Itinerary Expand all Day 1 Start Chamonix. In the evening there is an introductory briefing by your leader. Meals included: Dinner Start Chamonix. Transfer from Geneva airport to Chamonix, France. In the evening there is an introductory briefing by your leader. Meals included: Dinner Day 2 Lac Blanc and the Grand Balcon Sud from Chamonix to les Frasserands From our hotel in Chamonix we walk to Les Praz and take the cable car to La Flégère (1,860m – 6100). The trail today is named the 'Grand Balcon' and is on the opposite side of the valley from Mont Blanc, affording excellent views of the whole massif lying to our south. Initially we contour and then climb to reach the high point of the day, Lac Blanc (2352m - 7715ft). The trail descends and then contours high above the valley before dropping steeply to the hamlet of Les Frasserands and Montroc (1,371m - 4500ft). In the afternoon there is a very short section of ladders/steep steps with handrails to descend. We return to our hotel in Chamonix in the afternoon. 8.00 hours walking. 500m – 1640ft up, 980m – 3220ft down Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 3 Over Col de Balme into Switzerland; night at Col de la Forclaz. We travel back to Montroc at the top of the Chamonix valley where we begin our ascent to the Aiguillette de Posettes (2201m – 7200ft), descend a little and then climb towards the Col de Balme (2191m – 7190ft) from where we follow one of the paths across the border from France to Switzerland. Excellent views all morning of Aiguille d'Argentière and Aiguille du Tour and its glacier. After lunch we walk through to the small Swiss hamlet of Trient (1296m – 4250ft). Good views of the Trient Glacier. A sting in the tail today as we finish with a steep climb from Trient to our hotel at the Col de la Forclaz (1527m – 5010ft). 8.5 hours walking time including breaks and lunch etc. 1190m/3900ft up, 1060m/3466ft down Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 4 Follow Bovine Route to Champex. We leave the Col de la Forclaz, where we can look directly down into the Rhône valley and the Swiss town of Martigny and follow an historic path used to take the cows to high pasture, the 'Bovine route' (2049m – 6720ft). Our trail takes us through meadows and high alpine pastures before we descend to the charming town of Champex (1486m – 4880ft) set beside a picturesque alpine lake. 7.5 hours walking, 680m – 2230ft up, 720m – 2360ft down Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 5 Head up the Val Ferret to La Fouly. Now on the east side of the main Mont Blanc Massif we walk south, descending through woods to the Val Ferret and on to Issert (1055m – 3460ft) and other small, pretty, alpine farming villages. This is quite a good day for flowers, including orchids. We continue up the valley to the remote village La Fouly (1600m - 5250ft). This is at the foot of Mont Dolent, whose summit is at the meeting point of France, Switzerland and Italy. 6 hours walking, 440m – 1450ft down, 540m – 1780ft up Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 6 Follow river La Drance; climb to the highest point of the tour at Grand Col Ferret and into Italy. Overnight at La Palud. Still following the same valley and the river 'La Drance', we climb to the 'Grand Col Ferret' (2537m – 8320ft), the highest pass of the tour. Now in Italy, the valley is also called 'Val Ferret'. The mountain views from the Col are stunning with the Grandes Jorasses dominating the scene. We walk down the valley to Arp Nouva (1770m – 5800ft) then travel by bus to our hotel in La Palud near Courmayeur. (BLD)7 hours walking, 970m - 3180ft up, 800m – 2600ft down Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 7 Rest day. The nearby ex-spa towns of Courmayeur and Entrèves have picturesque older sections, which are worth a visit, especially for the keen photographer. There is a cable car from Entrèves to Point Helbronner (3461m – 11350ft) and on across the glacier to Aiguille du Midi (and in fact on down to Chamonix). This is a splendid (optional) excursion, which gives close-up views of all the big peaks. Alternatively you might wish to relax and recover in the Spa bathes at Pre Saint Didier a short bus ride from Courmayeur. Meals included: Breakfast Day 8 Climb to Bonatti refuge and traverse high above the spectacular Ferret Valley around Mont de la Saxe to Courmayeur. We start with a short bus ride to pick up the TMB and from the road (1675m – 5500ft ) climb up to the Bonatti refuge (2025m – 6640ft). Today we follow a beautiful contouring path around Mont de la Saxe to Courmayeur. The views of the south Mont Blanc massif are exceptional as are those of the towering, peaks of the 'Grandes Jorasses' and the glaciers which crowd the northern flank of the Val Ferret. In the afternoon we have a long, steep descent to Courmayeur (1230m – 4030m) (superb ice creams!) from where we take a short bus ride into the spectacular Val Veny (1530m – 5020ft). 8 hours walking. 