Mont Blanc Highlights: France, Italy, Switzerland

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

Average Review Rating: from 76 reviews.

louise smart

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

Written July 2012
A fabulous trip, excellent walking, great guide and stunning scenary
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There were many great sights and amazing views of the mountains throughout the trip.
Seeing the mountains while standing between Switzerland and France on the first walking day while watching the Mont Blanc Marathoners struggle up the path.
Looking at the mountains in a field of alpine flowers in the blazing sunshine.
Sitting in the Bonatti refuge at over 2000 metres eating pear and chocolate tart, drinking expresso while looking at the most inspirational mountain scenary.
Seeing a Golden eagle and a Marmot.
What did you think of your group leader?
Olivers excellent leadership meant I could be in terrain which I could not hope to have managed alone. His unique sense of humour and respectful approach to the mountains, other walkers, the mountain refuge owners and to the group made the trip very special. He has an amazing knowledge of Alpine flowers and the local landscape which also enhanced my enjoyment of the walks. There were one or two people on the trip who were better suited to a grade C holiday who were frustrated at the grade B pace of the trip but I found the walks entirely suited to my fitness levels and well described in the trip notes.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take all equipment that is recommended in the trip notes. I used it all!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Elaine and Oliver are great people, very ecologically aware and have a real passion for the countryside and the mountains. There are amazing views of the mountains from the chalet which are beautiful to look at while having breakfast in the mornings and dinner in the evening. Dylan the 11 month old fox terrier accompanied us on most walks and was a joy to have with us- this helped make the trip really special.
PETER HUTCHISON

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

Written July 2012
I had never been to walk in the Alps before and had never been on a walking holiday of this sort, so decided to go with Exodus. The whole experience was excellent, from the chalet where we were based, to the area as a whole and the walking in particular.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The most inspirational moments seemed to go on and on. The views on all the walks, with the exception of one when the weather closed down, were superb. Mont Blanc was almost always on view, but closer in the flowers on the meadows and the occasional wildlife, such as marmots, were a treat, especially in June.
What did you think of your group leader?
Oliver, our group leader, was highly experienced and this was obvious from the moment he led us up the first ascent. He was assessing the capability of all 15 of us so that he could set the right pace and balance the walking with rest stops. As we got fitter during the week, the pace increased slightly and the walks became slightly tougher, but this was very much in accordance with the trip notes. Oliver has a great sense of humour and a wealth of jokes which I much enjoyed. They made the whole experience great fun. He was also very careful, where necessary, to explain the safest way to walk across ice and snow and to show how to minimise the risk of a fall. This was kept in proportion and it did not become a health and safety show. He also insisted that we keep ourselves well hydrated, which was necessary as we experienced some of the hottest weather of the year. Oliver has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the plants and flowers that we encountered which were in profusion at the end of June. Oliver has a small fox terrier, by the name of Dylan, who accompanied us on 3 walks. He is a great character whose company we all enjoyed and who became quite a mascot of the group.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Enjoy this tour. It is a great introduction to the Mont Blanc area and Oliver will show you all the best bits of the Tour de Mont Blanc. You need to be of average fitness, but the walks were never of any great distance (perhaps 9 miles), but some longish ascents are included. If you like walking in amazing scenery, you will find this tour excellent value for money.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Oliver's wife, Elaine, runs the chalet. It was a delight to find that everything we needed was on tap from the moment we had arrived to the day we left. She is an excellent cook and we all made the most of the meals. On the Wednesday we went out as a group to an expensive restaurant but I would have preferred to have had a meal back at the chalet! The packed lunches were just right - never too little and always delicious. The chalet facilities were also always available. The hot tub in the garden, with great views of the Mont Blanc range, was very well used and soothed tired limbs. The sauna was also well frequented. For those who wished to stay in touch with the outside world, the Wifi was always on and a computer was available for those who wished to use it, as was a TV, coffee and tea. Elaine made the place run like clockwork and was a delight to chat to.
angie gribbins

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

Written July 2012
Fantastic trip with great walks and gorgeous mountain views
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing Mont Blanc when it finally appeared out of the bits of cloud that always seem to be on it's summit
Scoffing myrtle tart surrounded by lovely flowers and enormous mountains
Watching the Mont Blanc marathon competitors dragging themselves up the Col de Posettes - might be back one day to do it myself
What did you think of your group leader?
Oliver is an excellent leader - very knowledgeable about the mountains, the wildlife and the local area. We had to change a couple of the planned routes due to thunder storms, Oliver came up with really nice lower level safer walks to avoid the worst of the weather.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Pack all your gear for hot weather and also wet weather, we had everything over the week!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Just book it, it's a great holiday
Christina Pritchett

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

Written July 2012
This trip was fantastic as it combined trekking in Mont Blanc during the day with the luxury of chalet accommodation in the evenings!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The walking was fantastic and the views were amazing - especially on the final day on Aguillette des Houches! I really liked seeing Mer De Glace on the free day - i've never had the chance to go inside a glacier before and it was amazing!
What did you think of your group leader?
Oliver our leader was very funny and very knowledgable about the local area. He paces the walks just right- you get to have regular rests to catch your breath and he made sure we were all enjoying ourselves.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
My advice would be to take all the essential equipment and clothing as the weather changes quickly on the mountains!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Oliver's wife Elaine does fantasic food - both packed lunches (with a piece of homemade cake) and three course meals in the evening. The chalet has a hot tub in the garden overlooking the mountains and a sauna which is really good after a hard days walking. They also have a dog who is the star of the show on the walks!
Julie Butterfield

