The Dream

For as long as I can remember, the mountains have been my happy place. From climbing trees as a young boy to scrambling rocky hills and hiking through forests and mountains, the outdoors has always been my playground. A few years ago, I set myself a personal challenge: to stand on the highest point of every EU country. After summiting Germany’s Zugspitze (2962m), Slovenia’s Triglav (2864m), and Bulgaria’s Musala (2925m), I decided in mid-2024 to climb Mont Blanc (4806m), the highest peak of France/Italy, and the second-highest in Europe. It would be my most ambitious climb yet, not just in altitude, but in skill, preparation and courage.

To bridge the gap between dream and reality, I enrolled in a 6-day mountaineering course in Chamonix, France. The final three days of this course were reserved for the summit attempt. With just a few mouse clicks, I committed to the climb. The idea that once lived in my imagination now had a date: June 22, 2025.

The Preparation

From October 2024, my life revolved around one goal: to be ready. I committed myself to a rigorous training regimen inspired by the book Training for the New Alpinism. My weeks were filled with cardio sessions - stationary biking and inclined treadmill walks with a weighted backpack, alongside strength training. As spring arrived, I transitioned to outdoor hikes and bike rides, often covering 30 - 35 km after work on the bike and hiking 20+ km with 900 - 1200m elevation gain on weekends in the hills of Belgium and Germany.

Balancing this with a full-time job was not easy. There were moments of doubt about my fitness, whether my training was sufficient, my ability to handle altitude, and whether I could keep pace with the climbing group. Illness struck twice, including a tick bite scare just two weeks before departure. On top of that, I received distressing news from home: both my mother and grandmother were hospitalized in India. The emotional weight was heavy, and it felt like the odds were being stacked against me. I pressed on, visualizing the summit and trusting the process. I imagined the wind on my face, the crunch of snow underfoot and the panoramic views of the high Alps.

The Adventure

In Chamonix, I met my climbing group - a couple from Australia and our seasoned guide. The first two days were spent acclimatizing and learning essential alpine skills: crampon use, ice axe techniques, glacier travel, and crevasse rescue. We ascended to Gnifetti Hut (3647m) in Italy, preparing for our first test: Vincent Pyramid (4215m). That night, I experienced acute mountain sickness for the first time. Throbbing headache, nausea, and fatigue. I lay in bed wondering if my journey would end before it truly began. Thankfully, I woke up feeling better. We began our summit push at dawn, battling steep glacial slopes and as we reached the summit, we were greeted with cold howling winds at 40 km/h. Reaching the summit was a revelation. My body had endured. My training had worked. Some of my doubts began to melt away. We descended back to the valley in quick time for rest and a warm shower.

Day 3 brought more technical training. We learnt techniques for self-arrest, rope team movement on rocky terrain, scrambling, and top-rope climbing, all set against the stunning backdrop of the Mont Blanc massif. We were keeping an eye on the weather forecast since the past few days which indicated chances of bad weather on day 5, the exact day that we planned to summit Mont Blanc. There was a nervous energy about this weather forecast but we hoped it would clear out as the day approached. But unfortunately, the weather forecast for our summit day was deteriorating rapidly- thunderstorms, 70 km/h gusts, and full cloud cover. With no flexibility to shift dates due to overbooked huts, we faced a difficult decision. After much deliberation, we made the heartbreaking choice to abandon Mont Blanc. Instead, we would climb Strahlhorn (4190m) in Switzerland, where conditions were safer and logistics feasible.

Day 4 was spent in the breathtaking Vallée Blanche, navigating snow ridges, rocky scrambles, and exposed terrain - a true taste of alpinism and I enjoyed it very much. It helped ease the disappointment of missing Mont Blanc.

On days 5 and 6, we approached and summited Strahlhorn. Locals call it “Strafhorn” for its punishing 1600m ascent and descent over 20km of snow. We began at 4:30 am, navigating boulder fields with our headlamps cutting through the darkness. We reached the long, expansive glaciers just as the first sunlight hit the peaks in front of us to illuminate them in red Alpenglow. It was a unique landscape, just white all around. However, the snow here was soft and energy-sapping. Progress was slow. We considered turning back. But something deeper kept us going and soon enough the snow conditions improved. A rhythm emerged. A quiet determination took over. The peak of Strahlhorn was deceptively far, as I was fooled by multiple “fake” peaks along the way. I started to understand why the nickname Strafhorn was so apt. After 5.5 hours of quietly slogging through the snow and thin air, we reached the summit under clear skies. The panoramic views of the Swiss Alps, including the iconic Matterhorn, were unforgettable. We descended in good time, completing the round trip in 9.5 hours. I was physically drained but emotionally fulfilled. Over six days, I had pushed my limits, gained new skills, and climbed not just two 4000+m mountains, but also out of my own self-doubts.

The Reflections

I didn’t summit Mont Blanc but I gained something far more valuable: belief. In my body. In my mind. In my ability to adapt, endure, and grow. The mountain will still be there, and so will I-stronger, wiser, and ready for the next attempt.

This journey reminded me of a simple truth: no matter how meticulously you plan and prepare, life takes its own twists and turns. The best you can do is to go with the flow and carry a sense of humor along the way. I learnt that the human body and mind are far more resilient than we often give them credit for. When you trust in them, they rise to meet the challenge. But perhaps the most powerful lesson was this- no great adventure is ever truly solo. Behind every ambitious project like this is a quiet network of support- your partner who encourages you, your friends and family who cheer you on, your mountain guide who leads you with wisdom and safety, your climbing group who gives you moral and physical support, and in this case, also your employer who gives you the space to chase your dreams. I’m deeply grateful for mine.