Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

Experiencing the working life of the porters. It was inspiring and humbling to see people work so hard to better their lives and those of their children in a country which presents them with a tiny fraction of the opportunities of our own. Their backbreaking hard work is absolutely essential to your success. They make the climb work, I described them as life support.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was Mussa. He was a star and quite comical at times but at the same time one could really appreciate his experience and knowledge of the mountain. His frequently referring to climbing Kilimanjaro as a piece of cake made us grin and groan at the same time. It also made us laugh that he lied to us. Reaching the summit is not a piece of cake at all but the object of his light hearted approach was to stop us dwelling on things and deal with one step at a time. Of equal importace and worthy of mention to me were the assistant guides, John, Raphael and Diglan since we spent more time walking with and being guided by them than Mussa himself who lead the summit attempt. All three men were an absolute credit to themselves, I have an immense amount of respect for them, I learnt a lot about general life in Tanzania from them too.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware that you are going to be entering a dusty and mucky environment and just live with it for a few days. I took a bag full of energy bars and munchies with me and returned with half of them. With the exception of summit attempt the hiking is just not that intense enough to require masses of super duper sports supplements and as is often remarked upon, we are very well catered for on the mountain and on reflection I need not have taken as much as I did. You will not need any Tanzanian Shillings, everything you come into contact with as a tourist is priced or can be priced in American dollars. Euros are sometimes accepted as an alternative but British pounds are useless. I'd recommend $350 as a minimum to safely cover tipping the mountain crew, miscelaneous tips, meals and drinks at the hotel and a selection of small souvenirs. While some places do accept credit/debit cards the network connection for the card reader is very unreliable and a couple of times I was unable to complete a transaction with my cards. Cash is king in Tanzania. 500ml bottle of Coca Cola $1, bottle of water $1 - $3. If you wear glasses consider taking some anti fog lens cleaning soloution. The humidity of the forest and indeed your own body heat and sweat can leave glasses and normal sunglasses prone to misting. Take one of the new ultra compact and concentrated bottles of Vimto or Oasis, the flavouring makes drinking large quantities of water much easier.

Most Inspirational Moment

The stunning scenery, lovely towns and the view of Lake Garda from the top of the hill. We also met,spoke to and cycled with Marino Basso a brilliant experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Michele was a very good leader nothing was ever too much trouble. We really enjoyed his company and listening to his passion for his country and his family . His organisational and communicational skills are brilliant as is his local knowledge .

Advice for Potential Travellers

A great trip, hills are not too bad but a good level of fitness would make a wonderful trip FANTASTIC . You are provided with panniers to put your daily stuff into. There is plenty of water available as in most places tap water is safe to drink. Take your own water bottle as the ones Exodus provide aren't very watertight! Make sure you sample the ice cream in Vicenza it is 'the best in the world'

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit on a beautifully clear morning and being rewarded with those views.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Should be fine if you've done a few mountains before.

Most Inspirational Moment

The people! I lucked in with my fellow travellers, that really is just fate, however the local guides and porters were quite simply outstanding. I am humbled to have met so many kind people who gave so much and have so little. I have learn't so much from them and will not forget conversations, words of encouragement and being sang to in order to get us to the top. Other moments, the Dream Team singing at the top of Shira Cathedral, the Baranko Wall, being above the clouds, sunrise on the way to Stellar Point and the glaciers at Uhuru, forget the pictures these memories won't fade.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Makeke definitely has the local knowledge and gives a very detailed briefing of what each day will bring. The organisation of the support team, 57 in total for 14 clients, runs like a well oiled machine. Whoever picks the team is spot on. The 6 guides are outstanding in both terms of knowledge but also compassion. Makeke and the team really do care about what happens to each individual and feel personally responsible for each person. Breath of fresh air in the art of putting others first.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Right this is where I ramble on BUT anyone who does this trip will have a massive penny dropping experience and refer back to this.... Firstly facilities around camp. You will be amazed. There are toilets, not flushing but they do the trick, not holes in the ground, therefore apart from up the mountain where you "send emails" you won't need 100's of loo rolls. Likewise, each day you get hot water in the morning and evening to wash, therefore you won't need 20 packs of wet whipes. Nights can be cold, heat packs are great for warming up your sleeping bag (feet mainly) while you are eating dinner. Which brings me on to food, it's outstanding, how they do it I'll never know! This also mean't to me that I didn't need again 2lb in weight of snacks! Lunch is a packed lunch or hot meal. I would say store supplies for Summit day as it is a long day but apart from that I probably picked on a Cliff Bar during the day on other walks, or bar of chocolate/jelly babies here and there for a boost. The food is generous. Water is essential, if you can get a 3 litre camel pack do it as so much easier to drink that dragging out a bottle, plus you tend to sip on the way. Find out day temperature. I presumed it would be cold as we went up, wrong, day time I didn't have enough t-shirts and shorts and could have swapped the ratio with cold weather clothes. Your bag up the mountain is 15k so pack wisely. Water tastes ok regardless of reports. Finally the guides and porters. Don't underestimate how little they have. Tipping is controlled BUT there is also a gifting of your items if you wish. In hindsight I would have taken old trainers to wear around the camp to leave to them, same with t-shirts and other clothing, hats, water bottles etc. we have too much, they have so little.

Most Inspirational Moment

I was super impressed by how friendly the group were. I was also more relevantly impressed by Katarina the hostess at the hotel. Everything was checked and double checked that it was ok. On one day my husband was unwell - his fault no one else. We were walking and Katarina came out in her car to pick him up. Then mothered him to ensure he got better.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Udo was very competent, and good fun.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be aware that early summer can be very hot. And some slopes are steep. may need poles.

