After a gentle meander to discover the source of the Nidd this summer for The Press, BOB ADAMS decided to finish his hiking year on a high. Make that very high, with the Tour de Mont Blanc.

CALLING the famous walk of Mont Blanc a ‘tour’, makes you think about coaches and stops for sightseeing, ice cream and shopping. Actually it's a strenuous 105-mile hike taken over eight to twelve days around Europe's highest mountain, west of the Caucasus.

It is one of the great walks of the world. We got there just as the Ultra Tour Mont Blanc (TMB) was finishing and unbelievably, some athletes run it in less than 24 hours.

Although the challenge is at times similar to walking in the Lake District or Snowdonia, everything appears to be twice the size. The accumulated height gain and loss of the completed circuit is estimated to be almost 33,000 feet, which is a bit like climbing Snowdon every day for a fortnight.

On the walk you cross three frontiers from France into Italy, then Switzerland and back into France.

So you can imagine my trepidation in the months leading up to the expedition when the flights to Geneva had been arranged and accommodation booked and paid for.

There was no way to back out. What seemed like a good idea over a pint the year before, was now actually happening. I was especially worried about the fabled ladder section on day nine that everyone had told me was 'fine'.

We felt reasonably prepared. All exercise had been diverted to walking for months and we had cut down the contents of our rucksacks to around eight kilos by dumping spare clothes, books and shaving kit.

The walk was divided into ten days, stopping for a rest day at Courmayeur, in Italy, after day four. Bookings were also made to stay at refuges en route, mainly in dormitory style accommodation with breakfast and evening meal included.

Day one dawned and the five of us set of from Chamonix in France, catching the local train to Les Houches, the traditional starting point. The forecast was good and the weather stayed fine for the whole trip.

We had a long walk ahead of us on the first day, taking the high route around the end of the Bionassay Glacier, over the Col de Tricot and traversing past the village of Les Contamines to the Chalet de Nant Borrant.

This was our first experience of a refuge and it wasn’t too bad. Bed and lights out by 9.30pm, that sort of thing. I hope the young couple sharing our room weren't kept awake by snoring.

Over the next three days we crossed the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme to our highest point, Tete Nord des Fours, then down into the Valee des Glaciers – notable for its lack of glaciers. Up again over the famous Col de la Seigne into Italy and down into the beautiful Val Veni to reach Courmayeur.

Actually there was very little flat walking apart from a traverse on the south side of the valley. On our left was the rugged, glacier encrusted slopes of Mont Blanc.

After a welcome day resting at Courmayeur, an attractive ski village, we were off on our final six days to get back to the Chamonix valley via Switzerland. Highlights were the beautiful view from the Refugio Bonatti, strolling down the Val Ferret in Switzerland, the spectacular Fenetre d’Arpette and the final pass back into France, the Col de Balme.

Even the infamous ladder section was manageable, despite ascending it at the end of a long day. I tried not to look down.

After a spectacular view of Mont Blanc from the top of Le Brevent we descended to the finish at the little railway station in Les Houches.

I recommend the TMB to anyone who likes walking and enjoying incredible views. Every day is different with new vistas opening up at every turn. Even sleeping in dormitories gets easier after a few nights. We met walkers from every country in Europe, a couple from Colombia and more than one party of Australians. Some parties had a guide or even donkeys, but it wasn’t really necessary as the path was well marked. Refuges can be full and booking is recommended.