500m – 1640ft up, 900m 4400ft down Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 9 Cross the Col de la Seigne back to France, descend through la Ville des Glaciers to Les Chapieux. Today we are heading for the Val Veny and the start of our walk at La Vissaille (1660m – 5450ft). We’ll reach this by bus to then start climb gently along good paths beneath the massive glacier de Miage and pass Lac Combal before the gradient becomes steeper as we follow the old Roman road and head for today's pass: the 'Col de la Seigne' (2516m – 8250ft), which marks our re-entry into France. A fairly steep descent brings us through la Ville des Glaciers (1789m – 5870ft) and finally after quite a long walking day to Les Chapieux (1553m – 5090ft), a small remote hamlet inhabited only during the summer months. 8.5 hours walking time including breaks and lunch etc. 870m – 2840ft up, 970m – 3180ft down Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 10 Ascend to Col de la Croix du Bonhomme, then contour across to the Col du Bonhomme. We have now reached the southwest corner of the circuit and turn north to climb once again. Today is a longer day; first we make a steep climb to the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme (2478m – 8130ft) and then contour around to the Col du Bonhomme (2328m – 7640ft). We then descend (again on a Roman road) to our campsite in Les Contamines (1180m - 5900ft). A short bus ride down the valley takes us to the pretty village of St Gervais, the perfect place for a day off. 8.5 hours walking time including breaks and lunch etc. 930m – 3050ft up, 1340m – 4400ft down Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 11 Free Day A well-earned rest day. There are many options to fill your day including taking the cog railway to Le Nid d’aigle – the Eagles Nest - a popular start point to climb Mont Blanc, or browsing around the local market of Les Contamines. There are plenty of optional walks in the area or one can simply relax around the pleasant town of St Gervais or even treat yourself to a rejuvenating spa. Meals included: Breakfast Dinner Day 12 Over Col de Tricot to the Chamonix Valley; overnight at Les Houches. Today is a challenging day with plenty of ups and downs. From St Gervais we have a 10 min transfer to re-join our route before ascending to the Chalets de Miage (1560m – 5120ft). From here we take a trail that climbs steeply to the Col de Tricot (2119m – 6950ft) before descending very close to the snout of the Glacier de Bionnassay. Good views of the north side of the Mont Blanc Massif. Eventually we make another ascent to reach the Col de Voza (1652m – 5418ft) where we re-enter the Chamonix Valley and make our final descent to the village of Les Houches (993m - 3225ft). 8.5 hours walking time including breaks and lunch etc. 1200m – 3980ft up, 1370m – 4500ft down Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 13 Best views of Mont Blanc today; long ascent to the Brevent, descend to Chamonix. We cross to the north side of the Chamonix Valley and climb steeply through pine forest and then on open mountainsides to reach the high point of the day at Brevent (2525m – 8290ft). This is a long walking day but will probably afford the best views of the French side of Mont Blanc and its neighbouring peaks that we shall have on the whole trek. We descend to Plan Praz (1970m - 6460ft) and take the cable car to Chamonix (1061m) for a well-deserved beer. 7.5 hours walking time including breaks and lunch etc. 1500m – 4921ft up, 520m – 1690ft down Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 14 Free day in Chamonix. Free day in and around Chamonix. There are several good walks in the Chamonix valley. Chamonix itself is also a great place to spend a day. The most popular excursions, weather depending, would be the spectacular ascent by cable car to the Aiguille du Midi or the Montenvers cog railway. Meals included: Breakfast Day 15 End Chamonix. Meals included: Breakfast End Chamonix. After breakfast we will transfer by private bus to Geneva airport. Meals included: Breakfast
Hotels, Pensions, Inns & Auberges Throughout the trek we use long-established family run 2 or 3-star hotels, except for 3 nights where we use local auberges. One of the hotels has a Jacuzzi and sauna for guests. Most of the hotels have stunning locations often with panoramic vistas over the mountains and culturally represent the countries and environment they are in. These hotels are a vital source of income to the local community. All are clean and well run and set up with the needs of the trekker in mind. Please be aware that room sizes (twin, double or triple rooms) and facilities will vary from hotel to hotel and sometimes from room to room within one hotel. On 11 of the nights facilities are en suite whilst the others have the possibility, depending on availability and group size, of shared bathroom and toilet facilities 'on the landing'. Couples will always have their own room but we cannot say whether this will be twin or double. Very occasionally a room will have bunk beds. Single clients must be prepared to share with one or occasionally two other members of the same sex. We are unable to accept bookings for single rooms due to the small size of the hotels used and the fact that we are usually staying only one night in each hotel. The Auberge does not provide soap and you may wish to bring a towel, as those provided by continental hotels are sometimes small. On rare occasions the group may be split over two different accommodations but these will be of the same standard and within walking distance.
