A horizon painted thick with clouds can effortlessly hide the beautiful landscape that lies beyond them, just as clouds of stress and fatigue can obscure the vibrancy of the human spirit. 

This past September, a team of friends and nurses—acutely familiar with stress and fatigue that’s been supercharged by the past two and half years of COVID—set out to complete the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) from Les Houches, France, beneath a blanket of gray. 

At the center of this group are three ICU nurses from Bend, Oregon. Steph Turner hatched the plan in the fall of 2021 and quickly recruited her adventure buddies, Kasey Hostetler and Kali Seisler, who she works shoulder-to-shoulder with each night in the ICU.

Frontline, a documentary following the trio from ICU to TMB and highlighting the healing power of nature, is slated to debut in 2023. 

From the Bend crew grew a team of 11 adventurous women who endeavored the 10-day, 110-mile trek that circumnavigates the Mont Blanc massif. 

The women on the Tour du Mont Blanc. Photo by Steep Motion

The journey

The Mont Blanc massif is a mountain range within the Alps, rising out of France, Italy, and Switzerland. The massif contains 11 major independent summits—each standing over 13,000 feet. Its namesake, Mont Blanc, is the highest point in the European Union and towers at nearly 16,000 feet. 

The initial vision for the trip had been to trail run the TMB, and the crew trained as such. All members have a penchant for outdoor activities, with many having trail running as a main sport. 

In the months leading up to the TMB, some of the women competed in other races—50Ks, half marathons, triathlons—or got away for training trips in addition to weekly training sessions. 

The Bend trio on a training run. Photo by Steep Motion

As summer wore on, it could be difficult for the Bend crew, working nights, to wake in the hottest part of the day and go for a long run. Some days they would suffer through it, others they would pivot—resorting to strength training, shorter runs or other forms of exercise. 

In August, the crew hit Glacier National Park for a long training weekend in anticipation for the TMB the following month—consecutively running more than a half marathon a day for several days. 

It was on this trip that Hostetler injured her IT band, leaving her unable to run in the month leading up to the TMB. Understandably, the injury left her nervous for the trek, however her rest and strength training paid off and she was rewarded with a smooth experience while on the trail. 

Steph and Kasey running. Photo by Steep Motion

While running on mountainous terrain had been a part of their training throughout, the notorious elevation changes that are characteristic of the TMB proved to be a challenge. While on the trail, the inclines were nearly impossible to run. 

“The biggest challenge of this trip was me underestimating how much elevation gain and loss we would have on the trail each day,” Turner said. “The tour is not really as runnable as I anticipated…I think my excitement blinded me.”

Given the reality of the intense elevation changes, the group typically broke into two each day—with one attempting more running, the other accepting a day of hiking in this region of near pristine beauty. 

A mountain view from the TMB. Photo by Steep Motion

To keep them nimble, the crew had their bags transferred between accommodations each day—a service available to all TMB hikers. 

Over the course of the 10 days, only one proved runnable in its entirety.

Healing and connection

By the autumn of 2021, when Turner began drumming up interest in the TMB, she and her co-workers were facing a particularly challenging time in the ICU. 

“You don't have to explain to your nursing buddies why you're down or what you've seen at work that week, because they were there,” Seisler said of their work. “ They just get it in a way other friends and family never will.”

The last two and a half years have been a deluge of devastation and loss, leading to the compassion fatigue and burnout that is plaguing the healthcare industry.  

This trip, as well as the other outdoor adventures the crew is constantly scheming up, have provided a much-needed reprieve for them. “Taking time off for this trip gave me space from my nursing self and allowed me time to reflect on my mixed bag of emotions from the last couple years,” Turner said.

The Bend nurses in their professional element. Courtesy of Kali Seisler 

On the trail, a new rhythm was set—one far from the stressors of the ICU and COVID. 

Their days often began by 6:30 a.m. with a leisurely breakfast, before getting on the trail at 8 or 9 a.m. Then, running and hiking amidst the breathtaking scenery of snowcapped peaks, mountain meadows, or quaint villages scattered like seeds amongst the rocks, before arriving at their resting place for the evening—just in time for happy hour. 

“I could have happily had it continue for another 10 days without missing the outside world at all,” Hostetler said of this dreamy routine. “It’s so healthy to break your routines from home and find new ones for a bit. When you spend every day out in the mountains breathing fresh air, you unlock creative, compassionate and curious parts of your brain that you forgot existed.”

Each of the women cite time spent in nature as a form of therapy, meditation or a panacea that has soothed them for most of their lives. When paired with activity, it is an opportunity to quiet their minds and sink into their bodies, work through a problem or simply let go—allowing the cadence of their own movement to reset their inner balance. 

Passion and compassion are elements that add to the richness and depth of the human experience. While these characteristics seem almost requisite in the nursing field, their supply is not inexhaustible.  

The extended break that the TMB afforded the Bend crew, the time spent steeped in nature, and the camaraderie shared between the women has been a salve for these weary frontline workers. 

“It just feels so good to check out from reality and be in the mountains with your friends,” Seisler said.” It lightens my heart and allows me to go back and do my job again with renewed vigor.”  

