In 2014, six of us did our 1st major thru-hike, the Walker’s Haute Route. The Walker’s Haute Route is the classic trek across the Swiss Alps starting in Chamonix at the base of Mont Blanc, Western Europe's Highest Peak, and concluding in Zermatt at the base of the Matterhorn, the world's most recognizable and stunningly beautiful peak.  About a year ago, our hiking group started discussing hiking the Haute Route again - but doing it better based on everything we've learned about thru-hiking over the last eight years.  So, as we began to imagine traveling again post-Covid, we selected some dates and began making plans to hike in the Alps in August 2022.  Our "hike it better plan" includes packing much lighter, incorporating more specific training, and building our schedule with more "rest days" to allow for recovery.  So the six of us, after one knee replacement, several cortisone shots in different body parts, and another hiker's recovery from a brok