Tour du Mont Blanc Classic Route

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.

Please see the section above for trip inclusions and exclusions.

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.

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

The following items must be brought by all participants: 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)

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

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.

Yes - you must have appropriate travel insurance for trekking.

A luggage transfer is available for €335. Just let us know before you go, and we can arrange everything. If you opt for the luggage transfer service, the luggage will be accessible all but 1 night during the 10-day tour. One night we may stay at a refuge with no road access. On this night the guests have to carry a few extra items to stay overnight, and the bags will be transported to the next location. Luggage for transfer must be in a soft duffel bag, 90cm or smaller and weigh no more than 15kg. Please be sure to attach a clear label.

Day 1: Distance – 14km Ascent – 750m Time – 6-7 hours Day 2: Distance – 20km Ascent – 1400m Time – 8-9 hours Day 3: Distance –20km Ascent – 800m Time – 6-7 hours Day 4: Distance – 8km Ascent – 500m Time – 3 hours Day 5: Distance – 16-18km Ascent – 1171m Time – 7-8 hours Day 6: Distance – 18km Ascent – 850m Time – 6-7 hours Day 7: Distance – 16km Ascent – 520m Time – 5-6 hours Day 8: Distance – 16km Ascent – 850m Time – 6-7 hours Day 9: Distance – 16km Ascent – 1000m Time – 7-8 hours Day 10: Distance – 16km Ascent – 1200m Time – 7-8 hours Distances may vary due to accommodation and route choice for the group.

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: All meals are included for the duration of the trip. This is breakfast and dinner served at the accommodation and a picnic lunch. We recommend bringing along some extra snacks for the trail and small snacks can be bought along the route too. While 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 packed 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.

On this long-distance trek, you will experience the mountain lifestyle and sleep in authentic places. Mostly you will be staying in mountain huts. These mountain refuges have shared dormitory style rooms, except from day 4 where we stay in twin shared rooms in a hotel. 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. Number of beds in each room varies from hut to hut but is generally 8-10. Electricity, warm showers, and snacks are available. Most accommodations do not have wifi. Unfortunately, there is no option to upgrade to a private room.

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

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.

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.

Start: You will meet in Les Houches at 9am . This will be on day 1 of your planned itinerary. the meeting point is at the TMB start point in the main square. This is just 15 minutes by bus from Chamonix Centre (Bus number 1). 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.

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

The minimum age for this trek is 18 years.

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

We hike the whole route except one section of around 12km between Chamonix and Les Houches. We start the hike in Les Houches and finish in the centre of Chamonix to fit the trek into 10 days and to avoid the incredibly long descent on this stage.

We take a maximum of 12 people in each group.