Tour du Mont Blanc - 10 Days

Included:

• Qualified mountain guides
• Hotel pickup
• Accommodation in mountain huts
• Food
• Any planned transport

The course excludes:

• International flights
• Tips for guides and porters
• Any visa fees
• Personal travel and rescue insurance

We can't advise you on this, but we recommend you check at http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx. 

The longest day is around 8 hours of trekking with a rucksack, so you need a good level of physical fitness. We recommend training with any sport that you enjoy (e.g. running, swimming, tennis) at least 2x per week, for three months before your trek. Training hikes will also help, ideally for a full day with a 5kg - 7kg rucksack.

The minimum age for this trek is 18.

Absolutely! We also put you in touch with the other trekkers in the group before you go, with a Facebook group, if you want.

Clothing suitable for hiking in temperatures from +30C to +5C. The full kit list will be sent to you when you apply for the trip.

Yes, whether you are vegetarian, vegan or have allergies. Just let us know before you go.

Yes, the guide can collect you from your hotel in Chamonix.

A luggage transfer is available for €290. Just let us know before you go, and we can arrange everything.

Yes - you must have appropriate travel insurance for trekking.

Your guide can arrange private accommodation for part or the full duration of the trip. Please see the information pack for details.

Additional Items for Travel during Covid-19

The following additional items must be brought by all participants, whilst the Covid-19 pandemic is ongoing:

• Thin summer sleeping bag (e.g. rated for 20C)
• Face mask for use in the huts
• Personal hand sanitizer 

Documents

• Passport 
• Travel insurance details 
• Boarding passes for flights 
• Driver’s license (if needed) 
• Cash – Euro’s and Swiss Franc 
• Credit/Debit Card 

Sleeping

• Sleeping bag liner 

Footwear

• Trekking boots: 3 or 4 season lightweight 
• Lightweight shoes for the evenings 

Clothing

• Please make sure that you have non-cotton clothing for trekking. 
• 1 x pair of synthetic under-top and bottom (Long johns or similar) 
• 3 x t-shirts for the hike 
• 1 x comfortable shirt for the evening 
• 4 x socks for hiking 
• 3 - 4 x pairs of underwear 
• 1 x fleece 
• Light down or Primaloft jacket 
• Rain and windproof jacket with hood 
• Rain and windproof trousers 
• Hiking trousers: We recommend a pair that zip off into shorts. 
• Comfortable trousers for the evening 
• Hat and gloves 
• Buff or scarf 
• Swimming shorts/Costume 

Other

• A daysack: 35 - 45 litres – All your kit should fit in this bag 
• A 2nd rucksack or duffel (Optional for those who have chosen the luggage transfer service) 
• Travel towel 
• Dry Liner or Dry Bag 
• Water bottle/thermos: At least 2L. Nalgene bottles best. 
• Sunglasses 
• Suncream 
• Personal medication – Inhaler, Blister pads etc 
• General Toiletries, Contact lenses, Glasses (if needed) 

Water

During the summer it can be quite warm in the Alps, so it is important to carry enough water. We strongly recommend taking between two and three litres of water. The tap water at the accommodations you will stay is usually drinkable but there are limited resources along the way to fill up your bottle. Your guide can give you advice on this for each day.

Food

Whilst trekking, you will have the chance to taste a great variety of local specialities. The breakfast is continental, often with a variety of juices, tea and coffee.

The three-course dinner in the evening is hearty and the plates are quite big. During the day, a pack lunch will be freshly prepared for you.

If you have any food restrictions (vegetarian, vegan, gluten intolerance etc) please make us aware of this when completing your registration form, found on your Skyhook dashboard.

During the summer in the Alps (June – September) you can experience usually fair and quite warm weather. It is

often sunny and the temperatures can reach 30° Celsius. The weather in the mountains can be quite unpredictable and weather situations can change very quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to be always prepared for such a change. On a rainy-day, temperatures can drop quite low and it is necessary to have a good rain jacket and sometimes even a hat and a pair of gloves. See the kit list for full details.

It is not mandatory but often expected. In the Alps, there is no fixed amount and it really depends on what you would like to give to show your satisfaction.

Day 1

Distance – 11.6km

Ascent – 672m

Descent – 1294m

Time – 6-7 hours

Day 2

Distance – 15km

Ascent – 1274m

Descent – 923m

Time – 8-9 hours

Day 3

Distance – 14.7km

Ascent – 800m

Descent – 1034m

Time – 6-7 hours

Day 4

Distance – 11.3km

Ascent – 500m

Descent – 1283m

Time – 6-7 hours

Day 5

Distance – 16km

Ascent – 1171m

Descent – 612m

Time – 7-8 hours

Day 6

Distance – 13.1km

Ascent – 600m

Descent – 1005m

Time – 6-7 hours

Day 7

Distance – 16.6km

Ascent – 617m

Descent – 781m

Time – 5-6 hours

Day 8

Distance – 13.8km

Ascent – 739m

Descent – 873m

Time – 6-7 hours

Day 9

Distance – 13.1km

Ascent – 875m

Descent – 992m

Time – 7-8 hours

Day 10

Distance – 15.1km

Ascent – 1041m

Descent – 1357m

Time – 7-8 hours

Total

Distance – 140.3km

Ascent – 8289m

Descent – 10,154m

Time – 10 days

Along the way, you will have opportunities to buy drinks and souvenirs from small local villages. It is advised to have cash available if you intend on making a purchase.

The currency used in France and Italy is Euro’s. In Switzerland they use Swiss Franc but do accept euro. If using euro’s in Switzerland; be prepared to pay a worse exchange rate on everything you buy. We recommend changing your money before you arrive as it will be difficult to do so once you start trekking.

Most places accept the most common credit/debit cards (VISA, Mastercard, American Express), but you may incur a commission fee.

On this long-distance trek, you will experience the mountain lifestyle and sleep in authentic places. Mostly you will be staying in mountain huts. The location of the accommodation will either be high in the mountains or in a typical mountain village. The accommodations offer many services such as a hot shower and running water. For the night in the mountain hut, you’ll stay in bunk beds with a pillow and blankets (a thin and light sleeping bag liner is advisable for hygienic reasons).

The huts are dormitory-style with shared bathrooms. Electricity, warm showers, snacks are available. Most accommodations do not have wifi.

The following single supplement options are available: - Double/ twin sharing: €39 pppn - Single room: €49 pppn

Please note: Any single supplements must be requested when completing your registration form (see Skyhook dashboard section of this PDF for details), and single supplement use shared bathroom facilities.

You can request a single supplement on specific nights or the whole duration of your trip. Any payments must be paid directly to your guide in-country.

Start:

You will be collected from your hotel between 08:00 – 08:30 am in Chamonix. This will be on day 1 of your planned itinerary.

It is important that you do not miss your start time as you will not be able to meet up with the rest of the group until the evening of Day 1 on your itinerary.

End:

You will be dropped back off in Chamonix at 5 pm on day 10 of your itinerary.

We'd recommend taking a shared transfer from the Airport up to Chamonix. That’s the cheapest and fastest way to do it. You can book a transfer directly with one of the companies below:

• www.chamonixfirst.com
• www.alpybus.com 
• www.easybus.com 

Your host recommends the following accommodation in Chamonix:

• Hotel Le Faucigny
• Hotel Pointe Isabelle
• Hotel Oustalet

Cheaper dorm-style hotels are:

• Hotel Fleur des Neiges
• Chamonix Lodge