Choosing a guide for MOnt de Blanc hike

Just to clarify: are you referring to Tour du Mont Blanc, the loop hike around the Mont Blanc? Or do you intend to climb Mont Blanc?
Seems that you are referring to Tour du Mont Blanc, which is usually unguided. The trails, while steep and strenuous, are well marked and there are plenty of huts (which need reservations).
There are indeed outfits/agencies that can help with luggage transportation services and/or hut reservations, and some agencies do organize guided hikes as well. The one provider I am familiar with is Terre d'Aventures but I do not know if they cater to non-French speakers, and they are expensive (they specialize in more remote places than Mont Blanc).

Rick’s video makes the Tour du Mont Blanc look like a walk in the park. It is not. It is a strenuous multi-day trek of more than 100 miles on sometimes-difficult terrain in variable weather. It takes careful planning and proper training and equipment if you want to do it without a guide. I strongly recommend against that.

We are very experienced hikers and backpackers, but chose to go with a guided group for this trek. They took care of booking the mountain inns, luggage transport, everything. Ours was high-end and expensive, but you can find less expensive guided options. One is the local Chamonix Guides association—-the registered and certified guides for hiking and climbing in the Mont Blanc area.

https://www.chamonix-guides.com/en/activities/category/hiking

Another would be a British organization:

https://www.hfholidays.co.uk/holidays-and-tours/mont-blanc

If you do not care to join a group for a guided trip, there are companies that will plan and book a self-guided trip for you, such as this British company:

https://www.macsadventure.com/us/walking-tours/europe-walking-tours/france/tour-du-mont-blanc/?_its=JTdCJTIydmlkJTIyJTNBJTIyYmJiZTViZDQtMTM2Yi00MmY4LTliNzgtMjE1M2VhMmFkZDI1JTIyJTJDJTIyc3RhdGUlMjIlM0ElMjJybHR%2BMTY4Mjk1NTE5N35sYW5kfjJfODE1MTVfc2VvXzRiZmRjNTBmNjNkMGZlMDdiY2JkOWYyNjA5NjBlMWFlJTIyJTJDJTIyc2l0ZUlkJTIyJTNBMTEyNTglN0Q%3D

Or this American one:

https://www.distantjourneys.com/trip/self-guided-tour-du-mont-blanc-hike

But be warned that this is not easy, even if the planning is done for you, and the company provides good route maps, etc. A good friend of mine did this (self-guided), and though she is a strong and very experienced hiker, she and her hiking partner had trouble with route-finding and managing bad weather problems. Afterwards she told me we were smart to choose a guided option.

Going with a reputable guiding company is your best option for a good, safe and enjoyable trip.

You don't need a guide, and there are plenty of companies that offer self-guided options (they book all the hotels, give a detailed itinerary including GPS directions, and are available for questions as you go if needed). I have heard Alpenwild is one of the best options (though I haven't used them myself).

I did a guided tour with Wilderness Travel back in 2017 and would definitely recommend them. Some of the best guides you can find and for a reasonable price. Especially if traveling solo, I find it nice to join a group of like-minded people to keep me company on the trail and at dinner.

Happy hiking!

Hi Imisra -

I assume you are talking about walking the Tour de Mont Blanc, as opposed to climbing Mont Blanc. The former is a serious proposition while the latter is a VERY serious proposition. I suppose whether you do it solo or in a group depends on your temperament and what you seek to gain from the experience. Some enjoy the solitude, others, like myself, prefer a small group of like minded souls to share the fun - or otherwise - with.

While the TdMB does pass through some fairly sizeable towns and villages, on a daily basis after you’ve set off you are pretty much committed. If you get to, for instance, the Fenetre D’Arpette and feel you’ve had enough, you are in trouble - only lengthy, steeply descending footpaths will take you anywhere, back the way you came or onwards. I found this to my cost when I took a tumble between Col de Forclaz and Col de Balme and badly damaged my left knee/thigh. It ultimately put me in a French hospital (and its operating theatre) for a week, but that’s another story. Although I still have to go back and finish the damn thing off! The point is, short of getting the mountain rescue to me (we didn’t) I had a long, trying afternoon limping to Col de Balme. (I joke that because I’m a Yorkshireman and we have a reputation for being ‘careful’ with money, I walked from Switzerland to France just so I could use my EU Health Insurance card!). I was glad of the group as they took my backpack and carried it, dividing the contents between them. I have never been so grateful for my walking poles either - if you don’t normally use them, for this particular route I heartily suggest you start - they are all but essential, injured or not.

The point is, it is remote in parts and once out there there’s not much option but to plough on whatever. So therefore some preparation is recommended if you are not a regular long distance/multi stage hiker.

I travelled with Keswick-based KE Adventure, who provided all our accommodations, most meals, baggage transfer and an experienced guide. I wasn’t the only person not to finish the course. We had an American couple in our party and while the husband made it (I think) his wife found it too tough for her so was having to find some way - baggage handlers? - to get from A to B to C in the latter half of the walk.

There are loads of companies that do either group tours or self guided tours on the TdMB - just have a search under ‘Tour de Mont Blanc holidays’ and see what comes up that suits you best. I think hiring a personal guide is unnecessary unless you have a bundle of cash burning a hole in your pocket.

My experience shouldn’t put you off - until it went a bit pear-shaped I was having a high old time!

Ian

P.S. My repaired knee is fine - lost a little flex, but otherwise good as new(ish). Moral - if you are going to bust your knee, the Chamonix Valley is possibly one of the best places on the planet to get it fixed!