Wild Tour d'Ambin: A Remote Alpine Adventure

If you spend the night before in Torino, it's better to leave extra luggage at your hotel. If that's not possible, or if you arrive directly at the airport on day 1 of the itinerary, we'll make a plan.

Yes there is.

The hike has difficult and steep sections not suitable for people who are afraid of heights.

You need a very good level of fitness for this hike, as well as experience on multi-day treks. Ideally, you should have already joined us for the Gran Paradiso circuit and be looking for something wilder and more challenging! We recommend you have experience hiking in mountainous terrain, which by nature includes rocky and sometimes snow-covered pathways (depending on time and the conditions of the season). A typical day in the mountains can be trekking for 4-7 hours with a rucksack of 5-8 kg. The guide maintains a gentle pace with lots of breaks, but you will need to be up for the challenge and have a good level of endurance! For those who have done "Gran Paradiso Circuit", this hike is similar in terms of daily distances, but the terrain is a bit rougher. Also, the comfort level of the huts is a bit lower. This trek is meant to be an extra step toward the wild side of the Alps. For those who have done 'Tour Du Mont Blanc Highlights' or 'Matterhorn' with Skyhook, this is a significantly more challenging trek. This route is more off the beaten path. The trails are narrower, and the terrain has more ups and downs. We recommend training for this trek to fully enjoy the experience. This should focus on endurance, and we suggest regular cardio (e.g. running, swimming, or tennis). You need to be able to keep going. Steadily increasing your walking distance and including hills (or stairs) will also help. Training hikes are a must, ideally for a full day with a 5-8 kg rucksack. Please read the rest of the information in the itinerary and FAQs carefully. The daily trekking distances, terrain, and heights are really important to know. If you're not fit enough to keep up with the group continuously, slowly, walking uphill, then you may be asked to leave. This is for your own safety and the interests of the whole group. You'll then need to meet your costs, including staying extra nights in the huts or return transport. Mental preparation is as important as physical preparation for this trip. Having a positive attitude will help you with the challenge and reward you with a fantastic journey. Four days, three mountain huts, countless ups and downs, wild landscapes, ibex, marmots, simple food and a few well-earned beers. This is what the Wild Tour d'Ambin is all about: not a luxury holiday, but a genuine mountain adventure, far from the crowds and the usual comforts, in a corner of the Alps that still feels wonderfully wild.

Documents • Passport • Travel insurance details • Boarding passes for flights • Cash – Euro’s • Credit/Debit Card Sleeping • Sleeping bag liner Footwear • Trekking boots: 3 or 4-season, lightweight (Flip-flops are provided in the huts) Clothing Please make sure that you have non-cotton, fast-drying clothing for trekking. • 1 x pair of synthetic under-top and bottom (Long johns or similar) • 4 x t-shirts for the hike • 1 x comfortable shirt for the evening • 2 x socks for hiking • 2 x pairs of underwear • 1 x fleece • Light down or Primaloft jacket • Rain and windproof jacket with hood • 1 x pair of hiking trousers: We recommend a pair that zips off into shorts. • Hat and gloves • Buff or scarf • Swimming shorts/Costume Other • A daypack: 35 - 45 litres – All your kit should fit in this bag • Travel towel • Dry Liner or Dry Bag • Water bottle: At least 2L. Nalgene bottles are best. • Sunglasses • Suncream and additional sun protection such as a baseball cap or similar • Personal medication – Inhaler, Blister pads, etc • General toiletries, contact lenses, glasses (if needed) • Electronics - travel adaptor, phone & charger • Hand sanitiser, toilet paper In total, without water, the backpack should weight 5/6Kg.

We recommend you check on your government travel website - for the UK this is the NHS Fit for Travel website.

Absolutely! We get lots of solo travellers - it's a great way to meet like-minded people. You will be able to chat to others in the group through the chat feature on the Skyhook dashboard.

