Reviews

14-day Tour du Mont Blanc Trek

This was a great trekking experience with plenty of good advice available from the Exodus team beforehand in terms of preparation and what to expect. We started in the second week of the trekking season and so encountered a good deal of snow, which for us was a first in terms of trekking. We also had two fairly short ‘river’ crossings, which we had to negotiate and again a first for us. Our group leader was an extremely experienced mountain guide who made a great deal of effort to keep the group focussed on the trail ahead especially when it mattered. Amazing views at the tops of climbs and probably not a good trek for those with a fear of heights!

Absolutely Stunning

Pictures don’t capture the unreal beauty of this trip! I took them anyway but by our last hiking day I was in tears from the accomplishment, the energy of our group, and the beauty of the valley and mountains. This is a trip of a lifetime!

I always felt I was pretty active but this trip challenged me in ways I wasn’t sure I could finish, but am so happy to say I DID! We left smiles, tears, and friendships in the mountains. Just an incredible experience and our guide, Marià, is a beast who was turning around to do it all over again in 2 days! Absolutely impressive and he was an incredible guide that kept us motivated, safe, and smiling. Only a few Spanish minutes till the top.

Outstanding hiking trip!

If you’re looking for a fabulous hiking trip around Mont Blanc with a guide, hotel accommodations, nearly all meals included, and luggage transport, Exodus Travels is an excellent choice.

Brilliant guide, amazing scenery

I’d hiked in the Chamonix area before, so I knew it would be stunning, but the variety of incredible scenery as we went round to the Swiss and Italian sides exceeded my expectations. The weather was extreme – 35 degrees for the first few days, then rain and finally sleet, snow and full-on winter conditions – don’t ignore the trip notes advice on clothing! Our guide, Mike Napier, was exceptional, managing the group with expertise and humour throughout.

Stunning scenery and a great sense of achievement at the end

A huge thank you to our guide Mike who gave us excellent advice each morning and managed to keep us all motivated and together each day The weather is unpredictable with extreme heat for the first week and one day of rain, snow and ice so be prepared! The food was good, the hotels were clean although some were basic due to the remote locations. The staff were great. Some days were very tough but the views were worth it and Mike rewarded us with Jaffa Cakes and M&M’s.

TMB

Overall excellent trek with a compatible group and an amazing guide, Augustine.

A spectacular challenge, could not have been better

Had the best 2 week holiday ever Our guide Mike was full of positivity, humour and knowledge. We trusted him with our lives! A wonderful group came together Views Views Views

Trip of a Lifetime

Sometimes you do a trip confident that it will give you great memories for many years to come, even a feeling of awe. For us TMB comes into this category. Let’s be clear from the onset – this a physically challenging trip – over 10 walking days we covered c 100 miles ascending c 32K feet (higher than Everest) and descending c28K feet. Din’t expect glitz – the trip takes you off the beaten track. Some properties are basic (no en-suite WMC and/or shower). Others. In particular the Hotel Richemonde in Chamonix where we started and ended the trip, had great character. Staff took great effort to make us welcome. Lunch is basic, but has to be sourced in locations where choice is limited. For us such details are relatively inconsequential given the stunning scenery we saw (we were blessed with great weather each day bar one). So all in all a genuine trip of a lifetime giving us memories to treasure.

TMB HOTEL TRIP

A great challenge with a wonderful guide, Hristian

Why there are so few recent reviews?

That was a question I asked the Canada based ‘Customer Experience Specialist’ in November 2021 when I first contacted Exodus on behalf of a group of friends. The reply I received was that it was because of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel. After my trip last summer, I believe that there are other reasons. During our hike we learnt that because of changes in regulations due to Brexit, Exodus had lost most of its established International Mountain Leaders and was relying on services provided by a third-party company. Based on my experience, I question the vetting process of this company for its guides. On day #5, as we were approaching La Fouly, a couple of group members wanted to detour to a waterfall that was off the TMB trail. The rest did not, but the group leader forced all to walk across a boulder field (read ‘ankle twist risk’) to access the trail to the waterfall. We returned to the TMB trail on a different path that was a safe hiking trail. Would a sensible leader put the safety of his group at risk by forcing them to traverse unsafe terrain? On the last hiking day, the leader stated that there was snow & ice on the trail (our hike was in August) from Le Brevent to Plan Praz, presumably to dissuade group members from hiking that last stretch and instead take the cable car. All but 2 elected to continue the hike. The only snow & ice was on the distant peaks! If you live in the United States, be aware that the company uses a reservation agent in Canada and a U.S. Operations Team. Communication between these two, and between the Operations Team and the local third-party operator was clearly deficient. At the time of making the reservation, because of the increased risk for COVID-19 infection in a confined setting, I sought assurance that we that we would not be staying in dormitory accommodation. In July, I asked for confirmation after finding that the accommodations in two locations had both rooms and dormitories. At one of these locations our group had to stay at two different hotels. The group leader told us that the Operations Team had not notified the local operator of our request and dormitory accommodation had been booked. After I wrote in July, they had to rebook and the Auberge did not have enough rooms for the entire group, hence the split accommodation. We were to meet with travelers arriving from the U.K. at Geneva airport for onward transportation to Chamonix. The Operations Team did not bother to notify us that the travelers from the U.K were arriving on a later flight. We spent an anxious 2+ hours in the airport not seeing anyone with an Exodus Travels sign and not being able to reach the local third-party company at the telephone number provided by the Operations Team. Writing to the company has only yielded defensive responses.

Most Inspirational Moment

Enjoying Mother Nature's beauty.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Lack of concern for safety of group members, Dishonest, Manipulative

Advice for Potential Travellers

I would not recommend this company to potential travelers.

Reply from Exodus

We would like to thank Murali for his review, although we are incredibly sorry that he was disappointed with several aspects of his time in the Alps, as this is not the type of feedback we expect to receive. We have sourced tour leaders for this trip from the same local operator for almost twenty years and have full confidence in their ability to select highly qualified mountain guides who meet ours and our customers’ expectations. The consistently high scores they receive suggests that this process works well, so we regret that this does not chime with Murali’s experience. We can confirm that his group lodged at the standard chalet used on this tour and did not spend any nights in dormitories, so we were equally surprised to receive these comments. Our customer services team have been in direct communication with Murali since he returned home and we remain satisfied that his trip was delivered in line with our expectations; we, nevertheless, remain apologetic for his disappointing experience.