Tour du Mont Blanc Camping Trek

Traveler Reviews

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  Stephanie

  June 30th, 2019
  3
  Wonderful tour, great tour guide (Shaun), good and scenic campsites, large tents. I wouldn’t rate the hiking trip a...
  Wonderful tour, great tour guide (Shaun), good and scenic campsites, large tents. I wouldn’t rate the hiking trip a grade 4 though, it’s a more a 5 or even 6 on some days. You definitely need to be fit. Poor chef (Kieran) he was late on several occasions for dinner in the evenings due to staying out too long paragliding. Breakfast and lunch were very poor, very very basic. Not enough vegetables or fruit options either.Show more
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  Traveled in June 2019
  

  Reply from: Exodus Adventure Travels

  We would like to thank Stephanie for her feedback. We were pleased to learn that she had a wonderful tour, that she found her tour guide to be great and the campsites to be scenic, but we are sorry that she had concerns about the activity level of the trip. We endeavour to prepare our clients for the level of walking by mentioning in our trip notes that 8 days are at a challenging level. Whilst the walks are challenging, due to the rest days included we feel it more appropriate to grade as moderate/challenging. We were very sorry to learn that Stephanie was disappointed by some of the food on this trip. Whilst the chef, Kieran, attempted to provide a balanced diet including speciality items to cater for the differing dietary requirements, we nonetheless regret Stephanie’s disappointment. We feel it pertinent to mention, however, that all members of Stephanie’s group who completed Holiday Evaluation Forms rated the food on this trip as good or excellent. Following Stephanie’s feedback, Kieran has been reminded of the importance of good time-keeping, and we trust this has been taken on board.

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  Michael Chin

  August 26th, 2013
  5
  Yes, it
  Traveled in July 2013
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  Carol Hall

  January 28th, 2012
  4
  This walk was so much more than expected - on every level; the effort required, the landscape, the organisation, the...
  This walk was so much more than expected - on every level; the effort required, the landscape, the organisation, the camping grounds, the guide and support staff, the company, and even the weather. It was a real experience for us coming from the tropics. We booked this trip over 12mths earlier so the anticipation was intense and expectations high. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The weather was perfect on two days - the day we arrived and the day we departed - so one of the inspirational moments was sitting in front of our little tent - DOM, and having the snow-capped mountains and the Les Bossons glacier right in front of us against an impossibly blue sky.  Another was the optional trip on our rest day across the massif via the teleferique from La Palud to Heilbronner and on up to the Aguille de Midi.  This was just sensational and a “must-do”, though very cold above the clouds. What did you think of your group leader? Mel was the quintessential guide and her enthusiasm for her “shy” mountains and her botanical knowledge were remarkable.  I am in my 60s and our youngest walker was probably 19 but Mel was able to juggle that dynamic of a wide age range and fitness level with consummate ease.    Carey and Pasquale were well- organised support people and great camp cooks. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Pack as per the trip notes, whatever the season.  While it was mid-summer the weather wasn’t good for most of the time.  Our first walking day was completed in unrelenting heavy rain so everything in our backpacks was soaked (take a pack liner and a good gortex).  Fresh snow fell for a couple of days after that, so layers of light fleeces were required (not cotton!), and a good sleeping bag essential. Is there anything else you would like to add? The camping option was a good decision and a lot of fun with interesting and interested people.  The tents were comfortable, dry and warm and camp ground facilities were most acceptable.  There has been quite a lot said about the two rough camps but both had their endearing features.  The first, beside the cement works, is in a stunning valley below the Triente glacier and had a big pole shed with good cooking facilities, clean bathrooms out of the weather, and flat ground for the tents.  Carey cooked us a piping hot meal and it was the first time in two days we had been dry.  The second was less well appointed and a bit boggy but had a village shop selling local produce, and a restaurant where we had an excellent evening meal.  This was our first trip with Exodus but we will be booking again based on this experience.  Thanks to all.Show more
  Traveled in December 2011
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  Paul Boast

