Reviews

Thoughts on Group Leader

Ginnar was excellent.

Advice for Potential Travellers

1. There are multiple river crossings - the first had a rope, the next two you could wade across fairly easily (but that will depend upon the amount of rain that has fallen recently), the last we had to link arms as it was relatively fast & above our knees. Nothing to worry about, but worth being aware of. If you have poles they are more useful for this than the general walking. Having a means to hang your wet shoes off your bag is useful. 2. Make sure you bring the right kit. The forecast for our week was wet. Luckily that was pessimistic, but we did walk in waterproofs for most of the time due to the cold wind. The campsites are flat, but basically stony, so make sure you have a good mattress 3. Cards are widely accepted, we only needed cash for the tip ! 4. If you have an early transfer for your flight, before breakfast, ask the hotel for a packed lunch 5. The geothermal baths at Sundhollin in Reykjavik are much cheaper than the Blue Lagoon & also offers multiple hot pools, up to 42C (although no face pack 😁) 6. If you worry about mobile signal, then it is pretty hit & miss on the trek, but not non-existent (check when you're up high rather than at the camps)

Most Inspirational Moment

Cycling for 10 miles accompanied by a group of 4 oryx (or 4 black rhino around the waterhole in Etosha, or the fat biking of the dunes in Swakopmund)

Thoughts on Group Leader

Sam was great, efficient, good spirited, fun and on top of things

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a brilliant trip with a good balance between cycling and site-seeing. Really right up there with the best travel I have ever done. The things you see and do are unique and inspiring. The camping is well organised, comfortable and and food is good. If travelling in winter, remember a good amount of cold weather cycling and leisure wear (don't underestimate), and bring full length cycling gloves, a woolly hat and lip salve as it is very warm and dry. Also the roads are bumpy and sometimes tough to cycle but the equipment is good.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking over the high passes

Thoughts on Group Leader

Calm, reassuring, amazingly knowledgeable.

Most Inspirational Moment

Markham valley vistas

Thoughts on Group Leader

Fantastic

Advice for Potential Travellers

Train before you go this is a very physically demanding trip , but very rewarding.

Most Inspirational Moment

So many wonderful moments! Amazing mountain views, soaring birds and beautiful wildflowers all along route in late July

Thoughts on Group Leader

Adrien, our group leader was a role model for a mountain guide. He was clear about our itinerary and supported everyone along the route. He was funny, kind, adventurous and humble - a super guy!

Advice for Potential Travellers

This is a great trip. It is challenging but completely do-able for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness and a positive attitude

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the summit of Maglic, which was never guaranteed due to threat of stormy windy weather. And Sarajevo is lovely.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Saudin Gak is an exceptional leader. He was competent, thoughtful, considerate and fun throughout. His time-keeping, local knowledge and contingency planning were great, ably assisted by Fatima and Munever.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take walking poles. 3 litres of water needed for longer walks in hot weather. Long trousers might be required for the Maglic walk. There are some sections of scrambling on Maglic, with via ferrara. The height of Maglic is 7,828 feet (not 9,304 feet as described in itinerary). Tap water is all drinkable. Bosnian Convertible Marks can be obtained from cashpoints in Trebinje , a 2 minute walk from hotel. Euros not needed till Dubrovnik (a lot more expensive).

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching top of Aiguillette des Pousettes

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good.

Advice for Potential Travellers

A good trip

Most Inspirational Moment

The ryolite mountains, the steam coming out of the earth - just awesome scenery!!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Competent, calm, organised and unflappable

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take lots of layers and be prepared to get involved in the chores! It’s fun

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching the high point of Grand Col Ferret and being unexpectedly overcome with emotion.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Maria was a great leader, ensuring group safety, allowing all to walk at their own pace and having a friendly, approachable character, he was fun to be with. Albert as the camp leader was efficient and attentive and creative with meals.

Advice for Potential Travellers

You can probably pack a bit less than you think, 3 f each, max 4 will likely do. Plenty of water available along the routes, charging electrical really was no problem, except 1 site with no electricity supply.

Most Inspirational Moment

The awe-inspiring views all around you when on the trails and realizing the accomplishment of completing many days back to back on such challenging trails. I particularly enjoyed the walk from Switzerland into Italy through the snow.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader, Egle, was just adequate, and didn't match the quality of any of the other Exodus guides that I've had in the past, in both Europe and Asia. She typically hiked at the head of our group of 14 and for those at the tail of the group, they often went for quite some time without seeing her. Thankfully, we were a cohesive group and we took care of each other. Also, upcoming trail details often weren't adequately conveyed at daily meetings so we were often surprised on the trail with the conditions, terrain, etc. It would have been beneficial to have had two guides (as I experienced on my Exodus Bali trip) for a group that was the maximum size. This guide didn't come close to meeting what I had come to expect from Exodus.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Amazing trip and be sure to do your training. Breakfasts are sometimes sparse so bringing snacks along is helpful. The ladder section on day one was really fun and nothing to worry about. In July, we had fabulous weather with only one day washed out due to thunderstorms in the forecast.