My Tour De Mont Blanc in Instagram Photos

This September I was walking in the Alps on the Tour de Mont Blanc for the third year running with my friend Julia. This mountain trail makes a circuit around the Mont Blanc Massive, taking you through France, Switzerland and Italy and would normally take 12-14 days to complete the whole circular route. However, we decided that it would be too arduous and difficult to fit in so much time off work, if we did the TMB in one go, so we’re walking the trail in stages and hopefully will be back to complete the final stage of our Tour de Mont Blanc next year.

Our first year took us from Les Houches above the Chamonix valley to Lac Blanc and finished at Flegere. The second year we started at Flegere and walked into Switzeland, ending at Champex Lac and this year we started where we left off at Champex Lac to walk as far as Courmayeur in Italy.

Although I was away from any wifi, I was able to capture the journey in photos on my iPhone which I posted through Instagram onto my Twitter and Facebook feeds, as well as e-mailing to my family, to give a live stream of the journey, using the tag #tmbwalk. The pictures below are all my #tmbwalk photos and if you hover over each one you can see the commentary – bear in mind that the photos at the top are from the end of the journey. At the bottom of the photos, I’ve given some information in case you’d like to do the same – it’s certainly an activity I plan to use again on future trips.

More Tales from the Tour de Mont Blanc

Off to the Alps – More adventure on the Tour de Mont Blanc
Walking on the Tour de Mont Blanc – Podcast
The Mountain Clothing you’ll need for treking the Tour de Mont Blanc

Information about creating the photos above

• I have been using Instagram for my last few trips to take photos on my iPhone – there is an app for both iPhone and Android.
• The Instagram app enables you to take photos on your smartphone, resize them in a square format, add filters with different effects and then post to your Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr feeds, your Flickr account and e-mail them to anyone you wish as well as being visible on Instagram for your Instagram followers to see in their feed.
• Although I used #tags on previous trips such as #loveguernsey #Houston #Texas with my Instagram photos, for this trip I decided to create a unique tag of #tmbwalk that no-one else was using which proved to be a good plan.
• By creating a unique tag I could use the WordPress Plugin Instapress to create the effect above. Instapress enables you to create a photo montage like the one above or to add your Instagram photos in a sidebar widget to your blog. I’m still working out how to customise the widget as so far I haven’t found out how to include only photos with a #tag from my own stream – if others are using the same #tag it picks up their photos too – hence the importance of using a unique #tag
• An alternative to Instapress is Snapwidget which can be used to generate code that you paste onto your blog that will create a similar photo montage to the one above.

Information for walking the Tour de Mont Blanc from Champex Lac to Courmayeur

• We flew to Geneva and took the train/bus to Champex Lac. There is a station in Geneva Airport and you can buy tickets at either the machines or at the ticket booth. The combined ticket took us from Geneva Airport/Martigny, Martigny/Orsieres (Changing briefly at Sembrancher) Orsieres to Champex Lac by bus. The trains ran from Geneva about every 30 minutes and the whole journey took around 3 hours. The cost one way was about 59 CHF (€48 £39 $63) If Courmayeur is your starting point you could also look at flights to and from Turin which has good public transport connections to get to Courmayeur.
• We stayed at at Champex Lac at Gite Bon Abri; Ferret at Hotel Col de Fenetre; Rifugio Elena; Rifugio Bonatti, at Courmayeur at Hotel Bouton d’Or. We reserved rooms by e-mail in advance for all of these but Rifugio Elena who did not answer our e-mails (we later found that their office is in the valley rather than at the Refuge) so we phoned to make a reservation when we arrived. Check for the best hotel prices in Switzerland and book here.
• At the end of our walk we caught the SAT bus from Courmayeur to Chamonix through the Mont Blanc tunnel. The bus runs around 3-4 times a day and the journey takes around 45 minutes and costs €13 one way, €20 return. The bus leaves Courmayeur in front of the Tourism Office where you can buy tickets at the bus office and drops off at Chamonix station where there is also a booth to buy tickets.
• Finally we took the efficient and reliable minibus transfer with ChamExpress from Chamonix to Geneva Airport for our flight home – the cost is €29 one way + tax

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Tour de Mont Blanc 2012 photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com - Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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And the winner of the easyJet Holidays #InspireTravel competition is….

