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Adventure Awaits
  • Brian Litwin
  • Stacy Litwin
  • Brian Litwin
  • Stacy Litwin

Adventure Awaits

Let’s go for an adventure she said. He agreed. She planned. They went. The world became....worldly.
This trip showed us what really matters: friends and family. Thanks to all who shared this adventure with us. Læs mere
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  • Adventure Awaits
    1

    Plitvice Lakes National Park

    2. juni 2025, Kroatien ⋅ ☁️ 77 °F

    This makes for our third consecutive day of visiting an astonishing national park. Plitvice is a must see, even if you aren’t that close:) It very much reminded me of a smaller scale version of Iguaza Falls with waterfalls as far as the eye can see. Similarly, it is also set in what feels like a tropical forest. How this area got created leaves much to the imagination, but any single one of these waterfalls would be a destination in and of itself, let alone hundreds in one concentrated area.

    We did about an 8 kilometer walk (there’s a lot more than that to walk) throughout the park and took a boat ride too. They built a network of boardwalks back in the late 1880’s and because of flooding have to replace 2 kilometers worth every year. The area is rightfully mobbed with people. The waters look like something out of the Caribbean Sea, crystal clear blue with the never ending moss-filled hillsides with waterfall after waterfall (waterfalls are called slaps, which we had some fun with). Absolutely mesmerizing and a must for all to go and experience.    Læs mere

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    Split, Croatia

    3. juni 2025, Kroatien ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Split sits along the Dalmatian coast, which is also where the famous fire engine dog, the Dalmatian, gets its name, which is for the spots of islands that dot its coast much like they do the dog itself. Cute dogs aside, the Dalmatian coast is quite beautiful.

    There is a promenade with endless restaurants and shops, rocky beaches filled to the brim with tourists laying out like beached whales, minus all the blubber:), and the Marjan Forest Park all centrally located. We hiked the Marjan Forest Park to the Croatian flag which provides a great overview of the city and sunset.

    Along the main promenade sits Diocletian’s Palace, which was built by Roman Emporor as a retirement home in 4th century AD. Slowly but surely the city built up and around this palace/fortress allowing you to walk around it and still see a 3200 year old sphinx adjacent to the main city square and bustling shops.

    Random interesting Croatian fact, 90% of Croatians own an apartment and there are no property taxes. Can’t think of another country with 90% rate of home ownership. Some of this is due Croatia’s history of socialism and from the money that tourism brings in.

    We took a boat to the nearby island of Hvar. Apparently this island is popular for the rich and famous but don’t think I would recognize a celebrity if they were sitting next to me 🤷‍♂️. The island has crystal clear waters, but was too windy for any kayaking or stand up paddle boarding. It was wonderful to spend a day relaxing and drinking way too many coffees, okay, maybe that’s not a thing. We have one final day before it is off to Dubrovnik.    Læs mere

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  • Adventure Awaits
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    Dubrovnik, Croatia

    7. juni 2025, Kroatien ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    Dubrovnik, another in a long string of gorgeous Croatian port cities. We bused from Split and couldn’t help but notice how many of these cute little towns dot their coastline. If they had good bike lanes, I think Croatia would be fantastic for a long bike packing trip. Dubrovnik is most known for its “city walls”. Okay, that’s not true, it’s actually most famous for this being where Game of Thrones was filmed 😂.

    The city walls took approximately 400 years to build (between 13th and 17th century) and make up what is currently called Old Town. We paid an extravagant fee to walk on top of the walls, which completely encircles the city. There were a couple of worthwhile museums along the way and does indeed offer great sea views (guess it wouldn’t be a good fort if it didn’t:).

    Much like Split, where the city grew up and out from Diocletian’s Palace, so it is the same with the city walls of Dubrovnik. Must say that I do love how Europeans use space, what was old will become new again. Visited the Red History Museum, which follows Croatia’s history with communism.

    Croatia became a satellite state of the USSR after the Russian Revolution of 1917 and only became a liberal democracy in 1990. One of our tour guides said that it can still be a sensitive subject and the country is still quite divided as to whether they should go back to communism or continue to be a liberal democracy.

    When will people learn? Unfortunately, never. I think this subject akin to people wanting to abolish racism, they should, but both fights will have to never endingly be waged since both subjects will always get exploited for political advantage.

    Schengen is a calling and must make our way to Montenegro tomorrow. I have enjoyed both Slovenia and Croatia way more than I might have imagined. Croatians are kind and generous. We are yet to stay anywhere that doesn’t provide a “gift”. Often a beer or a sweet is given on the house, just a little something to make you feel special and welcome. Indeed I do, thanks Croatia.    Læs mere

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    Kotor/Budva, Montenegro

    7. juni 2025, Kroatien ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    We arrived in Kotor for a couple of nights on our way to Budva, for additional three nights, kind of our final stop for unintended interregnum. We have had some tenant issues back home that need resolving, forcing us to head home until closer to our Mont Blanc hike, sigh. In the great words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, we’ll be back.