Most Inspirational Moment

1) The view from the Grand Col Ferret and the optional Tete Ferret next to it. 2) The campsite at La Fouly - directly beneath a glacier and Mont Dolent - the border between Italy, France and Switzerland at the same place. 3) The option to go up two cable cars on our free days - Hellbronner and Aiguille Du Midi, which gave stunning views of Mont Blanc and surrounding peaks and glaciers 4) Swimming in Champex Lac - cold, but great after a long days walking in temperatures around 30 degrees.

Thoughts on Group Leader

John was a really good guide and a good laugh as well. He knew his stuff about the local area and really tried to pass his knowledge on to the group. He gauged the average pace of the group really quickly, allowing everyone to enjoy the scenery but not making the days too long. On a day when a client was unwell in poor weather conditions he kept the group together and ensured our safe return off the mountain. He also mixed well with the group socially, sharing a few beers in the evening. Graham and Charlotte looked after the campsites really well, providing good food and helping out where they could.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Ensure you have good waterproof gear - coat, trousers and rucksack/cover/liner - it will rain at some point on the trip and its important to keep yourself as dry as possible to avoid getting cold. If you are fit enough before you go you will really enjoy the trip and there are options to do further peaks for those who want to - and they are definitely worth it if you are fit enough.

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the top of Jebel Toubkal (perhaps predictably)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very impressive - knew the walk like the back of his hand, informative, helpful, excellent organiser and a great sense of humour.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Be prepared for quite a span of temperatures. Be aware that the terrain, although not dangerous, is rough, steep and rocky.

Most Inspirational Moment

I enjoyed the Molden peak walk the best with its stunning views of the Sognefjord, closely followed by the Vigdal to Navarsete walk in Breheimen National park with its glacial landscapes and changing scenery. Meeting the Norwegians and listening to their stories. Beyond that, just enjoying the serenity of Nes Farm! Taking an early morning swim in the fjord (very cold but just about bearable for a short dip), then relaxing with a coffee in the living room before breakfast. Enjoying a glass of wine or a beer, at the end of a satisfying days' walking or after dinner, while taking in the lovely views over the Lustrafjord. I'm sorry, but I could drone on about this endlessly...

Thoughts on Group Leader

Asbjorn was the guide for the duration of our trip. As well as being an exceptional guide, he's also a lovely man and it was a great pleasure to have met both him and Mari. As you might expect from a former teacher, he was knowledgeable on all matters relating to the trip and good at imparting it with a sense of dry Norwegian humour. The itinerary was tailored to the weather conditions on the day rather than following the order in the trip notes, although to be honest, I wouldn't have put it past him to have fixed the weather for us as well.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Although the trip is correctly graded as moderate, it does require a reasonable level of fitness to cope with the uphill sections, especially if it gets warm, so read the trip notes and be honest about your own abilities. Be prepared for sun, warm, cold and wet weather. It can get cool in the evenings so a fleece is a good idea, but I don't think that thermals or gaiters are required. Poles can be useful when going over streams or very brief sections on snow, but if you don't normally use them then they are not necessary. I would definitely take eye shields as it hardly get dark at all during the evening. Waterproof boots are are must for crossing very wet ground, snow and streams. If you want to take energy food on the walks, then ask Asbjorn if you can stop at a local supermarket to stock up rather than take it with you. A word on tipping, which does appear to becoming more commonplace in Norway in restaurants and so on. Our group didn't tip Asbjorn as he and Mari own Nes Farm; however, we did take a collection for the staff - this was not expected but was very much appreciated by them.

Most Inspirational Moment

There wasn't really one - every day was different and in the early stages each day surpassed the previous one. If you haven't done it before, the fact that you don't know what is round the next corner inspires you to keep walking.

Thoughts on Group Leader

John the group leader was superb. A very experienced guide, he was patient with our different walking speeds from the outset and when he got to know us a bit better, gradually let some of us venture out ahead when the conditions allowed. He was eager to impart his local knowledge on us and looked after us conscientiously. Totally trustworthy and a good bloke.

Advice for Potential Travellers

1. Pay for your own tent instead of sharing with a stranger - I'm glad I did - you'll need the extra room. 2. Bring a biggish rucksack - mine was a 25L but I could have done with a 35L (to load waterproofs, lunch, etc) 3. All the local walkers wore waterproof ponchos that also covered their rucksacks when it rained. They didn't care what they looked like as long as they stayed dry. If you don't fancy one, make sure your backpack has a cover / liner because when it rains it rains hard. 4. There was no wind on the hills so a portable umbrella would have been useful. 5. Bring lots of easy dry wicking tops - they don't smell even after a few days, are easy to wash and dry and don't crease. 6. Bring two towels - biggest problem with camping is keeping stuff dry and when it is damp it starts to smell. 7. Spare plastic bags to keep stuff dry or put damp stuff in eg Tesco sandwich bags, carrier bags for dirty clothes. 8. Compeed for blisters, spare dry socks, woolly hat and gloves for high climbs in low cloud as it gets cold. 9. I walked in shorts most of the time - it was cooler to walk in shorts when wearing waterproof trousers.

Most Inspirational Moment

We just loved all the villages and towns we were able to visit, as well as riding through the National Park in Czech on quiet roads with great company. Inspirational moments included the day we crossed the border into Austria and understanding more of the political history of this part of Europe. We were also lucky to be in Cesky Krumlov for the yearly festival.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jan was excellent. Very enthusiastic and he provided us with much detail and information about the history of the towns and countries we passed through. We were very happy with the way he led the group and was able to relate to us all, as well as finding us the best cherry tree stops.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The last part of the trip is much flatter than the first few days. We had some great coffee and lunch stops during our 11 days. There are lots of beautiful villages and towns to add variety to each day as well as some lovely countryside.