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Reviewed September 2019 Karen Donnelly Trip: Tour du Mont Blanc Hotel Trek This is an absolute ‘must do’ trip! This is easily one of the best trips I’ve ever done - I had an absolute blast and highly recommend it! The TMB itself is just incredible, words can’t describe how beautiful it is. Every day was different and the hiking was just so much fun. Just make sure you have a good level of fitness or you won’t enjoy it as much as you should! I really enjoyed the group dynamic and was happy with the accommodation - we had two nights in what I’d class as hostel style accommodation (private rooms with shared bathrooms but sink in room which was good!) and the remainder in 2/3* hotels. Rooms were spotlessly clean, beds were comfy and hot showers were plentiful which is exactly what you need after a day on the trail! :) Food was so good throughout - Lunch has never tasted better! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I loved it all. Every single minute :) What did you think of your group leader? I originally thought about doing this trip self guided but I couldn’t be happier that I didn’t! Our guide, Egle, made this trip for me! She was fantastic, She looked after absolutely everything so all I needed to do was enjoy myself as we wandered around the TMB :) !! Her love for the Alps is infectious and she’s just awesome to be around!
Reviewed August 2019 Peter Gomes Trip: Tour du Mont Blanc Hotel Trek Tour du Mount Blanc Hotel - terrific two week Alpine trek through three countries This trip proved to be a brilliant way to hike five valleys, three countries, and enjoy stunning Alpine scenery en route. Accommodation is generally good, and the food hearty & plentiful but it is all about terrific walking territory in the shadow of the Mt. Blanc massif. Lots of "Wow" moments. Do not underestimate the hiking fitness required with each walking day being 10-12 miles (16-19 km) with ascents of 1,000 m - 1,600 m (3,000' - 5,000') and corresponding descents. However the pace set by our guide Kim was sensible throughout so we had time to chat as we walked, take photos and enjoy the wonderful views. Trekking time was generally 6-8 hours each day albeit actual walking time was consistently around two-thirds of this. The other third being photo stops, coffee/ice cream stops (lots), two lunch stops (eating little and often was good advice), etc. Rest days were well placed in the timetable and meant that we all completed the 110 mile (180 km) circuit in good shape. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? In terms of hiking, probably ascending the 2,500 m cols which took us across the frontiers into each of Switzerland, Italy & France, plus the steep (600 m) ascent of the Col du Trichot on walking day 9, and the sumptuous views of Mt Blanc as we ascended 1,600m to Brevet on the final morning - celebrated with champagne at the top. Aside from the hiking were two "Must Do"s. One was on the first rest day - taking the Skyway Monte Bianco cable car from Cormayeaur up to Punta Herbronner and then the frankly fantastic 5km panorama trip over to the Aiguille du Midi. Absolutely superb views over the glacier and of Mt Blanc itself. Kim suggested we get there for 06:30 when it opened which proved great advice as we had the viewing platform to ourselves & avoided the later crowds and queues. The other was the tramway from St Gervais up to Nid D'Aigle. Impressive engineering, great views and a chance to hike to the Bionnassay glacier. Do both. Take layers. What did you think of your group leader? Kim was an experienced IML (International Mountain Leader) and clearly knew the area like the back of her hand - she didn't consult a map once across the whole trip. Her briefings each evening were comprehensive - almost too much so. She was up early each morning to set out food so we could select content of our lunches before we went into breakfast, and her timetabling meant we had plenty of time at every point despite the scale of the hiking each day. She set a steady sensible pace on the ascents and was a demon on the descents - we had fun trying to keep up with her, despite her being older than all the trip participants. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? The trip notes liken the walking to ascending Ben Nevis or Scarfell Pike. This is not an exaggeration as we coincidentally did both three weeks before the trip. You need to be hiking fit to cope with repeated 10+ mile / 1,000+m hikes. Take layers - the weather can change quickly. Carrying gloves, woolly hat, down jacket, rain top, & over-trousers seemed OTT until the sudden thunderstorm on the Col du Bonhomme. Good boots, walking poles plenty of sun screen are also recommended. Finally, those with water bladders proved more adept with keeping hydrated than those us with water bottles. I picked one up in Decathlon (£10) on our return to Chamonix. Is there anything else you would like to add? We would certainly recommend this trip to anyone who enjoys hiking. The route well chosen, food plentiful, accommodation sound and guide knowledgeable. The scenery is simply glorious.
