A Tour of Mont Blanc: And Other Circuitous Adventures in Italy, France and Switzerland

Humorous, reflective, and poignant, this is the story of a journey around one of the world's most iconic mountains, through an area that is full to bursting with stories to rememberMont Blanc, or "Il Bianco" as it is sometimes known as in Italy; The White One. It sits, regally, upon pleated glacial folds gathered together around a timeless, grey-rock body, high above the French town of Chamonix, lord of all that it surveys. It beguiles, bewitches, and charms the lesser folk who seek to frolic and play among the buttressed foothills of its ancient frame, but exudes also a sense of foreboding; a warning to the 100 or so climbers that die each year attempting to reach the gleaming, domed summit of this great snow-encrusted mountain. Framed by the cobalt blue sky and golden alpine sun, Western Europe's highest mountain has held a certain allure to explorers and hikers for centuries, playing host to the likes of Hannibal, Napoleon, and the early pioneers of alpine exploration. In a muddy field somewhere in Cornwall on New Year's Day, two men make a pact to tackle it. Call it a mid-life crisis, with not only one of their daughter's about to leave for university but also the rapidly approaching prospect of a 50th birthday to consider: walking 170 kilometers across a mountain range seems the perfect antidote.