  January 19th, 2012
  5
  This has to be one of our most enjoyable holidays - our worry now is how we can top it this year! The camping bit...
  This has to be one of our most enjoyable holidays - our worry now is how we can top it this year! The camping bit was great as all were thrown in together from the start - having a cup of coffee or a cold beer with a nice cake or biscuits ready when you arrived at camp after a hard day's walking was superb. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? I think the last day was really great as the views were spectacular all day, with classis views of Mont Blanc and its environs.  But there were many other days that were fantastic as we were challenging ourselves all the time. In fact we gained fitness throughout the holiday, even though we were pretty fit beforehand through much cycling and walking training. What did you think of your group leader? Our group leader Mel was fantastic. She had an encyclopedic knowledge of flora and fauna, being in the mountains, geography - her general knowledge was amazing. When we were with her we felt totally secure and were never concerned out our safety. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Get plenty of training in beforehand so you will enjoy your trip and not be concerned about how you will manage. You need to be able to do some consecutive long walks so make the training fun and go for a few days in the Lakes or the Derbyshire hills. Another thing - it can be really very cold in the evenings in September so a good 3 or 4 seasons sleeping bag is essential unless you enjoy sleeping in your clothes! Is there anything else you would like to add? Our driver and cook also made the holiday a real pleasure. He was completely in control of thee situations and could adapt easily to changes in the weather, diets etc. I think the Compass Cafe was also a good idea so that you could meet some of your fellow travellers beforehand - the people are always the best bit. There was a great cross section in our group with regards to age, background, nationality etc - we had a real laugh!Show more
  Traveled in December 2011
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  Coilin O'Braonain

  January 19th, 2012
  4
  Very enjoyable walking holiday. Challenging but well paced. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?...
  Very enjoyable walking holiday. Challenging but well paced. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? A great hill-walking trip with several notable features, the first of which to be mentioned must be the scenery.  We were lucky with the weather.  Rain on the first and last days but sun in between, which made for great views.  The optional horizontal cable car journey which traverses the Alps near Mont Blanc is a must and a great way for a walker to get a sense of the technical areas of the mountain range.   What did you think of your group leader? Second point is that we had a first class leader, a lady called Mel, who was very experienced in the Alps and highly knowledgable as to flora and fauna.  Mel kept a very reasonable pace which kept everyone on board during the steeper climbs.  She was also good fun.  Mel made the trip memorable in her own right. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Because this is a camping trip and the campsites are in the valleys, there was an uphill and downhill climb each day, which explains the 'challenging' label.  The terraine itself is quiet straight forward.  However, the campsites varied in quality and some forebearance is required.  Most were good and acceptable to a non-camper like me, one was rough but located in a beautiful valley, and one had terrible bathroom facilities.  Oddly, that last campsite was in Switzerland, one of the wealthiest countries in the world.   My main complaint was the absense of recliner chairs at the end of a long day! Is there anything else you would like to add? All in all, well worth doing and very good value.  I would (and might) do it again in the futureShow more
  Traveled in December 2011
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  Adam Gosling