The easyJet Holidays Inspiration Initiative was all about inspiring travel experiences and bloggers sharing their ‘Who, What, Where and When’ that inspired them to travel – and now the competition’s over, it’s time to announce the winner.

After writing about their own travel experiences each blogger nominated five more to take part so that the number of inspiring travel tales grew bigger and bigger. I was one of the judges of the competition along with Melvin from Traveldudes and Matt from Travel with a Mate and with so many fascinating entries it was truly a tough task to choose the winner.

However, there had to be one person to enjoy the prize of an 5 star, 7 night holiday for 2 with easyJet Holidays and that winner is …. (drumroll please)

Kat from Travel with Kat

You can read Kat’s winning blog post here

“In 1927, at the age of 23, my grandmother boarded a boat to China, following the man she loved to Shanghai”

Well, I love a bit of romance and who couldn’t be captivated by Kat’s opening for her inspiring travel experiences? Kat goes on to describe how her grandmother’s stories and carved Chinese furniture fascinated her and gave her a longing for far-off, exotic places. In India she soaked up the vivid colours and patterns of Kerala and her visits to Gambia have led her to found a choir to raise money for local Gambian schools. From a ferry trip to France alone with her sister aged 10 to a train ride through the mountains and gorges of Corsica, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Kat’s travel inspirations.

Here’s a round up the other  brilliant entries courtesy of easyJet Holidays.

Beyond Blighty – Arianwen was inspired to volunteer at a school in Tanzania.

Kids Travel Cam – Kirstie’s fond memories of a school trip to Amsterdam and enthusiastic son helped convince her to seek out any opportunity to enjoy the sun and the sea.

Emily Luxton – The RAF stories of Emily’s grandfather brought out her adventurous side and she started it all off with a backpacking trip to Malaysia.

Mum’s Gone to – A travelling Dad, a holiday romance in Tenerife and a Room with a View in Florence are travel inspirations for Trish

Emma’s Travel Tales – A lifelong fascination with traveling abroad and experiencing different cultures led Emma to an extensive tour round Europe.

Suitcases & sippy cups – Jessica is inspired by the thrill of adventure and the support of her children and family.

Spanka Demus –  took inspiration from Ewan McGregor’s and Charley Boorman’s motorcycling excursions inevitably leading to a trip to Europe.

On the Luce – A passion for Thai culture and the label on a bottle of wine convinced Lucy to follow in the footsteps of her favourite travel bloggers.

The Lady in London –  was inspired by her free-spirit mother to take in the big cities of Europe – and has never looked back.

Nomads on the Road – Mike knew from an early age that he was destined to travel the world, taking his inspiration from every person he meets.

Ad-lib Traveller - An unusual combination of parents, Jamaica and Eddie Murphy prompted the Adlib Traveller to venture abroad.

Bluenosegirl  - won a trip to Brazil and then used a fascination with Russian culture to keep her desire for travelling strong.

Vicky Flipflop Travels – Books and blogs inspire Vicky to travel, and photos of destinations help even more.

Michael Palin’s Fault - Like the title of the blog says: it’s all Michael Palin’s fault. The legendary comedy performer and travel documentary-maker serves as a primary inspiration.

Briana Palma – Both Briana’s parents have a hand in inspired her to travel and studying abroad in Europe only added fuel to the travelling fire.

Wanderings and wonderings – Family played a big role in Ruth’s travel desires, from impressive holidays with her parents to her brother’s trip to Zambia.

Back packs and bunk beds – Neil served as his own inspiration with an excursion to South Africa.

The Travel Hack - A mother who worked in an airport and an inspirational Cambodian tour guide drives Monica’s passion for travel.

Reclaiming my future - The thoughts of home and leaving it behind have inspired Toni to explore the best that the world’s ocean has to offer.

Kids Travel 2 - Early excursions around Europe and Laurie Lee’s novel ‘As I walked Out One Midsummer Morning’ inspired Julia’s travels.

Backpackerbanter - This blog proves that a passion for surfing can be all you need to inspire you to see the best the world has to offer.

Mallory on Travel - The exploits of Sir David Attenborough and a longing for adventure inspires Mallory on Travel.

Backpacker Becki - Volunteering in Madagascar gave Becki all the inspiration she needs to enjoy other countries and cultures, and the people that live in them.

Life of an Expat Parent – Uninspired by the idea of a repetitive lifestyle, The Foreigner swapped Southwest Ohio for England in search of adventure.

