No previous mountaineering experience is required as full skills and training will be provided. However, you do need a good level of cardiovascular endurance, fitness, a can-do attitude and plenty of determination.

You need to be able to hike comfortably with a heavy pack for up to 10 hours at a moderate pace, a good head for heights and good overall balance and awareness. We'll teach you the skills you need during the first three days of the trip - such as walking with crampons whilst attached to your guide with a rope.

If you want to develop training before the climb, you can add a three-day Alpine Skills Short Break course to your trip, however, this is optional.

For the three training days at the beginning of the week we have a 4:1 climber/guide ratio. For your Mont Blanc attempt our ratio is 2:1.

In short, no. Whilst we will always strive to get you to the summit safely, sometimes the weather or the conditions of the mountain don’t play ball. When there is precipitation, high winds and low visibility for example, we cannot guarantee reaching the summit and will sometimes recommend an alternative. We fully trust and back the trip leader to make these final decisions based on their years of experience on the mountain, with safety as a top priority.

However the vast majority of people reach the summit successfully.

Sometimes the conditions on Mont Blanc are too dangerous to attempt a summit. If the weather or conditions on the mountain on the day of your summit mean that your guides need to make this call, the group will move to a different mountain range nearby to tackle a substitute ascent.

As the climate heats up and Europe experiences hotter temperatures at the height of summer, the conditions in the Alps are worsening, particularly on Mont Blanc. There have been increased rockfalls during August in recent years, leading to unavoidable accidents. In August 2022, the mayor of Saint-Gervais at the foot of Mont Blanc took the decision to close the mountain refuges at Goûter and Tête Rousse due to dangerous rockfalls. For this reason, we have taken the decision not to offer this trip during August in future years.

When you trek in the mountains, there's always the risk of getting altitude sickness, regardless of how old, young, fit or unfit you are. We would expect most trekkers to feel some mild symptoms of altitude sickness (headache, sleeplessness, heavy breathing) when over 3000m. Our guides are trained to identify the symptoms of altitude sickness so if any more serious symptoms are noted, there is a strict procedure regarding extra care or a rapid descent or evacuation if needed. All of our trips have been designed with altitude best practice in mind so acclimatisation days have been built in and our experienced guides follow advice to ‘walk high and sleep low’.

Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

All of our guides are friendly, hand-picked and highly experienced, with many years in the guiding industry. They are of various nationalities but all speak a good level of English and are very attentive. Their primary role is to get you to the summit and back safely, but they also provide a high level of customer service and are very interesting people to spend time with. They like to share their knowledge of the mountains and their experiences, so don’t hesitate to ask questions and pick their brains. Lastly, they know Mont Blanc like the back of their hands and this is the most important thing when it comes to making key decisions in the mountains and providing the safest possible experience.

In short, alpine and prone to change, so you'll need to prepare for all weathers and dress in layers. Put it this way – it’s called the ‘white mountain’ for a good reason. The climbing season runs from mid-June to late September and between those dates there is no better or worse time to attempt the climb. The beginning and end of the season can be snowy/ cold, and the middle months can be busier and the hotter temperatures can cause afternoon storms.

Summit success varies from season to season but remains consistent throughout the months. If the weather shuts you down, your host will endeavour to find the closest mountain in the area with better weather and thanks to their base location they are generally able to find an equally beautiful alternative within driving distance in France, Italy or Switzerland.

Yes there will be a place to leave excess luggage at the hotel.

For current advice about travelling in France, have a read of the UK Foreign Office pages here.

Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.

Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our adventures. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure.

Your insurance policy should also include specific Covid-19 cover, including cancellation and curtailment cover if you, your travel companion or a close relative are diagnosed with Covid-19.

We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.

You're in good company. Our adventures are typically made up of a mix of solo travellers and small groups of two or three friends who simply love adventure, pushing themselves and meeting awesome like-minded people. See here for more info about our lovely bunch of Much Better Adventurers.

Want to book a private trip? Just tap ‘Private Group’ in the dates and prices tab.

Your trip is led by carefully curated local hosts and expert guides. See here for more info about the guides we work with.