Leaving my Comfort Zone

I’m proud to be one of 10 featured authors in the newly-released book Modern Adventurers. Produced by The Hiking Club, the book features stories from a variety of classic treks across the Alps.

In the summer of 2019, while I was on sabbatical from work, my friend Wendy and I took on the Walker’s Haute Route, which is a 120 mile (193 km) hike from Chamonix to Zermatt that includes almost 40,000 feet (12K meters) of vertical gain. We organized the trip entirely on our own, carrying everything we needed in 36L daypacks, and sleeping in Alpine huts and quaint inns along the way. 

The scenery was spectacular and the challenges significant. While we are in great hiking shape and live at elevation in Colorado, the route took a toll on me with my rather extreme fear of heights. There were technical sections—sometimes entire days—with mountaineering efforts I hadn’t anticipated, and significant exposure to contend with daily. There’s a reason my section of the book is called Triumph! Finishing the hike gave me an extreme sense of accomplishment.

The hike was a trip of a lifetime: special friendships formed along the trail, amazing views, and memories I will cherish forever. On the hike I met Brendan Jones, co-author of this book, who runs The Hiking Club. He’d be happy to help you plan a hiking trip in the Alps if you’re inspired after reading my story.