![\"Summer](\"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/french-alps-hiking_h.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOur gear-reviews editor will be joining you on a hike through the most iconic mountains in the French Alps, fueled by spectacular views, gooey cheese, and red wine<\/p>\n
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(Photo: Gunter Fischer\/Universal Images Group\/Getty)<\/p>\n
Published December 22, 2021 03:00AM<\/p>\n
While I was growing up, my mother worked for various airlines, which meant our family received ridiculously discounted flights. We traveled across the globe on most school vacations. But the deal came with caveats (don\u2019t they all?): we had to fly standby, so securing seats on any flight always depended on whether there was something open or a no-show. That twisted game of musical chairs made me realize that spontaneity is great and all, but the anticipation of planning a trip in advance is half the fun. That\u2019s why I\u2019m here to encourage you to sign up for an incredible 12-day trip that I\u2019m joining to the French Alps with Outside+ members and Outside readers in September. We\u2019ve turned over the planning to travel outfitter Modern Adventure, which is organizing a collection of exclusive trips<\/a> alongside members of our editorial staff next year. What makes me particularly excited for this grand traverse is to be back in the mountains. All of that exposure to international travel as a young lad turned me into an explorer of the world\u2019s great ranges. And now I\u2019m that Outside editor whose apartment walls are decorated with framed pictures of the peaks I jetted off to: staring in amazement at the Fitz Roy skyline in Patagonia, a photo of Peru\u2019s Cordillera Blanca in the early-morning light, and a somewhat grainy image I snapped of India\u2019s Garhwal Himalayas. While you could argue that many other iconic ranges are missing from this lineup, the most obvious one to me is the Alps. I can\u2019t wait to share this experience\u2014the fresh Alpine air, the luxurious mountain chalets, and delicious food after a long day of hiking\u2014with you. Come join me! To learn more and sign up, click here<\/a> and read below. \u2014Jeremy-Miles Rellosa<\/p>\n The Trip: French Alps Grand Traverse<\/p>\n Guest Outside editor: Jeremy-Miles Rellosa, gear review editor<\/p>\n Inaugural Trip Dates: September 11\u201322, 2022 | Price: $7,400 | Outside+ price: $7,200<\/p>\n In 1786, a doctor in Cha\u00ad\u00adm\u00adonix named Michel-\u00adGabriel \u00adPaccard and a local crystal hunter, Jacques Balmat, teamed up to become the first two people ever recorded to stand atop 15,770-foot Mont Blanc, a feat that inspired cen\u00adturies of exploration in the French Alps. But there is an even better way to see these beautiful mountains that doesn\u2019t involve risking your life.<\/p>\n Start at Meg\u00e8ve, near Chamonix, and amble and eat your way 100 miles down to Sospel, a hillside village near Monaco. It takes ten days to complete the trek; on most of them you will log up to eight hours of hiking, with 1,500- to 4,000-foot climbs on dirt footpaths that have served shepherds, tradesmen, and armies for centuries. Come evening, you\u2019ll arrive in picturesque villages where a hot meal and a warm bed await. If your legs get too tired\u2014or your belly too full\u2014a few cable car rides along the way will lessen the pain.<\/p>\n \u201cI am excited to experience the beauty of the French Alps with our readers, though secretly I\u2019m coming along just for the food,\u201d says Jeremy-Miles Rellosa, the Outside editor joining this trip. Yes, the gooey raclette cheese, delicious local red wine, and stunning mountain views will undoubtedly leave you in awe, but this trip is also designed to hit the nooks and crannies of the French Alps that remain unknown to many North Americans, like the 12,650-foot Grande Casse massif of Vanoise, the nation\u2019s first national park. By the time you arrive at the coast, you may want to turn north and walk back to where it all began. Or stay put and soak in the Mediterranean Sea. \u2014Tim Neville<\/p>\n