The Travelbunny – The lyrics of her favourite childhood songs inspired Suzanne to start travelling, and the people she met on the way inspired her to keep going.

My Postcard From – The iconic architecture of Sydney and the flavour shock of Asian street food are big motivators for Paul’s travel experience.

Mums do travel – Trips round Europe in a VW camper van as a child gave Gretta all the motivation she needed to keep on going.

Heels and Wheels – Travelling around Australia dispelled a lot of Bobbi’s fears about visiting countries as a solo female.

Landlopers – Matt was fascinated by the idea of visiting foreign cultures from a very young age, but a friendly evening in Israel changed his view of travelling forever.

Jouljet – Learning that she had a Russian name inspired Tash to visit Russia.

Culture Addict/ History Nerd – Early holidays in Florida with her parents developed Nicole’s love of travel, while Gary blames his in-laws.

The Travolution – Unexpected spontaneity and the European lifestyle are the difference-makers for Cristina.

Tales of a Brit abroad – Kate’s adventurous grandparents and teenage holidays to Spain are the unlikely source of her desire to travel.

Andalucia Explorer – The rugged aesthetic of Cornwall and a father fascinated with sampling different cultures (and wines) serve as the inspiration for Rachel.

Walkingon Travels – Mexico and Moldova might not have much in common, but they both managed to inspire Keryn.

Restless Jo – The lure of Portugal, the vibrancy of different world cultures and even the documentaries of Michael Palin are just some of the things that keep Jo travelling.

Inspiring Travellers – Andrea’s parents were a constant source of inspiration to her travelling; they took her to Europe, California and the British Virgin Islands.

Backpacker Illusions - Being robbed and left with virtually nothing on a baking desert road somewhere in the middle of Africa would be enough to put most people off travelling – but not Paz, it motivated him to do it even more.

Albany Kid - Family plays a big role in inspiring Sandra’s travels; from her mother visiting Peru to her parents sending her on a courier mission to Colombia to see the realities of the world.

Bohemian Trails - Being given a fake passport as a child, Megan collected stamps managing to simultaneously quell her desire to visit new places and strength it too.

Mo Travels – Prince Charles takes the credit for Mo’s youthful inspiration to travel, and trips to San Diego and Amsterdam have strengthened it even more.

Sparky Sees the world – A desire for adventure and curiosity for the world around her inspired Emma to travel; her experience with elephants made it worth it.

The World of Deej – Jealous of his grandfather’s adventures to China and Singapore, Deej set out to have some amazing cultural experiences of his own.

Virtual Wayfarer – As a child Alex travelled around Europe with parents, but as he got older this Star Trek fan was inspired to seek out some ‘final frontiers’ of his own.

Don’t call me Gringa - Having travelled all her life Emily as never been much in need of inspiration, but she still finds it everywhere she looks, from her parents to Croatia to her current life in Chile.

Travels of Adam - Travelling with his family was a great starting point for Adam, and then semesters abroad in Sydney and London pushed him ever further.

Cheryl Howard – Her father’s life was a motivation to Cheryl, so much so that when he died she used it as a motivation to pursue her passion to travel.

Our Oyster – An unadventurous childhood translated into a passion for travelling for Jade, but now living in Australia inspires her every day.

Leave your daily hell - A sixth birthday present of a world map led to a childhood of daydreaming about different countries and cultures for Robert.

Gone with the Family – Family plays a big role in inspiring Lisa to travel – coming for a small community in Canada made her want to see the big world.

Caroline in the City – Adventures as varied as Thailand, Croatia and the Australian outback helped cultivate and shape Caroline’s desire to travel.

Well done to all the entrants for their great articles – if I’ve left anyone out, please let me know and I’ll add you to the list.

Photo Credits: All photos are from the articles mentioned above and are credited on the Photo

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

What inspired you to travel? a competition from easyJet Holidays

Do you have an inspirational travel moment that made you want to get out and see more of the world or even prompted you to start a travel blog to share your experiences? EasyJet Holidays have just launched a Travel Inspiration Initiative to try and get travellers talking and writing about what inspired them to travel. It’s all about what, who, when and where inspired you to travel and you can follow what other bloggers have to share on Twitter #InspireTravel.

The Prize

To get people talking about those special moments that inspired them to travel, eastJet Holidays is offering a chance to win an iPad2 AND a 5* luxury holiday. The competition is open to UK residents and goes on until 31 May 2012 when the best entry will judged by Melvin from Travel Dudes, Matt from Travel with a Mate and little old me.