    Kotor, and Budva, are the land of cats. Yes that’s right. Cats are somewhat worshipped here similar to cows in India, since they are considered to be the town’s savior during the black plague, when they would go around eating all of the rats that were spreading the disease. You will find cats adorned on all sorts of souvenir gifts and artwork. Locals go around making sure all the street cats are well fed making them come across more as community pets than stray cats.

    Kotor’s city walls are a UNESCO World Heritage Site which were constructed back in the 6th century. In a time of never ending invasion, have times really changed, one would be hard pressed to find a port city that is not also a fortress. These fortress walls run straight up an incredibly steep hill/mountain. Insane they were able to build it.

    Kotor has the typical Old Town within the city walls, as we have seen numerous times, Budva too. Like other similar cities, Split, Dubrovnik, Kotor and Budva, it is quite pretty and nice to walk around, but having had this amazing opportunity to travel so much, there is a rinse, repeat quality to these areas.

    We decided to spend the day sea kayaking Kotor Bay. Started out pretty windy but did calm down later in the afternoon. Once again, managed to avoid getting swallowed whole by Jaws and paddled out to a nice beach where we relaxed for a good long time. At night, Kotor’s fortress gets lit up at night and the walls meandering across the hillside, creates a heart in the waters of the bay, pretty cool.

    Budva is basically a chill beach town. Nice. We hiked all day yesterday since they have a hike (9km one way) that connects all seven beaches. Absolutely lovely walk. We would occasionally stop along the way, for Stacy to swim, for us to get ice cream, to eat… and just made a day of it.

    Towards the end of the day, we happened upon a local volleyball game where they were borderline professional athletes. It was fun to sit with the locals and be a spectator. Budva is a great place to chill and do recommend both cities. Tomorrow it’s on to Tirana, Albania to spend a short afternoon before going to the airport for our long flight home. I’ll try to write one more Penguin after Tirana.    Læs mere

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    Intermission

    14. juni 2025, Serbien ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    Today we begin the long long journey home. These past five and a half months have been the trip of a lifetime. I feel so lucky to have been able to do this and equally lucky to have so many friends and family that we are excited to see.

    No more heavy backpacks to carry, no more googling whether or not I can flush toilet paper, no more hitchhiking in the bed of pickup trucks racing down pothole-filled dirt roads. Yet, I will greatly miss it all too.

    We have had so many amazing experiences, some of the incredible people we have met along the way and amazing friends and family who came out and visited us. I love sharing these experiences. Though it is more of an interlude, since in the great words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, we'll be back, specifically, August 14th:). But, until that time, we're coming home. 🇺🇸    Læs mere

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  • Adventure Awaits
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    Roma

    16. august 2025, Italien ⋅ ☀️ 93 °F

    Guess who’s back, back again, guess who’s back, guess who’s back…:)
    So after a two month hiatus our National Lampoon’s European Vacation has resumed. Our friends from jolly ol’ England will be traveling with us for this first leg of our trip, all of which will be in Rome.

    We are staying at a campground on the outskirts of Rome. Personally, I wouldn’t describe it as a campground. Mostly because Europeans don’t camp, they glamp. This campground has three water world style pools, complete with mini slides and a team leading water aerobics.

    For our first day we walked the Roman streets taking in the sights, and ice cream:). We strolled past the Trevi Fountain, which is a baroque fountain famous for its stunning and gigantic sculptures. It’s quite stunning and also a bit of a human zoo. Didn’t bother working my way through the masses towards the fountain and instead settled for the occasional glimpses and flashes provided by the occasional parting of the human seas.

    Unfortunately, we didn’t realize just how close we were to the Spanish Steps, so missed out, but did make our way to the Pantheon. The Pantheon has become a foundational/classical piece of architecture and one of the most influential rotunda in the world. It has inspired buildings such as the US Capitol, the Jefferson Memorial, St Peter’s Basilica and the Florence Cathedral.

    The Pantheon’s obelisk acts as its mythological sentry. Seemingly awaiting some fatal misstep triggering an Indiana Jones type cascading series of events, even if only in my imagination. The area is beautiful and love the way Europeans so innocently continue life and builds all around such behemoths of yesteryear. Tomorrow, the Coliseum:) Back to glamping.    Læs mere

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    Colosseum

    17. august 2025, Italien ⋅ ☁️ 90 °F

    The Colosseum gets its name from the Greek for kolossos, meaning giant. It’s the largest amphitheater ever built and when built it held between 50,000-80,000 people. Funnily, the exit was known as a vomitoria, Italian for vomit, because they spew all 50,000+ people out in a matter of 15 minutes. Think of today’s stadiums, even if it’s a projectile, pretty impressive.

