, who decides what normal means?
Well, I dunno.
I don’t really think about myself, my skillset or my capabilities as something on an unachievable level for most. Sure, it takes time and effort to get there. Sure, it may be rare. But I still don’t think it’s magical. So, maybe this is my norm?! But if indeed it is, then when did it become the norm? Well, trrrrrrrrrr-ta-da, drumroll: over time. I practiced it enough times so it became the new norm for me.
There was a time when traveling made me feel uneasy. When traveling alone was difficult. Or when I needed to organize everything for myself seemed unimaginable. When 15km seemed impossibly far. And when some rain in the forecast or an impulsive thought canceled the whole plan. That was also the norm, it just wasn’t really normal. But a lot can change in a few years. You can build all sorts of normal for yourself.
When you first start running, finishing a half marathon seems impossible far away. Then you run a few times every week consistently. Months go by, and all of a sudden you realize you just ran a half marathon. And if you do it two or three more times, you begin to think about a 21km run differently. You’ve been there, done that. By the time you did it a handful of times (or run even longer distances), you will have enough experience and confidence to know that running a half marathon is possible again. That unimaginable crossing of the finish line, that once was a norm, eventually got an upgrade, and the new norm may even believe it’s not that hard anymore. But I’m drifting off again.
Walk #1 was around 18km with 1600m elevation.
“18km!? You mad?! No chance.”
”1600m elevation!? That’s like 450floors. That’s crazy. And that’s just one way and you need to come down too? No way fam.”
”I’d love to do it, but…”
”Hm, it sounds like a lot, but I have my trusty hiking boots, walking poles and I can take a rest at any time so maybe I should try. Looking at the route you’re never really lost or far from anything.“
”Hell yeah, let’s go.”
These are all general reactions from people. And in reality!? I saw more people running it in a pair of trainers and a small vest with barely any water than hikers. Because for many, this is a 2-3hr weekend run. But they needed to get to that level. Maybe they grew up being active, maybe they chose to become.
Walk #2 was easier. A 10km well walked out path with a few hundreds meters of elevation and a couple of mountain goats. You can tell the difference between the routes, because here you can meet with all kinds of people. Young (definitely less than a 1year old) to old was young once (I’d say 70+), slim to not slim, fit and less fit with a lot of willpower. I am certain some of the fellow walkers did not make the whole loop, but they still went out there and did what they could. And that’s awesome!
On the plus side – something that’s totally unrelated to physical abilities – some elements only challenge (and play games with) the brain. To be exact: sitting on a chair lift, up in the air around 4-5-6 stories high above the ground without much safety precaution is not physically difficult. However, to be present, calm and actually enjoy the experience is not that simple for many. And there was a split second, when even my stomach said whooahh, you are not in charge here pal, what should we do next? Let’s panic?! No no. Psst. Breathe and enjoy.
Unfortunately, I only go for a trip like this once or twice a year. But the challenges that all come up during the three days, I regularly face on a day to day basis. It is not easy to walk up the stairmaster machine in 35degrees for an hour. It is scary to lift something that’s heavier than me above my head in the gym. I had the 5am alarm waking me up more than 50% of the past 20years. I have been practicing mindfulness, breath control and self awareness for over a decade. And maybe even more importantly, I started to do the things that I want to do and I’m becoming better at silencing the noise in my head that is trying to sabotage me living the life that some part of me wants to live.
Is this all normal?! Maybe. Maybe not. I think I can say that, over time, this became my norm.