  November 8th, 2011
  5
  A fantastic trip travelling through a beautiful part of the Alps, one of the classic mountain routes. The tour was...
  A fantastic trip travelling through a beautiful part of the Alps, one of the classic mountain routes. The tour was very well organised - the camping, food both in camp and at resturants, the walks and the company were all great. We even had amazing weather for just about the whole trip. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? There were many great moments during the trip a few of the inspirational/memorable moments: The high point of our trip for the whole group - Tete Nord des Four (2665m). As the weather was good the whole group completed an optional detor to this peak and were rewarded by a fantastic 360 degree panorama of the Alps including Mont Blanc & the Matterhorn. The celebrations in the group photo say it all. The view from our tents at the Campsite in Les Bosson, Chamonix - in particular waking up early on the final day to Mont Blanc & Aiguille de Midi silluetted by the early morning sun rising behind them and lighting up the clouds above the mountains. Getting to see the leaders in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc at the checkpoint at the Refuge Bonatti and seeing many more of the competitors later in the day on our way to Courmayeur.  On the second rest day walking the ridge above les Contamines (Mont Joly to Aiguille Croche) after enjoying a fantastic breakfast in a cafe in the village. The views of Mont Blanc and the surrounding area were fantastic and I had the ridge to myself for most of the trip. What did you think of your group leader? Graham our leader was fantastic - he worked increadbly hard to ensure that everyone in the group had a fantastic holiday regardless of their fitness level/ability. For myself his optional extensions and challenges ensured I wasn't sitting around and got some good challenges. The extra extensions to peaks near the route gave even better views and gave the group time to regroup. Graham's knowledge of the area was very good and his leadership skills ensured everyone had a great trip. For the rest days he had some great suggestions for everyone - from visiting the Decathlon R&D centre for a gentle day to an easy Via Ferrata for those of us that wanted a challenge. For me personally these extras really made the trip, including letting myself and two others sign-out of the trip to complete the more challenging Arpette route on Day 3 by ourselves.  Chris our Cook, Transport & Campsite co-ordinator was also fantastic - his cooking skills were legendary and his/Graham's choice of resturants for the nights out were brilliant.  Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Go for it this is one of the classics in the Alps and the Exodus trip is very well organised.  Fitness - get as fit as you can before the trip - the days are quite challenging and that extra fitness really helps you to enjoy the amazing land you are travelling through. The extra walks/peaks I was able to do due to my fitness level really made the trip for me. Camping vs. Hotel - if you are trying to decide go for the camping - you get a much better sense of travelling around the tour; most of the campsites are fantastic and the food you get is amazing both in camp and at the resturants. We did have good weather on the main - though a lot of the sites had good shelters for eating/sheltering from the rain. Weather - Thunderstorms are common in the evenings/ovenight and it can get very cold overnight so be prepared for that. Don't leave your towel on top of the tent on a cold night to dry as folding it in the morning becomes a challenge.  Equipment - Good boots and walking poles are a must, if it is hot a hydration bladder is also useful, though there are plenty of refuges along the way for beer/coffee/hot chocolate and if you go in August lots of Murtle Tarts to be eaten. Is there anything else you would like to add? Most of the campsites on the trip are great, there is one exception which is the first night in Switzerland at Trient, this is a basic camp between a road and a cement works, this is the one mentioned in previous reviews. In our case we had a thunderstorm shortly after arriving so the campfire was out, we did make good use of the wooden pagoda for dinner to shelter from the rain.  It is great to see Exodus responding to the comments however I am puzzled by them; there is one if not two alternatives to this campsite in the area that could be used. The Hotel version of this trip uses a Hotel at Col de Forclaz about 20-30 mins up the valley - this Hotel has a campsite if this was used it would also give the two trips a chance to meet and socialise, something we didn't do much of until the second basic camp where we had dinner in their hotel. The second option is at the other end of the village at the La Peuty end, there seems to be another basic site that could be an option and that is away from the main road and cement works.Show more
  Traveled in October 2011
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  Lesley Brown

  September 19th, 2011
  5
  Absolute classic just about sums it up. In exchange for our (sometimes quite physical efforts) we were rewarded with...
  Absolute classic just about sums it up. In exchange for our (sometimes quite physical efforts) we were rewarded with stunning views and that "great to be alive" feeling. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The weather was almost always just right for the day (not too hot when walking, perfect sunshine on the rest days.)  The only rain enabled us to stay cool on a stiff climb "three col" day.  Seeing one of the refuges in front of a glacier appear out of the mist was pretty dramatic.The most inspirational moment was funnily enough nothing to do with views.  It involved our guide Mel (Potter) squatting in the dust with a toy bulldozer and a Snickers bar describing the formation of morraines and other aspects of the surrounding scenery.  If you can picture the peanuts as erratics and the cracks from bending the chocolate bar as crevasses, you get the picture.  The clarity of thought and ease of explanation would have made any geology professor green with envy.  What did you think of your group leader? On our only previous Exodus trip we were unimpressed with the group leader and so were not expecting anything special.  How wrong could we be?  Mel was amazing.  She was clearly very knowledgeable and informative (the two do not always go together!) on every aspect of the Tour from camp life through to plants, birds and wildlife.  She was friendly and amusing throughout and certainly made the trip into something special. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? The books on the TMB suggest that a choice of clockwise or anticlockwise is possible.  Having seen the walks I would suggest that the Exodus starting in Chamonix and going clockwise is good, leaving the steep challenge of Brevent to the last walking day. The sense of elation having reached the Brevent top (and Mel opening the champagne) was out of this world and a worthy final stretch.Ask to get Mel on your trip!!  Pascale the chef/driver/fixer was also fantastic Is there anything else you would like to add? It was so good we may consider doing it again in the next few years.Show more
  Traveled in August 2011
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  Peter White