    Amazingly, given its size, it was built in only eight years. Wowsers. Though some gladiators fought voluntary, most were criminals, prisoners of war, or slaves fighting for their freedom. If a gladiator, who would fight 2-5 times/year, were able to survive for three years, they could win their freedom. This was exceedingly rare.

    The lesser told story is that there were female gladiators! Did you know? What sexism. How has this story never been told? Women could only fight other women. The Romans may have been all about a murderous rampage, but don’t ever say that the murders we’re even steven🤷‍♂️

    Next up, the Vatican/Sistine Chapel.    Læs mere

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    Vatican/Sistine Chapel

    19. august 2025, Italien ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    So here’s the thing about glamping without a car. These campsites are naturally on the outskirts of town making getting to and fro quite the chore. It has consistently been taking us between one and two hours to get there and back via bus/train.

    Ah the consternations of trying to be a cheapass:). Word to the wise for my fellow cheapskates, if you choose to glamp outside a major European city, get a car. You can argue it would defeat the point of trying to save money and you would be right. 🤷‍♂️ C’est la vie.

    Traveling with Brits. First off, it’s bloody great, but the language differences can be hilarious, especially given that we are speaking the same one. Crisps are potato chips, chips of course are French fries, our camper is a caravan, your underwear are knickers and a car’s trunk is the boot. Just put your bags in the boot would ya. Anywho.

    Vatican City, which is its own city state within Italy, and is the smallest city state in the world, encompassing a whopping 121 acres of land. It is overseen by the See (that’s the Holy See to you:), which are the bishops. Fun fact, according to Economic Times, did you know that the Pope gets paid $32,000/month for his papacy? Good ol’ Pope Frank donated his salary, hey, what a guy.

    Our tour started at 8:30am, which meant that we had to get up at 5:30am to catch a bus at 6:15am because it was going to take us an hour and a half to get there. Have I talked about glamping:)? We stopped off for the most amazing chocolate croissant and Americano 😋.

    The Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel is what I would expect to see if I were to witness the after effects of an ecclesiastical wet dream. Every square inch is covered in some type of religious votive, often to God, but also to Popes of years gone by.

    It’s overwhelmingly impressive. The sheer size and volume of the church makes it all the more remarkable. It took Michelangelo alone four years to paint the fresco in the Sistine Chapel, let alone all the other magnificent pieces of art. Fun fact, Michelangelo initially declined the Pope’s request because he considered himself to be a sculptor, not a painter.

    Though beautiful, Michelangelo’s painting is just one of many of equal beauty. The hallways leading to all the rooms are so ornate, you would think the mythological Midas had touched each one. The amount of money that the church undoubtedly spent on all of this artwork is, much like many of their beliefs, out of this world. Sometimes it is difficult for me to get past how much better this money could be used for society, but such is the way of religion.

    Despite all of this, it really was a wonderful day and a spectacle to behold.    Læs mere

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    Cinque Terre

    21. august 2025, Italien ⋅ ☁️ 75 °F

    Hello from the Italian Riviera. A mountainous region that spans a six mile stretch connecting five traffic-free villages. By and large, there are no cars or museums, just sun, beaches, mountains and more cafes and trattorias than you could dream. All five villages are connected by train making exploration super easy. Life is slower here, feeling as close as you can get to island life without actually being on one.

    Beaches are small but packed with human sardines similar to the way sea lions are all borderline lying on top of one another. As the British would say, people’s swim costumes 🤷‍♂️cover what is legally required but nothing more. Each of the five villages are postage stamps within ravines and coves. The houses are vibrantly beautiful reminding me of La Boca in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

    We stayed in the smallest of the villages, Vernazza, which stretches approximately one football field, yet is loaded with shops and eateries. All five villages are also connected by hiking trails, which is mostly trail, but also steps and an occasional roadway.

    Given the location of the villages, overwhelming the trails follow the coastline, which is spectacular. We hiked two of the villages one day and three the next. It can be tough steep hiking but completely worth it. The trails didn’t have too many people on it given its beauty.

    Cinque Terre might be my favorite place we have visited thus far. Oceans, mountains, great food and a laid back atmosphere. The locals sit on chairs in front of their doorway waiting to speak with anyone willing, the Italians gesticulate as if being swarmed by bees and life moves along, as it should, slowly and richly. Italian Alps, here we come.    Læs mere

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  • Adventure Awaits
    Slate roofing, which will forever more be known as dragon roofing:)

    Aosta Valley, Italy

    25. august 2025, Italien ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    We have spent the past week galavanting through this region of the Italian Alps where the hills are alive with the sound of music… My fictitious god this area is beautiful. We have been warming up and getting ready to hike the Mont Blanc trail, this Monday! I’ve heard all you need is one week of hiking to prep for this nine day, 111 mile hike. 😉 So we should be good, right?

