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- Feb 15, 2017
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“Amazing Experience” in the Alps
Had enough of the winter? Check out the Mont Blanc blog post below from Michelle Valerio, a longtime friend and traveler with Mountain Madness who joined us last August with MM guide Alan Rousseau. Let her experience inspire you to join us this summer in stunning Chamonix and summit an iconic European peak.
The Mont Blanc trip was another fantastic trip. Alan and I did not reach the summit, which was a little disappointing. For me it was quite a challenging route, but still a great experience. We trekked the Trois Mount route which is a great option going from the Aguille de Midi cable car. The scenery was amazing!
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801082_10208600160655801_1148540228_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=95f9d381d2d7062b96d42e412fdd98e0 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801082_10208600160655801_1148540228_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=0f952aa32969265889a1c3005ed1d35c 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801082_10208600160655801_1148540228_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=63e4598d5ae560690cb63cdb43548f4c 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801082_10208600160655801_1148540228_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=bc28873568e952c3b98abcd1fb748d49 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801082_10208600160655801_1148540228_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=de1e0ae43ab0fe1631d38fb999a7ff6e 960w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801082_10208600160655801_1148540228_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=009a70021cb3002815d0b44d4863bd8c 960w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801082_10208600160655801_1148540228_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=0432b82f01db481727022365ed439a68 960w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801082_10208600160655801_1148540228_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=c8ec3d02525c7acca8e8bc6e2e9320e1 960w)
Enjoying the scenery
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14797272_10208600169976034_1792456578_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=d61afda42cab05c45ef8c30a8dfa9355 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14797272_10208600169976034_1792456578_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=dc960e186934d7e5d4439ef8c247274e 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14797272_10208600169976034_1792456578_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=62ddbe751e7f9f913356f7fbfe13bc5c 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14797272_10208600169976034_1792456578_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=82f9efa2095204ea826e859a4a32b0d1 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14797272_10208600169976034_1792456578_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=637ce71c57e8af5ce2bfdcd697d596d3 960w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14797272_10208600169976034_1792456578_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=dc3ab2e9c78e739abf00404466821d7d 960w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14797272_10208600169976034_1792456578_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=dab8050f840b0ea4431b4b511a04f660 960w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14797272_10208600169976034_1792456578_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=6ea69bae7e7a82a6c19b5c855eb137f0 960w)
Glacier climbing
Alan was brilliant and I was able to improve belayed glacier climbing with his guidance. He has solid technical guiding skills and is one of the best teachers. If I go back, I would love to climb with him again. The other member of the team, Kim, was a super fit young man so Alan had two opposites to work with! The difficulty for me (and it must be age) is speed. However, I want to keep pushing myself, I am now 55 and live to get on crampons in the snow! The Alps were stunning, but the temperature was very high which provided an interesting element of nature to work with. Overall amazing experience!
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14805493_10208600171056061_423645615_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=1cafdf4ac12738d2414c5354a0bcc2a0 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14805493_10208600171056061_423645615_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=6aafb901896294d4a263ee880fca0c60 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14805493_10208600171056061_423645615_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=7b717e257a000140bbed7061318dcefb 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14805493_10208600171056061_423645615_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=8c5449f3423311106c826de4588c660b 720w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14805493_10208600171056061_423645615_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=e934c8f97da70cbf97547953e1ba05ea 720w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14805493_10208600171056061_423645615_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=371130b5699a3ce8e92bb40f5a372d6c 720w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14805493_10208600171056061_423645615_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=c30d80209cbc0d2553fa6e5a772c3294 720w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14805493_10208600171056061_423645615_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=1bde2565a082c11537b77f189b0ca355 720w)
Climbing in crampons with Alan
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801185_10208600175616175_685390569_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=fc30e1d26e84f49e18f70c7882037eb6 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801185_10208600175616175_685390569_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=66676d1c23143c944dd05fa2d644d8f4 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801185_10208600175616175_685390569_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=fa9d6287d6305e18dc251d914effccba 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801185_10208600175616175_685390569_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=3e75a666c18979b1ea2a831b85bccc27 720w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801185_10208600175616175_685390569_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=f090018578b61d5e25f9e8e15f6e41e1 720w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801185_10208600175616175_685390569_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=7ea08e37f1b7bbe5670d3c720e297161 720w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801185_10208600175616175_685390569_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=ecf567ed64967a66ea35a4524874e4a3 720w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2F14801185_10208600175616175_685390569_n_1024.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=3f783218a78744cd5a04a9af67b9718f 720w)
Looking down the route
~ Words and photos by MM Client Michelle Valerio