MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

8 days at GBP999 including flights
Tripcode: TWN

Countries Visited: France, Italy, Switzerland

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Our Clients’ Reviews

Average Review Rating: from 36 reviews.

Sarah Quilliam

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

Written October 2011
One of the best trips I've been on.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Too many to list but special mention though for the beautiful woodland we passed through at the end of the long, long, long descent down from Lac Blanc (who needs ski lifts anyway?) and final 'off piste' climb up the Les Houches peak and seeing the best view in the Alps come up over the horizon.
What did you think of your group leader?
Oliver is a real gem of a group leader - awful jokes and the Spencer Tracy fan club aside, he's an excellent guide who did a great job of gauging the different levels of the group and getting us all safely up and down the cols with smiles all round. Voila. Elaine did a great job too with the hearty evening meals, sandwiches, and brilliant home made cakes.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The trip is rated a Moderate which I think is about right, albeit at the upper scale. However while you don't need any trekking experience you do need to be reasonably fit as some of the 'up' sections are long and hard (900m plus, and often immediately followed by an equally long 'down' section). I'm in decent shape and go to the gym a few times a week and I found the walks challenging but still enjoyable, so a bit of preparation pays off.
Also, take a wide brimmed sun hat not just a peaked baseball cap, as the sun is strong, even at the end of September, and I have the sunburnt, blistered ears to prove it.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I'm not sure why Exodus are being so coy about this in the Trip Notes etc but the chalet has a sauna on the top floor! It's not perfect as you need to go back to your own bathroom for cold showers between sessions but it's lovely way to wind down after a walk.
I had a fantastic time and would love to go back - a cross country skiing trip has never looked so appealing...
Rebecca Wenham

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

Written September 2011
A fantasic week of being brilliantly looked after by Oliver and Elaine. The views and walks exceed my expectations. Chalet Savoy is a very comfortable place to stay, with everything that you need, especially a hot tub for the post walk soak.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Getting to the top at Brevent, it was a hard climb but the view made it worth it! I took the cable car up to Aiguille du Midi on the first day which gave the most amazing views across to Mont Blanc.
What did you think of your group leader?
Oliver certainly knows his stuff, he is very enthusiastic about his local environment, people, animals and plants. His jokes are truely terrible, but by the end of the week you are joining in with them too! :) Elaine's cooking is wonderful, you don't go hungry, and it is very impressive how she manages to cater for such a big group!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Try and practise climbing some hills before you go, the distances you cover each day are not that far - approx 10 miles, but the ascents and descents at altitute might not be what you are used to. And read the trip notes to get an accurate idea of the planned walks, accomodation and trip.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
It was a really good week and was a good group of people, all of mixed abilities. If you go with the view of walking as a group rather than 15 individuals you will have a fabulous time.
Jonathan Stephens

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

Written August 2011
Excellent holiday, thoroughly enjoyed the week. Five hikes with a variety of sights and different terrain. The Chalet Savoy is a perfect base for this trip and size of group. Food was fantastic (thanks Elaine) and wonderful tour guide Oliver (except the jokes).
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Best sights for me were at Lac Blanc, where I would recommend you hike to the far side of the lake for photos, plus on the descent from the Brevent, especially the sights back into Chamonix on the short balcony walk before reaching the midpoint refuge. Oh, and the Billberry tart.
What did you think of your group leader?
Oliver knows how to run the group well. Very knowledgable and experienced guy, a sheer pleasure to be with. The first two hours on Day 1 seem a little slow, but then you realise that while he is hiking, he is also checking out the group, judging the pace and expertly finding a speed suitable for all. By Day 5, when your legs no longer work, you will realise that a) He is still in front of you and b) He will be doing all this again next week while you recover !
Have to also mention that if Elaine serves the ginger/honey cake for packed lunch, steal/bribe/beg for as much as you can get.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The meeting point for this trip is at Geneva Airport at about 10:30 am on Saturday morning. The Exodus group flight for this trip is the BA flight out of London City airport. This in my mind is quite hard to get to from most places in the UK for say, a 7 am check in. It is also an expensive flight, plus if you want to drive to the airport, the car parking charges are huge.
I flew out on the Friday night instead, Easyjet flight from Gatwick and stayed in the Holiday Inn near the airport. Flight was £105 return, hotel booked on Expedia was about £65 and the next morning my travel consisted of a five minute courtesy bus trip to the airport.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
One tip - even though you are flying in and out of Geneva, you don't really need Swiss Francs (unless you stay extra days). Most of the shopping and food places visited are in France with a couple in Italy, so Euros only are required. Loads of camping /hiking stores in Chamonix if you need the odd piece of kit.
The Wednesday is a planned day off. Plenty of side trips, shopping, cable car rides etc etc , or....have a lie in and then grab a late breakfast in town and let your feet recover for 24 hours. The Hottub is calling, so take your trunks or cossie.
ROSEMARY LEIPER

