Marco, 64, walked the Tour de Mont Blanc in 9 days last September. Here's what changed.
Marco is 64. Last September he walked the Tour du Mont Blanc, 170 km and roughly 10,000 m of ascent, in nine days, wearing a Hypershell X Ultra. He had done the TMB once before, in his fifties, and had assumed that was the last time. This is his diary, lightly edited.
I did not want a shortcut. I wanted to finish each day with something left in my legs for dinner and the next morning. The exoskeleton gave me exactly that.
Days 1 to 3: Les Houches to Courmayeur
The first big test was the climb to Col du Bonhomme. Normally that ascent empties me by lunch. With assistance kicking in on every upward step, I reached the col with energy to enjoy it. The Ultra's range meant I never thought about the battery on a full day of climbing.
Days 4 to 6: the Italian and Swiss sections
Long days, big cols. The 1.8 kg weight genuinely disappeared; by day four I forgot I was wearing it until the trail tilted up. Descents were on me and my poles, as expected, but my knees thanked me for the energy I had saved going up.
Days 7 to 9: back to France
The last stretch is where I had quit, in spirit, the first time. This time I walked it strong. Nine days, no rest day, finished smiling.
What changed
Not the mountains, and not my age. Just the maths of effort. An exoskeleton did not make Marco a different hiker; it gave an experienced one his range back. If a long route is on your list, you can rent one in Switzerland before committing, or read how to choose.