Written by Tinuke Oyediran
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I’m sitting on a plane, staring out the window, thinking - well, here we bloody go. Whether I like it or not, it’s happening. Mont Blanc. A multi-day hike. Camping. Adventure. The full works. And me? Feeling wildly underprepared, convinced my walking boots are too small, and already regretting my backpack situation. But do I have time to fix any of this? Of course not. Because life has been absolute chaos, and between all these adventures, I haven’t had time to do the admin I needed to do. Feels like I’ve failed already. But we move.
Day One: Absolute Magic
First of all - who OK’d this? How is this even real? Mont Blanc in all its glory, towering over everything, and I swear to God, I have never been moved to tears by a landscape before. But there I was, standing in front of the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen, and suddenly I’m crying. Right then, I knew - this is where I’m going to spread Mum’s ashes.
This is why I adventure. This is why I take on the wild. Spreading her ashes across the world, in the most breathtaking places I can find, feels like the most fitting way to honour her. Every mountain, every river, every sunrise - it’s all part of healing. Adventure healing. That’s what I call it.
Highlander were absolute stars, sorting out our campsites and food, making me feel so well looked after. But the hiking? Oh, mate. At some points, it was so steep I just had to laugh. Like, actually laugh out loud because I couldn’t believe what I was doing. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done, hands down. But I bloody loved it.
I love pushing my body to its limits. There’s something about the physical challenge that connects so deeply with adventure healing - it’s about proving to myself that I can keep going. That I can take the discomfort and push through. I want to see what happens if I don’t give up.
1/7
Day Two: Who Signed Me Up for This Torture?
UPHILL. ALL. DAY.
Who let me do this? This is hell. I’m hiking up what feels like a vertical wall, questioning every life choice that brought me here. But then, my playlist saves me.
And then… the thunderstorm.
BIG. ELECTRIC. STORMS.
Epic, terrifying, beautiful, all at once. I spent the evening drinking wine, watching the sky explode in lightning with this Costa Rican babe who instantly became my long-lost sister. At one point, lightning literally struck the ground right next to a Spanish couple camping beside us. I screamed. She was visibly shaken. It was one of those wild, transformative, never-going-to-forget-this nights.
And there I was, lying on a bench in the middle of the French Alps, body sore but strong, feet aching but still moving, wine in hand, watching the stars, and thinking - this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Day Three: The Final Push
Waking up and opening my tent to see the sunrise over Mont Blanc? Pure magic. My legs were stiff, my body a little worn, but I was still standing. One last long hike today, the easiest of them all, and I could already feel the pull to keep going, to do it all again. The beauty, the challenge, the absolute madness of it all - I wouldn’t change a thing.
Getting bundled into a tiny, overcrowded bus at the end of it? Classic. It’s honestly mad where I find myself sometimes.
The community, the views, the wilderness, the fresh air, the awe inspiring landscape.... Mont Blanc, you legend. I’ll be back.
Watch Tinuke's entire HIGHLANDER adventure on Mont Blanc here.