Meals are prepared by the mountain huts and, given their remote location, can be basic. The quality of food from one hut to another tends to vary. You can generally expect very simple options like bread and cereal for breakfast. Dinner in the evening is generally a hearty 3-course with generous servings. If you have any food allergies (vegetarian, vegan, gluten intolerance, etc.), please make us aware of this when completing your registration form, found on your Skyhook dashboard. We'll advise the huts accordingly and do our best to accommodate you. Water: During the summer it can be quite warm, so it's important to carry enough water. We strongly recommend taking 2L of water. The tap water at the accommodations you stay at 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. If this is a concern for you, then pack iodine tablets or a filter bottle.

During the summer in the Alps (June – September), you usually experience fair and quite warm weather. It's often sunny, and the temperatures can reach 25° Celsius. However, if it's raining or windy, the temperature can drop to around 5° Celsius. The weather in the mountains can be quite unpredictable, and weather conditions can change very quickly. Therefore, it's necessary to always be prepared for such a change. On a rainy day, temperatures can drop quite low. You need a good rain jacket and sometimes even a hat and a pair of gloves. See the kit list for full details.

We stay in mountain refuges (huts) which are basic/dormitory-style with shared bathrooms.  Electricity and snacks are available, but these huts are particularly basic. Refuge d'Ambin has no shower, no internet, and the toilet (shared by 20 people) is in an outside room. Bedding will be provided for you in each hut - you just need to bring a sleeping bag liner. 🏚️Night 1: Avanzà mountain hut - feels like home, one room with 15 people, shower usually available Rifugio Avanzà is unlike any other mountain hut. It's managed by volunteers from the nearby village of Venaus, a small, remarkable community that seems to live at a different pace from the modern world. They speak Italian and the local dialect, and they do what they do purely out of passion. You can really feel it! Your guide will prepare dinner, and you can buy a beer or even a litre of wine for just a few euros. The sunsets and sunrises are another major highlight of this hut, making the experience even more special. 🏚️Night 2: Levi Molinari hut - gorgeous hut in larch forest, amazing dinner and wine choice, showers, dorm rooms. We'll be welcomed at our most comfortable and hospitable mountain hut of the tour: Rifugio Levi Molinari. The hut is run by a chef who treats us to delicious local dishes, accompanied by a great selection of wines and beers. Rifugio Levi Molinari lies in a magnificent larch forest, surrounded by an amphitheatre of towering 3,000m peaks. Beautiful streams run through the area, while huge boulders scattered around the forest provide a natural playground for climbers, who can often be seen hanging out and testing their skills on the rocks. After a demanding day in the wild mountains, this is the perfect place to relax, enjoy good food, and recharge our batteries for the next adventure. 🏚️Night 3: Refuge d'Ambin - very basic hut with 20 people in one room, no shower, one single toilet (without a seat) available in an outside room. Refuge d'Ambin offers a completely different kind of mountain experience. While Levi Molinari is accessible by car and provides relatively modern comforts, Refuge d'Ambin takes you back to a simpler era of mountain huts, almost as if time had stopped in the 1990s. There are just two large dormitory rooms, limited space, no showers and only one outside toilet. Does that sound like a terrible experience? Absolutely not! The two wonderful French women who run the refuge will make you feel at home and serve you delicious, hearty food. The atmosphere is warm and cosy, and the simplicity of the place is precisely what makes it special. Stepping away from our usual comforts and embracing a more basic way of life is part of what makes this adventure so rewarding. Here, you won't find luxury or fancy services, but you will find genuine hospitality, an authentic mountain atmosphere and the pleasure of living simply for a while.

Yes, whether you are vegetarian, vegan, or have allergies. You must inform your guide via your Skyhook dashboard about your dietary requirements at least 30 days prior to the trip. We will inform the accommodation to prepare for you. 

The trek is in a wild and rough environment. Often the trail is just a trace in the rocks. It involves a fair bit of ascent and descent on a mix of trails. This includes rocky terrain, forest trails, and sometimes gravel tracks. It is important that you're very steady on your feet, and have experience walking on mountain paths. We go at a slow, steady pace, but this hike is not for beginners or extra-slow hikers.