    In hindsight, we wished we had stayed in Cogne, which is a small idyllic mountain town, complete with the most spectacular mountain backdrop in the valley. It’s essentially a full frontal shot of the Grand Paradise National Park. If this mountain was a centerfold, it would definitely make the cover:). Side note, the roofing for the houses uses slate, which makes them look like the back of a stegosaurus or dragon. Really cool.

    The area offers free buses for the hikers, love it. The mountains are impressively steep. Most of our hikes included around a 3,000 foot climb and the mountains wasted no time in getting us there. The views are pretty overwhelming with the photos doing it no justice.

    I find it impossible to write or photograph the area in a way that reflects the experience. Like the old saying goes, you just had to be there. A picture may say a 1,000 words but can’t emulate the effort and satisfaction or feeling and serenity that mountains leave with you.

    European quirks. Everyone smokes! Okay, maybe not everyone, but damn it’s a lot. I think I have inhaled more second hand smoke in the past few months than I have in the previous decade combined:)

    According to the WHO, Europe as a whole, obviously varies by region, has a smoking rate of 26%, while the US is just under 12%. Anytime we sit outside trying to take in something incredibly beautiful, it never takes long before the carcinogens start wafting their way through.

    Bathrooms. European cities charge for bathrooms. Come on Europe:) You have so many things going for you, your public transit system should be a world model, great work-life balance, parental rights and benefits, but where is the fight for bathroom rights😂? Where is your bathroom Churchill, who is your William Wallace screaming you may take our hearts, but never our freedom, to…

    Italy has possibly been my favorite country we have visited thus far. The people are so friendly, the sights and history and culture, both the beaches and the mountains, the food 😋 and for god’s sake, it’s the birthplace of gelato. I mean, come on. It’s been so fun, but now it is time for our capstone course in hiking.    Læs mere

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    TMB Day 1

    1. september 2025, Frankrig ⋅ 🌧 63 °F

    Friends again! We are luckily joined by our backpacking crew from back home. We planned this trip last October and it has finally come to fruition. Yeah! Chamonix is the place where all your mountain dreams come true. Having Mont Blanc as your backdrop instantly makes Chamonix world renowned. Mountaineers pilgrimage here to be inspired and challenge themselves. Paragliders litter the sky like fireflies in the night, twirling and howling their way to an epic landing.

    Mont Blanc’s beauty demands your attention. It seemingly dares you to look away, if you can. I found myself walking backwards when not facing it and never tired of its grandeur and majesty. The town itself reminded me of Aspen. Touristy trinkets sparkle and dazzle and gelato 😋 calls my name like a siren to a sailor. I am quite smitten with Chamonix and wished we had stayed here for a couple of nights. Alas.

    Today’s hike was long and hard, and so too will all the subsequent days be. We hiked from Les Houches to Notre Dame La Grange, which was 14 miles with a 3,600 foot climb, 3,000 foot descent, taking a total of six hours.

    The day was rainy and cloud covered with the mountains occasionally peaking out to see who dares below. The clouds gave the mountains an awesomely ominous look and feel. The rain was somewhere between a mist and moderate and mostly felt good. I very much appreciated the cool weather.

    The trail followed ski slopes, trails and roads and was quite crowded. We started the hike with a bit of a procession but it spaced out after a bit. A never ending series of bonjours and ca-va’s from all the friendly hikers we passed, who were all exactly where they wanted to be.

    I feel wonderfully tired, satisfied and spiritually revived. God I love the mountains. We have arrived at our Airbnb, there is food to be eaten, wine to be drunk and stories to be shared. Until next time.    Læs mere

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    TMB Days 2

    2. september 2025, Frankrig ⋅ 🌧 54 °F

    Day 2
    Notre Dame La Grange to Mottets, Refugio. This day was 13.5 miles, 5,500 foot ascent!!, 3,300 foot descent and took 9 hours. This day was way busier than the previous day, in fact, I would describe it as more of an anthill than a hiking trail. Much of the ascent was a single track, making it a pilgrimage to the pass.

    One lady was being assisted up by a guide with a tow rope. WTF! He would hike lead with a six foot piece of climbing rope attached to his back and her harness in the front and pull/force her to keep up. Nuts!

    I have seen some crazy shit in my hiking days, but never a human tow truck. Probably the craziest I have seen is on my Everest Base Camp Trek (19 days). Hikers experiencing altitude sickness or an injury, would be carried out by porters (often half the weight of the westerner) by a makeshift chair, attached to the back of the porter with a strap going across his forehead, that they would sit in and be carried out.

