Most Inspirational Moment
The trails and the scenery.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Both were exceptional. See above.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The breakfasts were a bit samey. A little more variety would go down well.
Reviews
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Reviews
Fantastic Trip - Tour de Mont Blanc Camping
The trip was very well organised. The scenery was amazing. Fantastic views and trails. Our tour guide, Augustine, was exceptional, very knowledgeable about landscape and flora. He set a good pace, was very supportive to the whole group. Augustine is an excellent ambassador for Exodus. Our camp leader, Kieron, was equally good. The camp was well organised and comfortable. The equipment provided was very good. The tents had blackout linings which were very helpful. The food was excellent – Kieron is a very good cook. We really appreciated the tea, coffee and biscuits being readily available and the well stocked bar. All in all, a fantastic experience and we would thoroughly recommend this trip. The group was a great mix of ages (early twenties to mid sixties) and personalities. Alastair and Louise Bowie August 2023
Tour du Mont Blanc Camping
A fantastic 10 days of walking up and down mountains with beautiful scenery.
Most Inspirational Moment
Walking up 1,000m to cross over a col and see a valley spread out in front of us with lush mountain pastures to the left and a glaciar to the right
Thoughts on Group Leader
Fantastic. Agustin was the best guide I've had on one of these walking trips. He had incredible patience and was calm and funny the whole way through
Advice for Potential Travellers
This trip is for serious walkers or those who know they are in decent shape, not people who are couch potatoes and are looking for a challenge. You don't have to be fast, just in good shape so you won't be puffing away at the back and holding the group up. If you're not sure about camping vs hostels, pay the small extra charge and go camping with your own tent. The tents are huge and the hostels in the area particularly expensive. There are 2 nights of basic camping but otherwise, the camp site facilities are excellent. Ladies, invest in a she-wee. It's so much easier to role out of your sleeping bag and have a pee in your tent rather than having to get dressed and walk to the toilet.
Suggestions
This is a brilliant trip
Brilliant trip in the beautiful Alps
We can’t recommend this trip highly enough – the trip is a challenging walk with more ascent and descent than Everest but the scenery, culture and experience are just outstanding. The sense of achievement on completing the TMB is amazing. Our group came from all corners of the world but we quickly formed a really close-knit group, together with our wonderful leaders Kieron and Shaun. The tents are spacious and the black-out means they stay cool, and dark in the mornings. Each day started with a chorus of unzipping the tents, and then we had breakfast and packed up the camp ready for the next days adventure. The trip is divided into 3-5 days of walking followed by a rest day, where you can chose from lots of activities, including chilling in the campsite, shopping, visiting a spa, e-biking, ascending by cable car or train to the glaciers, or even paragliding!! This allows tired legs to recover, and for everyone to have an adventure at their own pace. Kieron’s cooking was amazing, and we also ate out in restaurants on some nights which were included. The campsites are clean and quiet, and offer amazing up-close views of the mountains. Shaun was a great guide, with lots of local knowledge and he kept us all together, even on the toughest days. There was always time for coffee and cake at one of the many refuges or alpages along the route.
Most Inspirational Moment
Climbing up to the top of the Cols, to find yourself in another country - during the trip you pass from France to Switzerland, then Italy, and back to France again. The views are stunning and you know that it is going to be downhill all the way to the tent from then on!!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Shaun was our mountain guide. He judged the ability of the group really well, and found interesting variations to the route, when it was very busy. He had lots of local knowledge and was great company Kieron was the camp leader, and made sure we always had the flattest pitches, lots of lovely food, and a well-stocked bar! The organisation was brilliant, and he produced amazing food from his tiny kitchen, whilst inspiring us all with his paragliding stories. Even the washing up was a bonding experience!
Advice for Potential Travellers
We would really recommend camping on this trip - it was comfortable and added to the adventure, with stunning views from the front door of your tent. The group were really supportive, the route was well-planned and there was a lovely balance of organised and free time. The leaders absolutely made our trip so memorable, thank you to Kieron and Shaun!
Fantastic!
Just returned from two weeks walking the Tour du Mont Blanc. It was a fantastic experience, at times hard work, but every drop of perspiration was worth the effort. Excellent group camaraderie; everyone got on very well and the two groups leaders – Shaun and Kieron – were first rate. The evening meals were very good, often restaurant standard. Would whole-heartedly recommend the trip. Just make sure you are fit enough for the challenge of the long climbs.
