By Harrison Mayesh
Staff Writer
Once school gets out for summer, many Costa students relax and enjoy time off from school, but Mira Costa sophomore Olivia Vega is doing just the opposite, as she plans to face one of the most rigorous hikes in all of Europe, The Tour Du Mont Blanc.
In July, Vega, her sister and former Mira Costa alumnus Natasha Vega, and parents John and Monika Vega are adventuring for eleven days through the Alps of France, Italy and Switzerland on The Tour Du Mont Blanc. This hike is one hundred and five miles long, which Olivia Vega has been training for the event doing ten mile hikes around Palos Verdes and the Santa Monica Mountains.
“I’m more excited than scared for this hike,” Olivia Vega said. “It’s going to be an amazing experience and I just can’t wait to go.”
The Vega family are going on this hike because they want to see Europe in a less traditional way than most people, said Olivia Vega, but still plan on indulging themselves in Europe’s food and visiting family that lives there. This is also the first time that the family is going on a hike of this scale and length.
“I’ve always wanted to do a long distance hike and when I found out about this one it was definitely added to my bucket list,” Natasha Vega said.
The family began training in February of this year and at first started doing four to five mile hikes, but now engage in much longer hikes while carrying twenty pound backpacks that they plan on carrying during the real hike.
“The training for this is endurance, so we hike at least ten miles every weekend with elevation gain and with added weight in our backpack,” sophomore Olivia Vega said.
Once the Vegas arrive in Europe they will begin there stay traveling around to different countries in Europe. Then, they will begin the hike at the Tour Du Mont Blanc for the next week and a half. The Vega family plans on visiting Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands and Luxembourg during their seven week stay.
“I’m really looking forward to see my family in Germany again,” sophomore Olivia Vega said. It has been eight years since we have all been together, so it should be a great time. Other than that, I’m super excited to have to opportunity to guest with some of the top club soccer teams in Germany. But I think most of all, I am excited to just travel the world.”
Besides hiking the Tour Du Mont Blanc for eleven days, the Vega’s are traveling throughout Europe to indulge into the culture and food for seven weeks. They are also visiting family that live near the area they are traveling to in Europe.
“Backpacking through the Alps seems so awesome and from I have heard the food is to die for,” Natasha Vega said.
In the future, Olivia and her family hope to keep doing long distance hikes together. Olivia Vega’s plan is to hike to El Camino de Santiago, which is a five hundred mile trail through Spain.
“We want to keep doing long distance hikes in the future,” Olivia Vega said. “The plan is to hike El Camino de Santiago, a 500 mile trail through Spain next!”
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