    Anywho, we ended our day at Refugio Mottets, which was quite lovely. We bought dinner, no where else to eat 🤷‍♂️, which was simple but good. Then they brought out a music box, which was the hit of the night. They played some Beatles and other songs that everyone would know and finished with the song Hallelujah.

    Everyone in the Refugio started singing along creating such a joyous moment. It was a sense of community amongst strangers and togetherness from people from every corner of the world. For that brief time we were all in the moment and in it together, without ever even having to introduce ourselves or know anything about the other. Ah, the power of music. For all the hiking and stunning sights, this was far and away my favorite part of the day.    Læs mere

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    TMB Day 3

    3. september 2025, Frankrig ⋅ ☀️ 46 °F

    Today we went from Refugio Mottets, France to Courmayeur, Italy. Benvenuta. I would say this was a killer day, but thus far they have all been killers. 😂 Today we climbed 2,772 feet, descended 4,911!!, over the course of 16.1 miles and 9 hours. Yikes.

    I don’t think the ascents or descents are what get to me, but rather the duration of the day. This was our first rain free day and man do I feel lucky for it since it would have been a shame to miss today’s views. After summiting our first pass of the day, we got a full on view of Mont Blanc completely unobstructed by clouds. Just sensational. Mont Blanc is the clear beauty of the group, but the other mountains are also amazing.

    The Alps are, geologically speaking, a young mountain range (somewhere between 44 and 65 million years old), meaning, they have experienced less erosion than other mountains, making their peaks more jagged. So many of the peaks are in the form of a pyramid, often resembling a shark tooth.

    We awesomely stopped at Refugio Elisabetta for some cappuccinos and blueberry pie 🤤. Best break of the day, gazing out at the glacier, that is perfectly situated directly behind it, while drinking coffee and eating pie.

    We ended our beautiful but long day in Courmayeur. We entered the town as if we were out of central casting for the walking dead, yet ended up at a spa/luxury hotel. Our place has three levels, 5 bedrooms and a jacuzzi big enough for all six of us. Oh yeah. Tempting to spend the rest of the trip here, but onwards.    Læs mere

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    TMB Day 4

    4. september 2025, Italien ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Today we went from Courmayeur to Refugio Bonatti. Double what you got for Mr Bonatti, double…double… Today was only 8.5 miles, 3,700 ascent, a 1,027 descent and a five and half hour hike, it was almost like having a day off:). The main climb of the hike started straight out of the gate. It was a little steeper than the previous day/s.

    For the second straight day we were able to stop at a Refugio, Bertone, along the way for coffee and blueberry/lemon pie. A man can get used to this:). Refugios are always high up on the mountain affording the best views.

    I sip my cappuccino looking out at the vast expanse of the Alps thinking of how lucky I am. I try to be conscious of such things. Life could’ve easily gone an infinite number of different directions. People are prone to give themselves credit for the way their lives turned out, and to a degree of course they should, but to an almost equal degree they shouldn’t.

    Cow bells. European cows all have bells and for reasons unknown, every time I hear them I think of Swiss Miss chocolate pudding:). It helps the ranchers keep track of the herd, but in days gone by, it was also believed to ward off sickness and evil 🤷‍♂️. Pun intended, but Lordy.

    I quite enjoy the sound of the bells and it can almost be meditative at times. On occasion I flashback to when I was staying in a Tibetan Monastery in northern India (foothills of the Himalayas) and the monks would chant: Om Mani Padme Hum, while drumming to help access areas of the mind not normally accessible. Who knew cows could help to induce a form of meditative walking, but mostly what I think is Swiss Miss chocolate pudding 😆.

    This section of the hike has been glacier alley. Seemingly every mountain peak has a glacier between it and the next peak over. In addition to this amazingness, these glaciers create an entire mountain range of waterfalls. Out of this world. I keep trying to capture it in a photo but based on what I’m seeing, the photo never meets the experience.

    Tomorrow, we hike to Switzerland. Whoop whoop.    Læs mere

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    TMB Day 5

    5. september 2025, Italien ⋅ ⛅ 41 °F

    Today we hiked to La Fouly, Switzerland. We did a total of 12 miles, 3,214 ascent, 4,277 descent, taking a total of seven and a half hours. This brings are total ascent thus far to 18,832 feet!! Only 14,000 feet of ascent to go. Wowsers! Today took longer than it should’ve because we made not one, but two stops at Refugios.

    Let’s play how many desserts can Brian eat in one day:) Our first stop involved both a chocolate cannoli and a chocolate pie (in my defense, Stacy helped with the pie). Our second stop was not my fault, the Refugio bragged about making homemade ice cream from the surrounding Swiss Miss cows. What’s a guy supposed to do.

    One thing I noticed is that one of the Refugios was accessible by car, while the one we stayed at last night had all their supplies brought in by helicopter. The quality of the food at the one accessible by car was quite noticeable.