The group on the TMB trail. Photo by Steep Motion

While their work in the ICU has established great trust between the trio, it is their shared connection to the natural world and passion for adventure that has fortified their bond. The amalgamation of these elements has resulted in a unique trust between them—one that has been repeatedly tested and proven in a variety of situations. A kinship like this can be found in many team scenarios, but what makes theirs distinct is how they continuously change the field they’re playing upon. 

“Since I work with Kasey and Kali in often stressful situations, I get to see how they handle stress or [the] unanticipated,” Turner said. “There is always inherent risk in our outdoor pursuits, but I know if a crisis happens during one of our adventures [they] are going to remain calm and levelheaded.” 

She went on to say, “It's hard to be a nurse without a good team, so I think we are all good at stepping up to help when we see someone else struggling both at work and when we are out playing.”

Trip planning. Photo by Steep Motion

Breaking through the clouds

Like the haze of the past few years beginning to dissipate, the sun finally broke through the clouds on the fourth day of the trek. High atop a ridgeline, the crew was awestruck by the beauty that surrounded them, reminding them of the parts of themselves that were integral yet—at times—felt so far away. 

The crew was prepared for and dedicated to celebrating moments like these. Like the day they took an especially difficult alternate route. At the pass, they paused in an alpine meadow, all donned their wigs—which hold the special designation of essential hiking gear—and had a spontaneous dance party. The experience was capped by another view of Mont Blanc bursting through the clouds and friendly cows coming to say hello. “It was magical,” Seisler said.

Wigging out in a high alpine meadow. Courtesy of Kali Seisler

Keeping pace with the cows of the area, who are known for wandering the mountains adorned with large bells, Seisler had brought her own cowbell along on the trip. Each night the women would vote, nominating a lucky winner to run with the bell the following day. The honor was based on the most ridiculous instance from that day—like when Seisler herself was awarded the bell after mistaking the bidet for a washtub for her clothes. 

The final morning was a fairytale sendoff for the group before they hit the trail. As they sat with faces aglow, watching the sunrise over Mont Blanc from the Lac Blanc Refuge, an ibex strode by, punctuating the majesty of the moment. 

It was one that could be summarized by Hostetler’s reflections on her relationship with the natural world. “Mother Nature keeps me humble by reminding me of how much is out there to discover, to love, to save,” she said. “She opens my heart and mind to the bigger picture of this world and humanity, besides just worrying about the trivial matters of my own small life.”

Steph Turner with two trail mates in their element. Courtesy of Kali Seisler

Frontline

While it’s easy to translate moments like these into a highlights reel, the documentary Frontline that follows the crew aims to paint a broader picture.

“I hope that people can see how movement and getting outside is healing. I want women to feel inspired to go outside, find a group of friends, and feel empowered to push themselves to try something out of their comfort zone,” said Nicole Southwell, the film’s producer. “In producing this film, I realized that trail running is for everyone—you can even walk most of it if you want!” 

“I also hope that people will feel inspired to be in nature as a healthy way of dealing with their own burnout or mental health challenges,” something that the Bend crew champions.  

To capture the footage, the Steep Motion crew had two cinematographers run alongside the women, in addition to using drones, GoPros and other specialized cameras. 

Steep Motion cinematographers on the TMB. Photo by Steep Motion

“It was inspiring to see the transformative power of nature firsthand and witness a group of women accomplish a dream together,” said Southwell.  

While Frontline aims to bring awareness to the challenges being faced in the healthcare industry and the healing power of nature, it also strives to be a part of normalizing female protagonists in the outdoor sphere—an arena where female representation has been lagging. 

Deep roots, wide branches

Although completing the Tour du Mont Blanc has been an adventure of a lifetime, Turner, Hostetler and Seisler try to fill their lives with as many adventures as possible. They can all trace their love of the outdoors and movement back to childhood. Each of them grew up playing sports, exploring, hiking and camping—their passions growing within them into adulthood.

Some of Turner’s favorite adventures include trekking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal and the Huemul Circuit in Argentina, as well as climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

A top adventure for Hostetler was the six months she spent in South America with her husband. The pair extensively trekked in the Andes, dove with hammerhead sharks in the Galapagos and swam with pink dolphins in the Amazon.

Seisler cited an adventure that was on the top of everyone’s list—an RV road trip around the southwest with one another and a couple other friends. The five happy women rambled around, self-contained in their adventure-mobile for two weeks—hiking, skiing and mountain biking in some of the most challenging and scenic places throughout the southwestern U.S. 

The Bend trio hitting the slopes. Courtesy of Kali Seisler

Although a foundation for connection with the natural world had been laid for each of them in childhood, it is hard not to wonder whether their individual passions for living life fully have been strengthened in the face of acutely witnessing its fragility throughout the course of their careers. 

Regardless of how their connection has been forged, a deep love for the outdoors has rooted itself in the center of their lives and has bonded them to one another.

“Nature excites me with its danger and wild beauty, it comforts and soothes me with its familiarity and serenity,” Hostetler said while reflecting on the power and healing capabilities of the natural world. “I have always used it as a medication for depression, a salve for anxiety, a way to find balance and get through this life.” 

Follow their adventure along at @frontline_the_film and @steepmotionfilms.