You need to carry clothes for the trip as well as a few things for the specific day, such as a bottle of water. Your full bag should be around 5kg. Pack as light as possible, but do bring all the items on the packing list. It is very important that you follow this advice. If you have extra luggage for before or after the trip, it's best to leave it at your hotel. If this isn't possible, you can ask your Host to organise storage. Please let us know 30 days before the trip departure if you need this.

Distances are approximate. Day 1: Distance: 11km Ascent: 900m Descent: 450m Max altitude: 2,880m Extra possible hike to Giusalet, only for Avid Hikers at 3,300m. Day 2: Distance: 16.5km Ascent: 650m Descent: 1,550m Max altitude: 2,880m Day 3: Distance: 8km Ascent: 1,100m Descent: 650m Max altitude: 2,950m Day 4: Distance: 9km Ascent: 350m Descent: 500m Max altitude: 2,200m Usually, we stick with the same itinerary, but if there are blockages on the paths or parts of the trail are deemed dangerous due to weather conditions, it could change if we need to adjust the route.

We will meet in Torino at the Fermi metro station or directly at the beginning of the trail at Refuge du Petit Moncenis. Alternatively, you can get a taxi on your own account from Torino Caselle airport. In that case, we suggest that you land no later than 9:00 AM and fly out no earlier than 3:00 PM. Please update your 'Trip Form' (on your Skyhook dashboard) so we know if you'll be on the provided shuttle or make your own way to Refuge Petit Moncenis

Euro

Due to the distances and ascents covered on this trip, it's geared towards adults. Therefore, the minimum age for this trek is 18 years. However, those aged 16-18 years are welcome to attend in the company of a responsible adult. 

It’s highly recommended that you take out personal travel insurance. Travel cover can protect you in the case of unforeseen circumstances, including cancellations, injuries, equipment loss, flight changes and other events that could negatively impact your trip. Note that standard insurance often doesn't cover adventure activities. We recommend using specialist adventure travel insurers, like [Rise & Shield](https://riseandshield.com/?ref=mdi5ywe), for your trip. Specialist insurers can cover unique scenarios, like trekking at altitude or emergency evacuation in hard-to-reach places, that ordinary travel insurance doesn’t cover. It's your responsibility to carefully check the details of your policy to ensure that you're covered for the specific activities you'll be carrying out.

Turin was the first capital of Italy and is a very nice place to visit. It's worth spending a day or two here before or after your trip. We recommend getting a hotel near Torino Porta Susa train station which has a train connecting to the airport or Torino Porta Nuova where the old city centre starts. Our meeting and end points are also very easy to reach from Torino Porta Susa, only a few underground stations away. There are hundreds of choices, and it's worth looking at Booking.com to find what suits you best. Anything near Torino Porta Nuova or Torino Porta Susa will work well. Here are a few suggestions for different budgets; -Tomato Backpackers (near Torino Porta Nuova), hostel/private room. -Turin Palace (near Torino Porta Nuova), 4-star hotel. - Hotel Roma (near Torino Porta Nuova), a 3-star hotel. - NH Torino Centro (near Torino Porta Susa), a 4-star hotel. Torino Porta Nuova is in a nicer area in terms of being closer to the historical city centre, but it is connected to the airport by bus and not the train. The train is new and more convenient to reach Torino Porta Susa. So if you are only spending one night, it's probably better to opt for Torino Porta Susa. If you want to spend time exploring the city, we'd suggest a hotel near Torino Porta Nuova.

Although we usually stick to the routes and itinerary as described, it's possible that the guide can change the itinerary. The hike is located in a real mountain environment, and safety is our priority. This means that the guide may decide to change the itinerary based on the mountain conditions (snow in the passes mainly, but also collapsed bridges or paths washed out by landslides) and weather forecast. It's possible that path closures, weather conditions, or other circumstances out of our control, make it necessary to adapt the plan. If this happens, we will send you a message as soon as possible to make you aware of any changes.

It's not mandatory to tip in the Alps, but always appreciated by the hard-working guides.

There is a certain degree of flexibility in terms of starting time. In case you arrive after 11:00 AM, you will just miss the trip.