    The hike started out gentle for the first 3 miles and was another rainy one. It created a lot of mixed clouds but also a couple of rainbows. Everyone collectively stopped to appreciate it and made me realize something. Nature provides for all, regardless of class or income, no one is shunned and all are evenly provided with its bounty and beauty. Basically, Mother Nature is a socialist.😂 😂.

    We then did all the climbing at once. Holy steepness this was a tough one. Once we reached the summit we got fleeting glimpses of the mountain range, which was absolutely stunning, between the passing clouds.

    The other day we received a trail name, from Maura the Explorer 😉, as the Colorado 6. I immediately liked it and felt accused 😆. The Colorado 6 claim their innocence, but…

    Another magical day. I love this hike, even the difficulty, I love my friends and the countries and landscape we are traversing.    Læs mere

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    TMB Day 6

    5. september 2025, Schweiz ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

    Today we went from La Fouly to Champex Lac, still Switzerland. It took a total of seven hours, mostly because of the stops we made, but went a total of 11 and a quarter miles, gained 1,991 feet and descended 1,571 feet. We have now done a total of 75.1 miles and shockingly feel great.

    The first three days were quite physically challenging, feeling pain in my feet, my knees and lower back and at times feared that it would only get worse. But, on day four I started to turn a corner and by day five, felt great. It took me a full work week 😉 (best fucking work week ever:) of hiking to get into my rhythm and for my body to adjust. I’m not saying I’m ready to hike the Pacific Crest Trail but do believe it to be feasible.

    Champex Lac is also known as the Pays du Saint-Bernard (home of the St Bernard), it refers to this area of the Alps between Italy and Switzerland where the Saint-Bernard was trained as a rescue dog. The city’s welcome sign has a picture of the dog:).

    Let me back up and quickly capture last night’s dinner. The hosts of our Refugio brought out a couple of half wheels of cheese and the dish, and cheese, is called Raclette.

    Raclette is a dish of Swiss origin, also popular in the other Alpine countries, based on heating the cheese (the cheese sits directly below a flame) and scraping off the melted part, which is then served with boiled potatoes.

    Initially we had no idea that this consisted of the entirety of our meal and was surprised after I finished my first plate that they came back around and filled it with more cheese and potatoes. This went on until the wheel of cheese was gone. It was great and gives me a new definition of what is acceptable to serve for dinner 😆.

    Today we started our hike by briefly going in the wrong direction and needlessly uphill. Balls. After our correction, today felt like a mild day. The first eight miles were relatively gentle and then a final steep uphill push for the final three miles. This town has a beautiful lake, hence the name, and even more beautiful backdrop.

    We had drinks for lunch, bought a small bottle of wine that we stopped and shared along the trail, got a round of beers upon arrival and must be going because it is almost time for dinner and the Aperol Spritz are ready. 😉    Læs mere

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    TMB Day 7

    7. september 2025, Schweiz ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    The TMB, though originally a trade and shepherds route, was officially created in 1767 by a geologist named Horace Bénédict de Saussure who was attempting to find a way to summit it. He never made it and Mont Blanc was not summitted until 1786.

    I never knew how religious Switzerland was as a country. The white cross on their flag symbolizes Christianity (similar to Greece). The rest of the surrounding red denotes valor and bravery. While hiking, wooden crosses adorn the hillsides and towns.

    Today we added another 11 miles, climbed 2,700 feet and descended 3,200 feet. Most of the climb was all at once and steep. It offered 270° views with the typical stunning mountain backdrop and glaciers galore. There was a beautiful picnic area at the summit where we had lunch. It was a gorgeous day, hot even, and was back to the typical busyness we have grown accustomed to on the trails.

    Tonight, our Refugio feels more like a treehouse than Refugio. It’s the typical dorm style and will once again be sleeping with about 20 or so other weary but happy trekkers. Tomorrow, we trek our way back into France. Bonne Nuit    Læs mere

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    TMB Day 8

    8. september 2025, Schweiz ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    I, who took no part in the planning of this trip, just found out that most normal humans do the TMB over the course of 10 nights and 11 days. Oh no, not us. We are circumnavigating all 111 miles-ish over the course of eight nights and nine days because…🤷‍♂️😂. Oh the price you pay for not being a planner.

    I know we are incredibly late into our set, but let’s meet the band. We have Nikki and Ryan. Ryan is an award winning brew-master and overall beer aficionado. Apparently there is such a thing as a beer sommelier, which technically he is not, but is to us.