Reviewed August 2019 Nadia Ashraf Trip: Tour du Mont Blanc Hotel Trek You HAVE to book this trip!!! You will not be disappointed with this trip: stunning vistas every step of the way, great sense of achievement, great people; including John, our exceptional Mountain Leader and lovely hot chocolate and tarte myrtille at the mountain refuges. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Making it up Brevent on the the last climb to complete the two-week trek! What did you think of your group leader? John is an exceptional Mountain Leader: very experienced and certainly knows his stuff. He had a knack of popping up beside you for support any time you were feeling anxious about the path or there was a precarious snowy/icy section or river crossing. Certainly felt very safe in his hands. He is very knowledgable about the mountains, flora and fauna and has stories about his own adventures around the world to keep you entertained with. Set the perfect 'Fairy Step' pace on the hikes to make it seem almost effortless, which made all the difference, especially in the 35 degree heat we had on some days. Very well organised and always made sure we had a good spread for lunch. Even good at opening the impossible gherkin jars! Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Although this is a summer trek, there was plenty of snow still on the path for our trip in June, so be prepared! Is there anything else you would like to add? Do not hesitate to book this trip - you will not regret it!
Reviewed August 2019 Rob Dyer Trip: Tour du Mont Blanc Hotel Trek Fantastic tour The tour excellent from start to finish. The walking was well planned and supported brilliantly by John our mountain guide. The hotels were good and arrangements for transfer of our gear worked without a hitch. One of the best holidays we havd ever had. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The sense of achievement of completing the last day’s climb was fantastic. John kept us together always as a group. Everyone felt supported Shen they needed it. What did you think of your group leader? Excellent. John managed to create a cohesive group. He managed to keep a sense of fun while inspiring great trust in his knowledge and skills. Could not have been better. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Go for it! It is challenging but manageable for anyone who is fairly fit.
Reviewed September 2018 Pen Barnes Trip: Tour du Mont Blanc Hotel Trek Tour de Mont Blanc hotel- ( tour du gormet) Best trip in a decade. Combination of stunning vistas, hiking, culture and food. Jenny our guide was superb. Better named the “Tour du gormet”. “5km to best gelato, 7 km to Prosecco, 8 km to tarte framboise”. Or that can be translated to first breakfast, second breakfast, first lunch,second lunch. Lots of hiking - don’t underestimate the impact of5 days of 2000 to 4000ft and 10 plus miles at the beginning of the trip. However there is then the best hot chocolate in Italy- more a chocolate fondue to look forward to. Bon appetit! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Mont Blanc What did you think of your group leader? Fantastic Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Do not underestimate the hiking - even if used to doing long hikes
Reviewed September 2018 Pen Barnes Trip: Tour du Mont Blanc Hotel Trek Tour de Mont Blanc hotel- ( tour du gormet) Best trip in a decade. Combination of stunning vistas, hiking, culture and food. Jenny our guide was superb. Better named the “Tour du gormet”. “5km to best gelato, 7 km to Prosecco, 8 km to tarte framboise”. Or that can be translated to first breakfast, second breakfast, first lunch,second lunch. Lots of hiking - don’t underestimate the impact of5 days of 2000 to 4000ft and 10 plus miles at the beginning of the trip. However there is then the best hot chocolate in Italy- more a chocolate fondue to look forward to. Bon appetit! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Mont Blanc What did you think of your group leader? Fantastic Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Do not underestimate the hiking - even if used to doing long hikes
Reviewed September 2018 Debra Thompson Trip: Tour du Mont Blanc Hotel Trek Fabulous trip My husband and and I really loved this walk. The scenery every day was simply spectacular. The accomodation was very comfortable and food provided for us was top class. We had quite a small group of 7 of various nationalities and we all muddled along together very well. I found our trek leader to be very helpful with advice on what to do on days off etc. He was always encouraging along the way and informed us of points of interest, landmarks etc. I did find the walk to be quite challenging and anybody interested in doing this trek needs to have a fairly high level of fitness. I would recommend Exodus travel to my friends, expecially the Tour du Mont Blanc trek. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Reaching the top of Brevant on the last day of the walk. It had been a long, long walk up. I felt really proud that I had been able to complete the walk. What did you think of your group leader? Peter Smith was a fantastic tour leader. He was “keep calm and carry on” type of character. He was encouraging and provided me with helpful hints along the way regarding the use of poles, pace and was particularly helpful to me when we had to some, what I think was scary edge walking to do. This was not my strength but I managed well with his help. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? This trek requires a fairly high level of fitness. Do a lot of uphill training in readiness and be assured that it won’t be enough. Be determined to finish.
