The Tour du Mont-Blanc is not technical, but it does require you to string together days of ascent. Three months of steady preparation is enough to turn the trek into a pleasure rather than a trial. Here is a simple plan, week by week.
What fitness do you really need?
The requirement is simple: being able to walk for 6 hours with 1,000 m of ascent, with a pack on your back, and to put your boots back on the next day. There is no climbing and no technical equipment involved, but you do need endurance and consistency.
If you are going for 10 or 12 days, the bar is lower: stages come to around 4 to 6 hours of walking.
The 90-day plan
- Day -90 to day -60: two outings a week, one of them uphill. Aim for 2 to 3 hours of walking, without pushing.
- Day -60 to day -30: one long weekly outing of 4 to 5 hours with 800 to 1,000 m of ascent, carrying a 6 kg pack.
- Day -30 to day -10: a « test » weekend of two consecutive days with the actual pack and the boots you will trek in. This is when you discover the rubbing points and the adjustments to make.
- Day -10 to day 0: reduce the volume, look after your sleep, and stop testing anything new.
The classic mistakes
Trying to save time on the descent is the leading cause of knee pain. Train on descents, not just on climbs.
Second mistake: ignoring the pack. Walking for 4 hours with nothing on your back has little to do with 4 hours carrying 9 kg. Load your pack from the long outings onwards.
Finally, never test new equipment on the trek itself: boots, pack, socks and poles should all have several outings behind them.