    Nikki and Ryan are tremendously fast hikers. So much so, that they are typically picking out our rest/lunch spots and waiting for us. Ryan was also a big planner for this trip (Nikki helps) and is undoubtedly a big reason why we are doing this hike faster, because well, they’re faster. 😉

    Nikki is what I would call one of our foundational pieces. She is very structured, organized, a rule follower, and laughs easily. Both her and Rebecca are bibliophiles. She helps the rest of us who are less inclined to plan, really anything. Everyone in our group, minus Stacy and I, are quite reclusive by nature, yet quite adventurous when it comes to anything outdoorsy.

    Then we have Rebecca and Nick. Amazingly they grew up together and went on to get married, who says fairy tales can’t come true. Nick is our navigator. Most of us don’t even bother looking at Gaia, but instead, simply follow Nick like a bunch of goslings.

    Rebecca, though introverted by nature, to the point of talking to strangers may be defined by The Hague as a crime against humanity, is often the life of the party.

    My wife Stacy is adventurous to her own detriment, generous to a fault, not really, the most chatty Kathy of the group and very loving by nature. As for me, well, probably better for someone else to describe.

    Stacy's inserted definition, "Brian, the equally most chatty Kathy, full of age-old wisdom and really just on the trail on a search and rescue mission for the best sweet treat on the TMB."

    Today was the most spectacular of all the days. No rain. We hiked to Trelechamps today, which was 8.5 miles with a 3,500 foot ascent and a brutally steep 3,300 foot descent. This was one of those days that were so overwhelming that you wind up taking the same photo over and over.

    At the summit, you get 360° views, including Mont Blanc. These are the mountains we originally saw at the beginning of our hike. I remember looking up and being in disbelief that towards the end of our journey, that we would be on top of them. Now we are.

    The peaks are so jagged that they look like the jaws of some mythological beast long dormant. All the peaks are snow-capped with glaciers the height of a five story building in between each.

    The views are so stunning that I feel like I have reached some version of maturity where I am only now realizing the beauty of the mountains and am now forever changed. It is hard to take your eyes off of them as I sit there transfixed. They are my Zen, my Qi, the Yin to my Yang.

    Now we drink, we eat, we celebrate another day in the Alps. We plan for the next and final killer of a day. There will be thousands of feet climbed and descended, ladders will have to be climbed, aaahhhh. Our knees will keep asking us what they have done to us to deserve such treatment, but will never understand since they are merely our transport, our vehicle allowing us to attain such heights both physically and metaphysically. Until tomorrow.    Læs mere

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    TMB Day 9

    9. september 2025, Frankrig ⋅ 🌧 55 °F

    Refugios. They have been great and highly recommend them if you should do this trek. You often hike with many of the same people and is nice to see familiar faces and friends each day. The sleeping can be tough since it is dorm style packing you in like sardines. Just a line of beds, often 20 to a room.

    Bathrooms and showers are gender neutral and weirdly created no issues, no heartache, certainly no assaults… it’s almost as if this is a completely made up issue 😂

    Yesterday we completed the loop back to Les Houches, but it didn’t exactly go according to plan. The day was insanely long and difficult, most difficult yet, 17.6 miles, 5,600 foot ascent, 6,900 feet descended over the course of 13 hours! This brings our total ascent to 32,500 feet, which means we climbed the equivalent of Mt Everest, plus 3,500 feet. Holy crapola, and right now I am feeling it.

    Downpour. The day started with a hard rain which lasted the first four plus hours of the hike and the high was only in the 50’s. So, cold and wet. After an hour and a half of hiking, we reached the ladders. I have a fear of heights. I have no earthly idea why I was thinking I would be able to climb the ladders.

    Some of the ladders were completely vertical, just climbing straight up the cliff, others were at an angle. I sat there staring at them as if I continued to do so that I could change what I was seeing or would have to do. I couldn’t do it.

    I made the heart-wrenching decision to head back down. Movies will not be made about this moment, novels will not be written and songs will not be sung. Fail. Total fail. I told my wife that she should continue with the group and I’ll make my way to Chamonix, but she stayed with me. Amazing.

    Our friends continued on the wet ladders and Stacy and I headed back down, dejected. I felt so badly not only for me but more so for my wife who would now be missing this opportunity.

    We decided to try and take what is called the lower route, which if it is raining I highly recommend. Given the weather we were essentially walking in a cloud the whole time and people at the top didn’t get a view either. We were thinking we might be able to make it to a gondola and meet back up with them, even though what we were doing would add 2-3 miles to our tremendously long day. Yes that means Stacy and I did 20 miles. My heart app registered 51,000 steps and promptly keeled over and died. 😂

    We made our way to Refugio de La Flagere. Once off airplane mode, I got a ding from the group saying they were at the Refugio at the top of the gondola. I sent a screenshot of our location, thank god, and said I don’t think we are going to be able to meet up because we are only at Refugio de La Flagere, and they said: us too!!!