Reviewed September 2018 Judith Argent Trip: Tour du Mont Blanc Hotel Trek Summer in the mountains surrounding Mont Blanc A thoroughly enjoyable trek through France, Switzerland and Italy. It's a lovely feeling to walk everywhere (with the occasional use of local buses). The hotels and auberges were comfortable and we were well fed throughout the trip. There was a large choice of food and fruits for packed lunches which we made ourselves, choosing as much as we wanted. The walking was fabulous, I loved seeing the different scenery and villages. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I particularly enjoyed walking over the cols to the next valleys. Always a wow moment. What did you think of your group leader? Nick was a great guide, and knew a lot about the mountains and the things living in them. I don't think anyone was ever anxious about what the day might bring as trickier parts of the walk were dealt with as we arrived at them and not over thought of before. He had a calm, relaxed manner which made all the days enjoyable. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Always carry wet weather gear. We only had just over an hour of rain on one occasion whilst walking but I was grateful for the waterproofs I'd carried for nearly a fortnight. Do get fit but don't over worry. We live in a very flat area so only really walk up hills and mountains whilst on holiday and we had no problem. Carry plenty of water. Be prepared to wait for slower members of the group... never a problem when you're an such beautiful surroundings!
Reviewed July 2018 Tony Perdomo Trip: Tour du Mont Blanc Hotel Trek Just Wow, reason why it's a Top 5 trek This trek (early July '18) was phenomenal. this is my first real trekking holiday and I have to tell you, I am converted now. the scenery all along the way is spectacular, and different each day! Going through 3 countries, more than 170 kms, and going from towns and villages to a handful of coffee drinkers at a refuge at 2000+ masl, really added variety to this trip. The first 2 days might be challenging ones for most, but then your body and mind sync, and then your only focus is when to stop taking pictures and not to get your breath back. Your body will love it, you will be at peace and most importantly, super fit after it's all set and done. Work hard during the day, have a nice sleep on a comfy bed each night - what else do you want? What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Realizing that my group of 3 was the best paced group my guide has ever had, and I kept up with them no problem. doing a Col in 2 hours where it should have taken 3, and still feel like a champ after all. Bring it on Annapurnas, you're next What did you think of your group leader? Pete Smith, a legend. he was superb, well attentive and mindful of everyone. it was his first trek of the season and I am happy we got him. superb leader! Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Yes, follow the fitness plan and break your boots in. Once you are there, let the mind take over and the body follow suit. It's not a race, it's a walk along one of the most beautiful treks out there. Bring camelback of 1.5-2L and a waterbottle (1L), you will need it Is there anything else you would like to add? Love this tour Exodus, great educational!
Reviewed July 2018 Linda Walton Trip: Tour du Mont Blanc Hotel Trek A Must Do for every keen hiker This was an excellent trip. The views are stunning and we were fortunate enough to have 9 dry and sunny days. Loved hiking from France to Switzerland to Italy and back to France. Being able to have a drink and cake at some of the refuges was a real bonus. There were quite a lot of snowfields to cross but we were very fortunate in that we were able to trek the whole route. Two weeks before and this was not possible. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Crossing the border from Switzerland into Italy. The views from the Col Ferret were outstanding. Having lunch on the top, enjoying the sunshine and eating toblerone - bliss. What did you think of your group leader? Our group leader was Frank. He was hugely experienced, having done this some 60 times before. Frank set the pace and it was just right. He never went off at a ridiculous pace and I never felt that my safety was compromised at all. He was really helpful when I struggled to cross one pass with my short legs and had plenty of time to make a track through the snowfields when we had to descend through them. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? I was a little concerned with undertaking this trip as I am in my late 50's and the maximum number of days hiking I have done before was 4. We did do quite a bit of training and I would recommend that anyone doing this does try to find some hills before. Having said that, we did not struggle at all. Frank's pace was great. The legs did ache for the first couple of days but after that they were fine. On the last day we did 1670m of ascent and I could have gone on and on! The downhills are definitely harder than the ascents. So pleased we chose the guided tour as it would have been very challenging trying to find some of the routes especially when you're in a storm with limited visibility and being hit with large hail stones. Is there anything else you would like to add? Do it! Anyone with good fitness will be fine. This is one of the tot 10 walks to do in the World and I would thoroughly recommonend doing it was Exodus.
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