So here’s my contribution on what inspired me to travel;

What started me travelling?

My childhood memories are of getting up in the middle of the night to pile with my parents and two sisters into the Morris Minor for the drive to Dover to catch the early morning ferry. My parents loved to tour Europe for a couple of weeks each summer and we’d stay a a few nights in each campsite and look around the area, then move on. I think these sightseeing trips must have given me a bit of a bug for new and fascinating places – my mother tells me that I would follow the tour guides around listening intently to their commentary. I remember the smell of damp grass as we got up early to break down the big family tent in order to move on, but these days I must admit that I prefer the certainty of a solid roof over my head. From time to time I’ve visited some of the same places, such as Rome, Rovinj and Salzburg that we visited as children and it’s always fun looking at the photos that my father has carefully kept in his album and going back to the places they were taken.

Who started me travelling?

I suppose it must have been my parents, who continue to be great travellers to this day, but I always enjoyed reading novels and about places that I might visit that would give me the flavour of the place. As a student I can’t say that I was a particularly adventurous traveller although I did take a year off which I spent partly in the French ski resort of Meribel as an au pair and partly in Hong Kong staying with some expat friends of my parents. In Hong Kong I worked in a bar that was popular with expats but the most adventurous thing I can remember doing was getting lost on Lantau Island. It all seems a bit tame compared with the plans of many students these days to backpack around Asia and South America or explore the most exotic and far flung places. It was at University that I became more adventurous, organising study trips to Kenya and Papua New Guinea with a small group of students that really got us off the beaten track.

When was I inspired to travel?

After University I went to work for Operation Raleigh, the adventure organisation that was then headed by Sir John Blashford Snell that was conceived as a series of expeditions that made their way around the world. As well as working in the London HQ I went on one of the expeditions to Honduras to the Mosquito coast where we stayed in a tented camp by the side of an amazing lagoon, miles from anywhere. I don’t think I have any photos from this trip but I do have some amazing memories of trapping and bagging an enormous poisonous Fer de Lance snake to take back proudly to the expedition herpetologist and trekking through the forest to ‘discover’ the ruins of an ancient city completely overgrown in the middle of the jungle. What blog posts that trip would have made!

Where inspired me to travel?

I continued to combine a career and travel with my husband, Guy who I met on Operation Raleigh and then the children came along and our travel plans became more normal – camping in France and Spain or staying with my sister on the Greek island of Zakynthos. However, it was a more adventurous trip a few years ago to Ecuador with two friends that inspired me to start this blog. We travelled from Quito via Riobamba to the spa town of Banos – so far, so well-trodden backpacker route. From there we descended into the Amazon basin and travelled by dug-out canoe down the Riobamba, staying in the Rain-forest community of Sarayaku and camping on sandbanks, down as far as the Peruvian border. We were following the route taken by our 18th century heroine Isabelle Godin, who in 1769 had made this journey with a groups of family and servants to try and meet up with her French husband who had become stranded in French Guiana and who she had not seen for 20 years. All but she perished on the journey and she was found wandering in the forest by some local Indians and was eventually re-united with her husband. Luckily we made it back in one piece and I kept a photo diary on Flickr throughout this trip and when I returned felt inspired to start my blog to share my travel experiences.

To keep the travel inspiration ball rolling I’d like to nominate;

Ross from Corbett’s Britain, Julie from Lady in London, Zoe from Quirky Traveller, Dylan from Travelling Editor, Trish from Mums Gone To

If you’d like enter all you need to do is;

1. Write on your blog about what, who, when and where inspired you to travel.

2. Nominate 5 other bloggers who you think should share their inspirational travel moment.

3. Share your post before 31 May 2012 by e-mailing a link to competitions@holidays.easyjet.com with your name, email address and phone number or share it on Twitter using #InspireTravel and @easyJetHolidays

The small-print is available on the easyJet Holidays website here but basically you need to be over 18 and a UK resident. The prize covers easyJet flights from the UK and a hotel stay for 2 people sharing at a 5 star Hotel for 7 nights as well as an iPad2 and can be taken up to the end of 2012 excluding school and public holidays and must be booked by 30 June 2012.

For more information check on the easyJet Holidays website here.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on Twitter #InspireTravel to find out what inspires other travel bloggers.

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com - Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

 Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

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