    The Colorado 6 unite!! I could’ve jumped for joy. We didn’t even realize that the route had them drop back down after the ladders. Miracle. We depressingly realized that we had only gone four miles over the course of the first three and a half hours. We seriously had to pick it up and are only now facing the toughest of the uphill sections.

    The sun started to peak its head out but only for glimpses. Occasionally an opening in the clouds would form a circle around the mountains, almost like a cartoon cut out. I felt like Jack’s Beanstalk could have taken us up to its secret fortress. The trail started pushing up, relentlessly. Trail runners passed us with ease, bastards 😂.

    We ever so briefly thought we had finally reached the summit only to realize that we still had almost a mile to go. We entered and crossed a boulder field with yellow dots guiding our way.

    Redemption!! Just prior to reaching the summit, still in the boulder field, we came across a final section of ladders!! Nooooooo!! Ryan and Nikki waited for us to give the bad news.

    Once I saw the ladders, my heart sank. They stared back, like a foe who finally had its enemy cornered. All the work, all the effort, just to avoid these fucking ladders, straight from the pits of hell, had been resurrected before my eyes. The turn around for Chamonix was miles back, while the summit literally lay before our eyes.

    Rebecca, who is also quite uncomfortable with heights, started to get emotional and not in a good way. There were two sets of ladders that were connected, yet not. Once you finished one, you would have to be on its top step, before shimming over to start the next.

    We simply had to go forward. I started making my way, sidewalling/scrambling over to the ladders. Even the scramble to get there felt harrowing being on a precipice. I listened to Nick and Ryan’s advice and leaned forward into the rock wall. I told Rebecca not to start yet because I needed to go back. I took a few deep breaths, said never mind and pressed on.

    The scramble over was far scarier than I had anticipated, but I had reached the ladders. The ladders were not vertical, but more like a 75° angle. I took a deep breath and began climbing.

    A few steps into the first ladder I ever so briefly froze. I wanted to come down but was now stuck in this weird limbo where it would’ve been equally scary, if not scarier, to descend. I white knuckled/puckered it and continued. When I am in these terrible situations my tendency is to move quickly so it is over quickly.

    I tried not to think and just move. In my mind, the transition from one ladder to the next was terrifying and time defying, I felt like a gecko plastered to rock wall. Stacy later told me that she thought I moved far too quickly, so I know this is not reality, but because of my stupid fear of heights, time slowed down making each moment feel like a lifetime.

    At the top. I made it. Despite the arduousness of the day, I felt energized. Ryan said he was proud of me and gave double fist bumps, Nikki gave me a hug and my beautiful wife was right behind me with tears in her eyes. They were not tears of joy, but empathy, knowing how difficult it must have been for me, which is what brought her to tears. She may have even felt my pain/fear more than I. The fact that it brought my wife to tears on my behalf is what makes love the most powerful force in this world.

    Rebecca pulled through in equally strong fashion. She had only mentally prepared herself for one series of ladders (did I mention that there are about 10 ladders!! for the first series of ladders) and seeing this second unanticipated series was a little too much at that time. We both got through it.

    At the summit. There is a gondola for those wanting to avoid the downhill. We chose to walk the whole thing and finish it. No shade to those who took the gondola because I’m here to tell you that the hike down was brutal. Super steep and slow going since there were rocks that had to be slid down and chains along the cliff face to hold on to, it was not a leisurely downhill.

    Though we started at 7:30am, it was now well after 8pm before we started rolling into town. I started playing Europe’s The Final Countdown as we approached Les Houches. We felt broken, weary, battered, gleeful, alive and overjoyed both to have done it and to be done. We did it. The trip of a lifetime. World renowned trek. The Colorado 6 finishing together, celebratory beers await and stories for a lifetime.    Læs mere

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    Au Revoir

    11. september 2025, Forenede Stater ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    We have been traveling off and on, mostly on, since December 29th and this trip of a lifetime must come to an end. We traveled to S America for three and a half months and Europe for four. The sights, the food, the beaches, the hikes and most importantly, the people.

    I had trepidations about how people would act or what they would think about Americans right now, given my country’s current slide towards the abyss. Overwhelmingly, those anxieties lived within me, not others. Comments happened on occasion but were mostly said in jest, mostly. I certainly plan on going home to try and help to right the ship.

    It is now time for some version of a real world to begin, for whatever that means. Hell, I certainly feel like I have been living and experiencing life better than I do back home where some fictional real world exists.

    Despite everything we have been able to see and do, I am excited to return home. My community, my friends and my family, this is the main thrust of life afterall. This is what truly makes life so rich, traveling is simply one of the many seasonings in the recipe that adds a spice to your life. I will miss it, I will dream about it and will already start to plot our next trip. But for now, home is where the heart is. Ciao, ciao!    Læs mere

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    Slut på rejsen
    11. september 2025
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