Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

After crossing the Col de Balme on day two and teetering downhill on the snow high on the mountain and then zigzagging through the woodland, there was nothing more magical for our first camp in Switzerland than La Peuty. Located on the edge of the village the rough camp spot was quiet (thankfully not the one near the cement works which other reviews have complained about) and more importantly we could sit next to a field of wild flowers in the evening with a small campfire and a well earned beer.I was very surprised about the amount of snow still around having not walked in the Alps before, but it made the trip all the better; especially on the last day and after a tough ascent of Le Brevent we could slid on bums back down to Plan Praz.   

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader Simon had a relaxed style which was great and meant that we were able to walk at our own pace and meet at specific check points (usually refuges for food and drink stops). This meant that a trip that could have felt like bootcamp still felt like a holiday.Simon also had the unfortunate task of looking after some group members feet when they suffered from blisters which i though was over and above what i would have expected from a group leader.Ben our logistics coordinator was also really great. Being the only vegetarian i expected that i would be eating similar food every day, but i ate very well and was well catered for.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Get fit and break in your boots! Most walking days have around 1000m of ascent and also descent which is often quite steep. The upside is that there is always a refuge somewhere enroute to treat yourself to a coffee/hot chocolate/ cake. The Refuge Bonatti has the best hot chocolate and well worth sampling!Also, make the most of the rest days. The cable cars, especially up the Auguille de Midi are well worth the money to get close to Mont Blanc and watch alpinists on the snow. It is also very easy to find somewhere to paraglide in Chamonix on the last day.  

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking up hill and seeing the amazing views. Making it up the mountains despite the heat and the aching legs.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The group leader was excellent. Approachable, knowledgable and dedicated.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I din't realise there is so much climbing and descending. I would recommend walking sticks.

Most Inspirational Moment

I loved the walk in the Valle delle Ferriere national park. The waterfalls in the locked part of the park were stunning! The trip organised by Eduardo on the free day - Herculaneum was very interesting ,made more so by the excellent guide we had there. We had the place almost to ourselves. This was followed by a drive through the mountains to Ravello. Ravello is the most beautiful place ,with absolutely stunning views .Several of us fell in love with the place. The Villa Cimbrone was the highlight for me! The famous Terrace of Infinity being the highlight.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very good.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The first days walk is quite a shock to the system , the first half being all uphill-steps, road,track and finally a steep scramble to the top. I learnt that it's best to take it at your own speed and don't be tempted to try and keep up with those that are ahead! this is not a leisurely walk! The other days were much easier , for me anyway. A walking pole is a help for the rocky scrambly bits especially downhill and for those hundreds of steps down to the coast.

Most Inspirational Moment

Were do we begin, watching the elephants bath in the river, dodging the hippos, observing the vast night sky whilst catching glimpses of shooting stars whilst sitting around the fire in the company of our fellow travellers. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

TK and Carlos were excellent, with saftey being paramount. In addition there cooking wasn't bad either. TK had a wealth of knowledge which he was more than happy to impart.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Go for it, you will not regret it!We would suggest that despite providing sleeping bags we regretted not taking our own as it got really cold at night. Also due to the rubber coating on the sleeping bags  these were sometimes slightly damp. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Crossing into austria and cycling round Vienna all on the same day was great!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Very competent and managed some strong willed people in the group very well.

Most Inspirational Moment

Watching the sunrise every morning from above the clouds was fantastic. Climbing out of the tent at night in freezing temperatures to go to the toliet was not so great.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was experienced (he had been a guide on the mountain for more than 12 years), friendly, calm, funny and helped the trip run smoothly. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Most people in our group found the walking most days to be relatively easy and we were lucky with the weather as it didn't rain once. However, don't let the fact this walk is so accessible deceive you as you ascend fairly rapidly and people in our group were starting to feel the effects of altitude by the second and third day - me included. Others were completely fine however. Listen to your guides advice, who will also be on hand to offer medicine, but ultimately it is your decision on whether you continue. If you've never been to altitude before and you have the time and money I would probably recommend opting for a longer 7 day route. On a completely separate note, the food is fantastic and there's plenty of it so don't worry about going hungry on this trip!

Most Inspirational Moment

For me it was the wonderful scenery, the view from the hill just climbed just made the hard work so worthwhile!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was very knowledgeable though he did have a thing about 'red breasted shrikes'  and other avian treasures, our minbus braking unexpectedly to point out this wonder or that. And we were lucky that we did see a good number of interesting things. But not only did he know his local area but also his local history which was shared with us and made it all so much more meaningful.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Grab every opportunity offered, you will enjoy it!

Most Inspirational Moment

The col climbs were often very tough with 1,000m of height gain in 3 - 4 hours! As well as this the weather was very changeable and we had a number of rainy days which meant making sure waterproofs were close to hand and that things didn't get to wet.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Alison was knowledgable and friendly and seemed to have a lot of mountain walking experience which was very reassuring. A very good leader.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack as light as possible and certainly don't take more than a 35 litre pack, it is unlikely you would use all the stuff in a bigger pack and you will really appreciate the lighter load as you carry it day after day across the trip. Our leader showed us what she was taking and it was minimal my advice would be ask yourself if you really need it before packing it in your pack for the main trek.  

Most Inspirational Moment

Reaching Sun Gate and looking down on the prize of the trip....the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu.

Thoughts on Group Leader

First class - friendly, knowledgable, funny, motivational.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Good camera.

Most Inspirational Moment

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

Thoughts on 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.  

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack all your gear for hot weather and also wet weather, we had everything over the week!