  August 26th, 2011
  4
  A great holiday with good company , ahappy group . our leader Graham was excellent and careing [ i was one of the...
  A great holiday with good company , ahappy group . our leader Graham was excellent and careing [ i was one of the slower walkers] graham helped on several occassions and carried my pack one day! he was ably assisterd by our chef tout les jours chris. accomplished miracles of food preperation sometimes in difficult circumstances. would call the tour an enjoyable experience rather than a holiday What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? reaching the sumitt of le breton 2,527mts the last ascent of 1,500mts having set off at 06-30am so as not to slow the rest of group.Followed by the last 3 hours, walking a scenic route along the valley contouring  to the cable car at F ?? with 2 Aussies and an Irish colleen!!. What did you think of your group leader? excellent character cannot reccommend him more highly. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? make sure you'r fit and don't underestimate the amount of ascent and descent on the trip. It helps if you have a GSOH Is there anything else you would like to add? porridge for breakfast some mornings would have been much appreciated by the writer!!Show more
  Traveled in July 2011
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  Elizabeth Moulton

  August 24th, 2011
  4
  A really enjoyable circular walk with a mountain pass to cross each day. Weather was very variable in mid August,...
  A really enjoyable circular walk with a mountain pass to cross each day. Weather was very variable in mid August, including horizontal hail and ice on the tents, but bright sunshine too. A great bunch of people to be with and an excellent leader, Graham. Chris cooked us amazing camp food. We all felt that this walk should be graded C rather than B/C, because of the lengths of the walks each day, the 1000m up, 1000m down and then the camping aspects. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The Grand Col de Ferret with its outstanding views in both directions. The campsite the night before at Le Fouly had tremendous mountain and glacier views.Also - if the weather is good,  don't miss the Hellbronner crossing on the rest day in Courmayeur.  This was very expensive but AMAZING to see the climbers on Mont Blanc, the tents in the snow and the Mer de Glace from above.  What did you think of your group leader? Excellent. Calm, safe, sensible, inspirational at times! No-one argued when he said to don full waterproofs and cross a col in seriously bad weather - we just got on with it. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? (1) Be as fit as you can. These are big walks. (2) Camping is DEFINITELY the best way to do the trek, not hotels. Much more of a sense of travelling round the circuit. Also food, wine, beer, tea and coffee all excellent and cheap, unlike the hotellers.  (3) Don't worry about charging up phones, camera batteries, the support van has plenty of electrical sockets for this.  Is there anything else you would like to add? There were some significant inaccuracies in our trip notes - hopefully Exodus will have corrected these now. There are 3 short bus journies on the trek so it doesn't feel quite 100%  that you can wear the TMB t shirt.... One of the bush camps was very basic and grotty - beside the road and next to a cement factory which started up at 07.30 and had only one toilet and no showers. All the other camping was excellent or at least good enough. Show more
  Traveled in July 2011
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  Milan Miletich

  August 16th, 2011
  5
  An overwhelmingly exhilarating and rewarding trip into Western Europe's mountainous heart. Vistas & experiences...
  An overwhelmingly exhilarating and rewarding trip into Western Europe's mountainous heart. Vistas & experiences which will stick with me forever, an undoubtedly touching group dynamic and all this guided by the most enthusiastic of all tour leaders, Mel Potter. Well done! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Finally ascending the second col on the penultimate walking day in a somewhat less than healthy state. What did you think of your group leader? Am I allowed to give Mel marks of eleven out of ten? Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Unless you are incredibly unfit or have an overwhelming health concern which you have discussed in detail with your GP and Exodus, do consider this two week nature extravaganza.  Some training before hand of course would not go amiss.  Is there anything else you would like to add? Of course, there are many more exotic mountainous locations one can visit but please do not think that just because this trip is focused in Europe's heart that it is not as breathtakingly vivid with colours and experiences. Show more
  Traveled in July 2011