History in the Alps

MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Wednesday, November 16th. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day.

Good morning. I’m Mary Reichard.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher. Coming next on The World and Everything in It: Proving a point from history.

John Hoyte was twenty-seven years old when he first hiked the Col de Clapier, a mountain pass in the French Alps.

He was following in the footsteps of Hannibal of Carthage, the general who set out with an army to attack ancient Rome. Hoyte has returned many times since he was 27 to retrace his steps. This year, one month shy of his 90th birthday, Hoyte took the hike one more time.

WORLD’s Jenny Lind Schmitt got to go along, and she brings us the story.

AUDIO: Come in! Come in!

JENNY LIND SCHMITT: It’s a sunny August evening at the Hotel Miléade in the mountain town of Lanslevillard, France. John Hoyte welcomes us to the 20-22 Hannibal Hike.

AUDIO: It’s going to be wonderful just getting to know you personally, each one, as we hike. And tomorrow is our big day!

Hoyte has already hiked the Col de Clapier pass on the border between France and Italy seven times. The first time was to test a hypothesis. Historians have long debated where Hannibal actually crossed the mountains. Hoyte wanted to prove where it was.

In 1959 Hoyte made the trek with an elephant named Jumbo—borrowed from the Turin zoo.

AUDIO: It's sort of like a detective story where you have certain clues. You've got the mountains, you've got the valleys, the landscape, but then you've got the ancient history books, Polybius and Livy, and then the and also the place names. Some of them have changed.

Since the early 2000s, Hoyte has been returning every four years. He brings along friends and family and explains the history in detail as he goes.

NIKKI: My name is Nikki. I am John's granddaughter, and this is my fourth time doing this hike.

The Col de Clapier hike is 4 point 9 miles with a 1200 foot elevation gain. It’s not terribly strenuous, but John Hoyte is almost ninety years old. He’s been training for this day all year in the hills around his home in Bellingham, Washington.

AUDIO: [WALKING]

Early the next morning, 26 of us set out under blue skies. The weather forecast is for thunderstorms, but not until late afternoon. We’d be back by then.

John Hoyte walks steadily and as he does, he takes turns catching up with each one of his grandchildren, nieces and nephews. At each pause, his children remind him to drink water and take his time. He reassures them, but quickly turns his attention to the group to ask how we’re doing.

AUDIO: [STREAM]

We cross a small stream and the path grows steeper and rockier.

AUDIO: [HIKING ON ROCKS, COWBELLS]

A herd of cows warily eyes us as we walk past. John sings the Boy Scout marching song.

AUDIO: “I think we need a round of applause.”

Just before noon we arrive at the pass. It’s a jumble of boulders on a short ridge between jagged mountains looming to either side. Farther on, the trail descends steeply into the Italian Po River valley.

AUDIO: Col Clapier… It’s about 7,200 feet. …“How do you feel?” “I feel alright.”

Massive bottles of Prosecco materialize out of backpacks. 5-year-old-granddaughter Irene pulls a plush elephant out of her backpack to represent Jumbo. Everyone laughs and snaps pictures. Just below the pass on the French side is a wide flat plain next to a lake. Hoyte sweeps his arm around, helping us imagine 30,000 men camped there.

AUDIO: “Alright friends! Let us drink a toast to Hannibal…His courageous troops with 37 elephants, they passed right by here and descended into Italy. So a toast to all climbers and to all the families who are up here together…”

“Hear hear!”

And to John, for walking this in his 90th year!

After a sandwich and a rest Hoyte stands near the stone marking the French-Italian border. He points to the valley down below and recites Hannibal’s speech to his soldiers.

AUDIO: My fellow warriors! We have traveled many miles…from Carthaginia in Spain…We come at last to the final ramparts of Rome. So that’s the story of Hannibal. [Applause]

AUDIO: [RAIN]

The group has barely started back down the mountain when the thunderstorm hits.

AUDIO: [Thunder]

The downpour makes the rocks slippery. What was already challenging for John Hoyte becomes downright hazardous. Every step is precarious. But Hoyte’s guests accompany him back down the mountain, step after careful step.

AUDIO: [CLAPPING]

That evening the group gathers back at the Hotel Miléade for a celebratory feast. The mayors of the surrounding villages have all been invited. Each family group has prepared a song or silly skit.

AUDIO: “The Hoytes go hiking 2 by 2, Hurrah.”

The local mayors look on, amused. But when the others have finished, Hoyte calls on them to perform as well. They look at each other with startled stares. At first they protest, but Hoyte has a way of cajoling people. The mayors consult among themselves and then break into the Hymn of the Savoie.

AUDIO: [Singing]

Hoyte beams.

AUDIO: I couldn’t be happier…The fact that I managed to get to the pass and back, and then we had such a lovely evening with the mayors attending and then performing.

And the hike? Nicki says that in all the years of the Hannibal Hike, this was the first time they had a storm.

AUDIO: I couldn’t see the people in front of me…. and I couldn’t see the group behind me, and it starts downpouring and thunder and lightning…That was a scary moment

But Hoyte remains indomitable.

AUDIO: I was sure to make sure I was going to get there. I got a little tired at the end.

Historians say we’ll probably never know for sure which pass Hannibal and his army took. But as Hoyte’s own life has shown, the journey to find out is full of meaning.

AUDIO: I think the hardships of an expedition really make it.

For WORLD, I’m Jenny Lind Schmitt in Lanslevillard, France.

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.