Recently Madi, one of our Adventure Advisors, set off on our 11-day Tour du Mont Blanc on a solo, self-guided trekking adventure. We sat down with her afterwards to find out about her experience:
Have you ever done a multi-day solo hike before?
No, only day hikes.
Were you nervous before the trip?
I was quite nervous, like nervous excitement I would say, especially a few days before I started. But as soon as I started trekking it was fine. It’s always the way, isn’t it, when you do something different you always get a bit nervous.
How did you find walking alone everyday for 11 days? What surprised you?
I loved it! Originally I was going to join a guided trek, but I decided to go solo because you can go at your own pace, you can wake up at the time you want to wake up, you can stop at lunch where you want to stop, and have time to take photos and things like that.
And I met other people along the way. Sometimes I trekked with them for a little bit or just by myself and I loved it. Sometimes I’d put my headphones in and listen to music. Sometimes just quiet.
How were the huts as a solo trekker? Did you meet people?
On the very first day, I got to the hut really early. I was going to bring a book with me and I didn’t, and at first I regretted not bringing one as there was no internet there, but you meet people pretty quickly. Soon enough, when I was sitting outside alone, two more people came over and asked to join me. Later for dinner, a lot of the refuges have set seatings, and I found myself sitting with three others who were similar age to me, and we were all chatting away. Each night you just meet different people, or sometimes the same people, and everyone wants to chat about their stories. So even though you’re solo, I’ve made loads of friends and I think it’s quite easy to speak to people.
What was the experience of other solo trekkers that you met?
I met lots of other solo trekkers, and spent a lot of my time with two other solo trekking women, who were also trekking with Adventure Base. The solo trekkers I spoke to were all a little apprehensive, but by the end were all so glad to have done it solo! When you are a solo trekker with AB, you get added into a 1:1 Whatsapp group with our Operations Team so you have someone to check in with if you need support. You also have use of our itinerary app, so you can use this when you’re unsure of anything or don’t want to get lost! I think a huge thing was that a lot of companies don’t take solo trekkers and the women I spoke to were very happy to have found a company that does.
Has it inspired you to do more solo trekking?
Yes, I am already planning what to do next! I would love to do another solo trekking adventure, but also, after seeing my trip, my fiance and parents want to come next time, and so maybe I won’t be solo trekking after all!
What was your biggest lesson from this experience?
That solo trekking was a great experience, and I am really glad I chose to go solo. My competitive side came out a bit and so it was good to be able to choose my own pace. I’ve travelled solo before and so although I have experience with this, I am proud of myself. 11 days is a long time to trek solo for but I never felt alone or worried.
Final thoughts?
I want to do more! After trekking everyday, my legs got used to walking and when I came home I just couldn’t sit down – I kept having to stand up or walk around! I also kept a journal each day which was nice to reflect on. Would definitely recommend self-guided solo trekking to anyone thinking about it!
Are you inspired by Madi’s adventures? You can see our Self-guided Tour du Mont Blanc trekking options here. Or, book a call and speak to Madi herself!