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

Written July 2012
Excellent week. Oliver was a fantastic guide and looked after the whole group professionally and expertly. Elaine provided fabulous food the whole week and although I don't usually eat cake - her cakes are so delicious I had one everyday.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The whole week was brilliant. I loved each walk as they were all different in terms of the immediate landscape but always with the mountains as the stunning backdrop.
Eating pear and chocolate tart and drinking hot chocolate at a mountain refuge in the sunshine with clear blue skies was a real moment of joy.
What did you think of your group leader?
Excellent. One of the best leaders I have had on a group activity holiday. This is because he paid attention to the needs of the whole group and worked hard to ensure we all enjoyed the walking and the landscape.
Elaine provided food for the week and she did so incredibly well. The food was excellent and the amount available was brilliant. In fact I would have to admit to eating a little too much. Large breakfast and lunch (enough to spread over '2' lunches), and a 3 course dinner. Good job I was on a walking holiday.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
This holiday is for you if you want a good introduction to the area, enjoy taking in the views and time to appreciate the journey.
It is important to understand the grading of the walk as this will determine the level of the group that you will be walking with all week.
If you want to use a holiday to push your own physical fitness then you need to understand your own fitness levels and how this compares to the walk selected.
This holiday is graded as a B and this is a sound description of the walks.
Oliver is a true group leader and will set the pace of the walk according to the needs of the group, as he should.
I found the pace on the holiday good and it was great to see the whole group enjoying the walking. There was a great deal of diversity in our group, from marathon runners (not me!) to regularish walkers. But we all enjoyed the walking thanks to Oliver.

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Oliver and Elaine make a great team. The chalet is homely and comfortable, the food fantastic and the walking varied, interesting and beautiful.
We all fell in love with Dylan the dog. He is a real character and an asset to the chalet savoy team of talent.
Olivers sense of humour is fun and the group appreciated this so much by the end of the week there appeared to be an Oliver style pun and joke competition running. His final joke of the week involving a moped is worth waiting for. However, underlying his humour is a real sense that he is there to look after you and he would not allow anybody in the group to compromise the safety and enjoyment of the whole group.
Thank you to Exodus for once again providing a fantastic trip with what must be one of the greatest guides in the business.
On another Exodus trip one guide described a fellow guide as a 'legend'. He was right but I think this is also a very appropriate description for Oliver, Elaine and Dylan.
Trevor Montague

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

Written July 2012
A fabulous introduction to walking in the Alps. Oliver choreographed a terrific week which took us into stunning scenery and must take full credit (ably abetted by Elaine and Dylan) for sensitively taking care of the whole group's needs. Thanks for a great holiday.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
There are too many highlights to pick out one, but memories will remain - the traverse around Mont de la Saxe on the Italian side of Mont Blanc stands out as a fantastic walk through Alpine meadows full of flowers; spotting Ibex at Lac Blanc and lunches at refuges (particularly the stunning views from below the Col de Voza).
What did you think of your group leader?
Oliver was a real star. He paced the walks perfectly taking full account of everyone's abilities. He was informative and knowledgeable and was always sensitive to group needs. He received great back up from Elaine who provided wholesome cooking and provided great pack lunches as well as ensuring that the Chalet felt like a "home from home".
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
The walks are graded as "B". This fits well with the description in the brochure. If you are super fit, then be prepared to rein yourself in for the benefit of the rest of the group and recognise that there is much to be said for slowing down a little to take in the fantastic views and enjoy the comaraderie engendered and nurtured by Oliver.
Christian Nilsson

MONT BLANC HIGHLIGHTS

Written July 2012
This was truly a GREAT week and a GREAT walking tour! It starts with the friendly Chalet where you live, to the guide (Oliver) who is simply superb to the actual trekking days which were all very nicely planned out and offered a little bit of a different twist to every day to keep it exciting!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The second day where we started to walk from Courmayeur in Italy and where the full day was basically "postcard views" every single minute!
What did you think of your group leader?
Oliver, the groupleader & guide was one of the highlights of the trip! A trip like this can be a success or a none success based on the tourleader and Oliver got it ALL right! The greatness of the trip is partly made by Oliver who is knowledgeable, funny, interesting and had a great way of making the full group feel special!!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
We can 100% recommend this trip!
The tempo of the daily walks are set at a very reasonable pace so anybody can really make it without any pre-training.
As the trip notes point out, be aware that the rooms in the chalet are quite small and basic.
An extra bonus to the Chalet (on top of the the great food and the outdoor jacuzzi) is that the Chalet has very good wireless connection so if you have to check back with work or need system access its very handy!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Thanks to Oliver and Elaine for being great hosts, tour guide (Oilver), Cook (Elaine) and overall the perfect hosts!