Most Inspirational Moment
Seeing the entire Mont Blanc massif from the other sides of the Chamonix and Aosta valleys.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Excellent. Shaun knew his stuff and didn't hold back from telling us when we would be challenged by the terrain. Guidance given when needed and always able to answer questions. Kieran - who looked after the logistics and cooking - was taylor-made for the role. He really should open his own restaurant.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Make sure you are fit enough before setting off. You don't need to be Superman / Superwoman but you do need to be prepared for long days of strenuous walking.
Suggestions
Great fun. Would definitely recommend.
2023 July Tour du Mont Blanc Camping Trek
I had a fantastic time on the trek and made some great new friends. Some of the uphills were hard work, but the amazing scenery took my mind off it. We were lucky with the weather, most of the time it was warm and sunny. We had just light rain for a couple of hours on one day. Then on the last day just as we finished the trek and sat down at a local pub for a couple of beers. The rain started to hammer down for a while. I highly recommend doing the Tour du Mont Blanc Trek. I found the correspondence I had with Exodus before the trek was very good. If I had any questions they would respond to my emails right away. We stayed at camping sites in two men tents for the entire trip. The tents had plenty of room and each morning we were required to pack our tents up before we started that day’s trek. On the first day our guides Kieron and Mike showed us how to pack the tents up. After a couple of practices it became pretty easy to pack the tents up. And if someone had trouble with it, there was always someone there to help them out. At the end of each day when we arrived at the campsite, Kieron would have all our tents already set up for us.
Most Inspirational Moment
It is hard to just pick one moment for the trip. Every day there was something differrent and amazing to see.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Kieron our camp leader was amazing. He always had the tents set up for us at each camp site. Kieron also made us awesome meals throughout the trek. Mike was our guide during the trek each day. He was fantastic and full of knowledge about the local flora and fauna. Both Kieron and Mike had a fantastic attitude, they were always happy and smiling. If you had a question or needed help with something they were always there to help. Thank you very much Kieron, Mike and Exodus for such an amazing experience. Cheers
Advice for Potential Travellers
1. The ascents on the trek are very steep, so make sure you are hiking fit. If you are not very experienced at mountain trekking. Then you should start training three or four months before you do the Tour du Mont Blanc trek. 2. Purchase good hiking boots and break them in before the trek and good hiking poles. 3. Make sure you have a good lightweight, warm and waterproof coat and pants. Even during the summer days it can get cold at the higher parts of the trek. 4. Carry at least 3 litres of water, a hat and some good sunscreen lotion. 5. I travelled from Australia, so I had a long flight to get to Geneva. So I decided to arrive four days early before the trek to get over the jet lag. If you are able then I highly recommend arriving a couple of days early. 6. Take a small power bank with you for charging your phone. There is a charger in the back of the truck with multiple charging ports for charging phones. But sometimes the charging ports were all being used. So I found it easier to charge my power bank in the truck when there was a free port. My power bank would then have enough power to charge my phone three times.
Suggestions
If you like hiking then I highly recommend doing the Tour du Mont Blanc Trek. The scenery is amazing and everyday is different. The trek is around 170km and the acents are very steep. So make sure you are fairly fit and train a few months before you do the trek.
Wonderful trip all around
The camping trek around Mont Blanc was great fun. Perfect combination of challenge, reward, and just a fun group of people to be with. Our guide, Mike, kept us on track on the trail with very convenient breaks at refuges and summits keeping a steady pace that all could manage while not micromanging the group. Kieron kept our camp put together in almost always changing locations and created lovely meals. The sites were all well chosen and almost all had some sort of shade/rain cover which was lovely.
Most Inspirational Moment
The quiet moments on the summits just enjoying this beautiful part of the world were my favorite.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Mike and Kieron made a great team and worked well together.
Advice for Potential Travellers
You will enjoy this trip much more if you are in good shape before the trip. Your knees with thank you for bringing and using hiking poles as pretty much each day is up to a col or summit for lunch and then down to a valley to camp. Doing this trip over 14 days allowed for a relaxed pace with several rest days added in. If your group hikes relatively fast you will have plenty of time at camp to explore the towns, play games with your fellow guests, or just hang out and read a book. If you need something to do all the time you may want to pick one of the more compressed trip styles-- which would mean covering more ground each day with less down time in camp.
Suggestions
The guides and the trip itself were fantanstic. I was a bit frustrated by some of the lack of communication from exodus regarding changes to the group transfers and ended up booking them separately myself as was not able to sync with the group after changes. If you are flying from the UK or exodus is booking your flights you likely had a different experience. Overall a good experience and would be happy to travel with exodus again in the future.
Stunning Trip
What an amazing trip from start to finish. The weather was perfect which made the trip even more special. One day of mist and drizzle which spoilt the views but not the walking experience. Kieran’s camp was fantastic, not to mention his cooking. It was amazing what he could produce out of his tiny kitchen. Loads of beer and wine. Tents good. Big enough to sleep two but not with bags as well so I paid extra for single use. Sleeping bag, mat and pillow also good quality.
