The rocky trail ascends from the Chamonix valley in France. Rising, we climb, slopes covered in green, wildflowers, tumbled down stone from above. The air – warm and sparkling. The scenery – like a painting. Rugged points of mountains scrape the sky. The glaciers are frozen like white rivers hanging and cascading down the valleys. Ahead of us lies 105 miles of the Tour du Mont Blanc.

On it, we will hike through three countries, France, Italy, and Switzerland, all with their own feel, flavor, and language. From the peaks of France, we journey past cows with large embroidered leather collars, each with their own bell. The sound is heard before we lay eyes on them. Winding further, we arrive in a little village that has lived centuries. Stone buildings, edges crumbling, tiny paths we weave upon traveling through the thick feeling of history.

Then, back into the wild Alps, ascending, descending, past Ibex roaming the crags, rivers, stunning lakes until we reach our destination for the night, a refugio. Other hikers arrive as well. We are given a bed, unpack our things, and head down for a meal in the dining hall. The sun sets outside. Oranges and pinks sweep across the sky as the silhouette of the mountains turn monotone. Around the table, we eat, chatting with the lightness that only comes after a day hiking in one of the most gorgeous places on the planet, as if this is the only place that exists in the world.

We weave our web among each other ~ connecting at the truest level ~ accepting each other’s journey ~ belonging to this group of fast forming family.

When we’ve come full circle back to Chamonix, a cable-car-ride will take us up to 12,605ft and the Aiguelle Du Midi giving us a birds-eye view of the trek we have just completed around the peaks beyond and the city below.

Staff use this tapestry of wonder to hold and weave the depth of the group development along with the growth the its individuals. There is plenty of time for ongoing 1:1 mentoring sessions, circles that keep going deeper into supportive territory, and spaciousness to gain unique perspective on life, the world, and one’s own place in it.