Re the backyard racing, while I still haven't given a Tour du Mont Blanc recap, I had my first insight into people like these backyard racers from our
Posted by
pmb (aka pmb)
Oct 19 '22, 09:51
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guides. The guides were amazing with us and are technically certified as "elite guides". Apparently Chamonix is something of an extreme sports mecca and many of the guides there are like this. Our lead guide was the first woman to climb and ski down one of the handful of 8000m peaks in the world. She has also taken out Richard Branson on several expeditions around the world. One guide climbed Everest last year (during which his oxygen regulator froze on the descent and while trying to defrost it (with it off) he lost sight in one eye (temporarily) and had to descend in a white out snowstorm with vision in only one eye). He also raced the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc (110 miles through the mountains the last couple of years). He finished in 40 hours last year despite breaking his foot 10 hours in. Others have done similar ultras, or have other interests like extreme skiing, rock climbing, etc., and one of the guides is currently doing the Pyrenees (approximately 500 miles) in 20 days.
It's a pretty fascinating life they lead. Several are married, but only 1 with kids. The spouses tend to have similar interests (the wife of the guy who did Everest did an ultramarathon in the Sahara), though they tend to hold steadier jobs. They tend to work these trips to make enough money to fund their own trips and adventures (and save little). They were all incredibly patient and helpful with us even though we're clearly not in the same ballpark of what they can do. They genuinely seem to get a lot out of helping others push their own relative extremes. There is clearly an adrenaline junkie element but also something of spiritual element (if not religious). And yet they would still look at others doing stuff that they individually think is crazy. It was just really fascinating spending time with them.
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