Most Inspirational Moment
The scenery was stunning throughout, but the last day, climbing from the campsite to the top of the Brevant was a huge challenge. Mike advised us that the first part of the decent was challenging because of the snow conditions and a couple of ladders. I thought that if it was so bad he wouldn't risk taking us. Felt amazing to have completed the day and the tour.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Mike, was a fantastic leader. Encouraging, enthusiastic knowledgeable and inspirational. I am in awe of the variety of things he does.
Advice for Potential Travellers
A must do trip. A tent for single use is worth the extra money. Do your training as it pays off. Go up the Punta Helbonner cable care from La Palud near Courmayeur. It is stunning.
Suggestions
In the trip notes it should be made clearer that is more participatory camping than it makes out. Not a problem for me at all. Good luck to Mike and Keiran. Thank you.
An amazing adventure walking amongst the beautiful alps
What a fantastic trip. I didn’t really know what to expect but I was blown away by the beautiful scenery and camping amongst the Alps. Our group and camp leaders Mike and Kieron were fabulous – fun, helpful and just great to hang out with. I’d do some training for the walk as it can be demanding but our group leader made sure the pace was manageable. We had a great group of people and I recommend the camping tour as we all became quite close pitching in and hanging out together. The tents were roomy and comfortable and the campgrounds we stayed in were also quite comfortable. Kieron made us beautiful meals, we certainly were fed well!! I definitely give this tour 5 stars, it’s challenging, beautiful, and you’ll make some life long friends.
Most Inspirational Moment
The most inspirational times of the trip for me was making it to the top of some of those tough climbs and experiencing the most incredible scenery.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader Mike was amazing, as was our camp leader Kieron. Mike was knowledgeable, friendly and took great care of the group. I felt safe and looked after. The walking was sometimes challenging, but Mike set a pace on the tough parts to get us all to the top and the views were worth every step. Kieron was an amazing camp leader. His dinners were delicious and a cold beer was always waiting for us at camp. We had a lot of fun with our leaders.
Advice for Potential Travellers
My advice to other travellers would be to do some training for this walk. It is in the Alps and there are a lot of ups and downs which can be steep but in saying that the views are always amazing. I got a real sense of accomplishment on reaching the top of those big ascents. The camping was great I totally recommend going that way. The tents were big and comfortable for two people and it really brings the group together with everyone pitching in and hanging out. Loved it!!!
What a Trip!
Before I left my girlfriend was teasing me about spending two weeks camping with creepy crawlies and having to eat tinned spaghetti hoops every night. In truth it could not have been more different. Kieron the camp leader was great, tents were put up for us, beers were cold, the food was healthy, tasty and home cooked and exceeded all expectations. The tents were modern and roomy, I paid extra for a single but they are more than big enough for two. Campsites were good and the mat, pillow and sleeping bag I rented were all just fine. We were really well looked after. The trek was superb too – I’m a really pleased I chose to do the full thing.
Most Inspirational Moment
I was surprised at how big, dramatic and beautiful the Alps are. I got some great photos. I also really enjoyed the group atmosphere and I loved the outdoorsy side to the whole trip. It felt healthy.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Mike was amazing! Made every member of the group feel included, had tonnes of knowledge about the area to impart and was all round a positive person to have leading us for the two weeks.
Advice for Potential Travellers
I recommend walking poles and a steady pace
Suggestions
Do the full trek, it is worth it.
How to make it the whole TMB
This trip offers more of the TMB route than most of the trips that I looked into, but it doesn’t do it all. If you read the trip notes carefully you’ll realise that there is a section in Val Ferret which may be missed out, and the section from Courmayeur to Lac Combal is bypassed. When we were on the trip we realised there were two other bits to be missed out. From Les Houches towards Brevent, and from Plan Praz to La Flegere. The good news is that, if you do want to do the whole tour then it can be done within the trip: Val Ferret – get your leader to take the bus all the way back up to Arp Nouva, where you stopped the previous day, rather than at an earlier stop point. There is plenty of time, this is what our group did. From Courmayeur – you can catch a bus to Courmayeur on your day off, walk the route to where it drops down to the path to Lac Combal, & then walk down to La Visaille where you can get a bus back to Courmayeur/the campsite. Les Houches – either persuade your leader to take the bus back to Les Houches & start from there, or walk the missing section on the final day off Plan Praz to La Flegere – add this onto the final planned day. You then take the cable car down from La Flegere rather than Plan Praz (the ticket works for both) & that’s the whole TMB done 🙂