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

Written August 2011
A superb taste of Mont Blanc walks in a week - the best bits ! Good weather, good company, excellent leader and cuisine. Challenging but correctly guaged as Moderate and something for everyone.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Can't decide but possibly it was the pedalo on Annecy Lake chiiling out , resting muscles in over 30C with ipod and superb views. Also the last days descent to Chaminox which was breathtaking in more ways than one! The food, the walks ..all of them so different ...Too many good bits to mention really!
What did you think of your group leader?
Oliver was exellent source of local knowledge, had everything perfectly planned and was very mindful of everyone in the group without being pushy. Good company and what about those jokes....again for me...and the film never to be missed.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Not really except walks are challenging but certainly achievable and a flask if gets a wee bit cold on top. I said this in february but thought being the summer wouldn't need it but would have been nice to have. A walking pole also useful.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Brilliant week and just what we needed away from work and home with new people and great scenery. Elaine and Oliver make a great team and am not surprised people go back..like me!
Brent Myers

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

Written August 2011
This was an excellent trip for hikers who do not have 2 weeks to do the complete Tour de Mont Blanc. The mountain views were fantastic. The food was hearty home cooking.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing France, Switzerland, and Italy at the same time from a mountain top.
What did you think of your group leader?
Oliver was a great guide who had excellent knowledge of the history and culture of the region. I was very safety conscious and did a good job arranging for evacuation of a member of our party who became ill at a mountain top. His jokes received mixed reviews but overall he was great in setting a positive mood to the trip.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Trekking poles are essential.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The trip is rated B but should be rated B/C. Several days had over 1000 meters of ascent or descent which was tough with the heat wave in Europe that week.
Karen Rogers

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

Written July 2011
This was my first group trip and I wasn't sure what to expect. It was my first walking holiday and I wasn't sure what to expect. It was my first holiday without my husband or a friend and I wasn't sure what to expect. And it was great in every way.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Every time we reached a new high point and stopped to take in the view and the cable car trip up L'Aiguille Du Midi when the clouds cleared for a view of the Chamonix valley
What did you think of your group leader?
Oliver was very knowledgeable about the whole area and added a lot to the walks with his snippets of local history, wildflowers and animals and his truly dreadful jokes, the sort you want to groan at but find yourself laughing anyway
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Make sure you take a swimming costume - the hot tub in the garden with the view of the mountains at sunset should not be missed
Liz Coutts

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

Written July 2011
These are lovely walks but the accommodation is too cramped.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The walk on the second day to Lac Blanc was probably the best and the weather was at its kindest then.
What did you think of your group leader?
Oliver did work hard considering that he met us from the airport, did all the driving, helped with evening meals and did the guiding of walks. We were unlucky with weather. I did find the pace too slow, particularly on the wet days, although I accept that on group holidays you need to adapt your pace to that of the group. Oliver made good recommendations about activities for the day off and for eating places. In particular Hotel Eden was a great place for dinner on the night off.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The walking is very leisurely, which would be fine in good weather. On the whole the mountain refuges were good about us eating our packed lunches out of the rain in their premises and just buying a coffee. The Chalet Savoy is best described as adequate. Rooms are small and bathrooms tiny. The dining room is cramped. Breakfast was disappointing with only a choice of 2 over sweet cereals and hard boiled eggs every day. I would have liked the option of porridge or at least a sugar free museli and an alternetive to the hard boiled eggs such as cheese and continental meats. The picnic lunches were good and the daily cakes were wonderful. Evening meals were hearty rather than exciting, though the tarteflette on the last night was best I have tasted. So food a bit mixed. Considering our poor weather and need for hot showers, we never ran out of hot water (that has happened to me in the past) Also the drying room was excellent.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Alcohol was avilable at very reasonable rate in the chalet. Avoid the hot tub, unless you want to pick up folliculitis under newly shaved arms.
Good group who coped admirably with awful weather!
Exodus Response
In the trip notes the Chalet Savoy is described as homely. The bathrooms are small because it is an Alpine Chalet and not a purpose built hotel. However, unlike a hotel the Exodus group has exclusive use of the property and with a lounge, fireplace room and dining room, we feel there is sufficient space for our groups. As mentioned in this review there are great facilities in the chalet including drying room, plentiful hot water and guests love the views from the chalet, the relaxed atmosphere and the free coffee and tea and internet. As mentioned in the trip notes a cooked breakfast is not offered and porridge is rare in French hotels, however the breakfast does include a good selection of cereals, yogurts, eggs and croissants. Many of the reviews on this page comment on Elaine’s delicious cooking, in particular her filling cakes and packed lunches.
We are sorry to hear that Ms Coutts experienced folliculitis. The hot tub at the Chalet Savoy has been installed for 5 years now. Chemical levels are checked on a daily basis, the water frequently changed and guests urged to have a shower before using it. This is the first instance of someone registering a problem from it. We have been advised that Folliculitis is quite a common skin disorder and there are many causes other than from a hot tub. You will see from the reviews below it is very popular as guests enjoy relaxing and taking in the spectacular views of the Chamonix Valley at the same time.
- Exodus Staff