Thomas Bringuy

We enjoyed our TMB trip, even though for reasons outside our control, it didn't go accoding to plan. Our flight from Heathrow was delalyed two hours, but the Mountain Dropoffs driver met us at the Geneva airport and gave us a shuttle ride to Chamonix as planned. That evening we had a terrific Franch meal, looking up at the dying light over Mont Blanc. I really enjoyed Chamonix, a place where one sees as many people running as walking, and where the sky is dotted with hang gliders. The highlight of our "open" day on Tuesday, Sept. 5 before the trek was taking the tram up to l'Aguille du Midi. My wife Kathy had been concerned about the altitude, but in fact she tolerated it fine, and we were rewarded with unforgettable views of the Swiss Alps from out vantage point at 3850 m. The weather throughout was sunny and very warm for the time of year; the ride up to l'Aguille du Midi was the only time on the whole trip when I had to break out my cold-weather gear.

There were two problems at the start of the trip. First, our Chamonix hotel room at Plan B (can't recall the room noumber) turned out to be infested with bedbugs! This has happened to us before when traveling. I don't seem to be sensitive to them, but my wife is very sensitive and was bitten dozens of times (we actually spotted one of the bugs the next day). Second, there was a mixup with the luggage. We had arranged with Mt. Blanc Taxi for a luggage transfer to our hotel in Les Contamines and also to transport Kathy. There was some mixup, and while the driver took Kathy and my bags, her bag was left behind in Chamonix. It finally showed up at the hotel, but not until late afternoon. Partly this was my fault, since I hadn't informed kimkim that when I packed for the trip, I was unable to fit all the food I thought I needed for the trip (breakfast food and lunches for four days), as well as my clothes for a planned week of travel after the trip, into a single duffel bag. I improved by taking a second, medium-sized backpack (a Kelty Redwing 44). Apparently this was a big problem for the taxi service. We had discussed that there were arrangements for luggage transfer, but not exactly how many bags or how large. On top of that, my own duffel bag showed up damaged (the zipper of the main compartment was broken), when it was fine at the time I packed it. I had to scramble to hike into town and buy a replacement duffel bag right away.

On the trek itself, I was very pleased with the "MonRoadbook" app. Whenever I was uncertain about navigation, I would zoom in on my location and quickly determined whether I was on the intended route or not. The combination of the app and generally good signage meant that navigation was less of a problem on this tour than I expected. I had tried to study the route, but it's just not possible to memorize every major turn in advance.

I enjoyed the hiking most on Day 1, which was only about half the distance of the next two days. When I got to Les Contamines, there seemed to be something in the air there that was irritating me, as I noticed that my nose was running and I had a little heaviness in my chest. I thought I might be coming down with a cold, but the symptoms could also be related to the strenuous hike I had just completed. The second day, to Courmayeur, was long and exhausting. The third day, to Champex-Lac, was the longest of the trip (31.5 miles), but the terrain was a lot easier, especially on the second half. But I started Day 3 already in an exhausted and dehydrated state. My energy level was much lower than usual, and I had to go slower than usual and take frequent rest stops before making it over the Grand Col de Ferret and into Switzerland at about 2:40 pm. I had to do the final leg of the hike into Champex-Lac with a headlamp, and didn't arrive at the Relais d'Arpette until around 9:30 pm, after nearly 14 hours of hiking. The owners were very nice and saved some hot food for me even though their kitchen was officially closed.

I had already decided that I wasn't up to hiking the fourth day, even though it would be easier than days 2 and 3. My cold, or whatever it was, had gotten worse, and I had developed a sore throat. My energy level had crashed. So I arranged for a taxi ride back to Chamonix. When I got to the hotel there, I tested positive for COVID. So that is why I was so weak the third day. I had correctly assessed my fitness as good enough to do the 4-day tour, but something like COVID can mess anything up. At least I got three good days of hiking in.

I found kimkim to be professional and helpful throughout. The arrangements we had made all held up. I would not hesitate to book with kimkim again.

While officially “self guided”, the help by the team headed by Thomas was like a guide was at our side. Questions and issues were handled quickly, messages returned promptly and suggestions given always.

We used Kim Kim to plan a self-guided trek on the Tour du Mont Blanc. Words can't express how amazing hiking the TMB was. Thomas crafted an unforgettable trip for us. He was responsive to our questions and designed a trip ideal for our budget, hiking capabilities, and desired experiences. The 52 page packet of instructions, maps, emergency contact numbers, tips and descriptions of each day made way-finding super easy, helped to control expectations, and ensure we were ready for each day's adventure. The hospitality at all of our accomodations was superb. We truly appreciate the time it took Thomas to design a trip tailored just for us.

Had a great trip in the mountains of Savoie ! Every place of accommodation that I stayed at were great (food is always great anywhere in France). The itinerary made sense and was well calculated. Thomas was always there when I had questions or needed more information. We had plenty of email exchanged and one Zoom called that reassured me on everything.

Thomas was very helpful, quick to respond, and put together a custom itinerary that perfectly matched the criteria we gave him. The hike was amazing and the rifugios were clean, comfortable and well situated. Overall, the experience exceeded our expectations!

This was our first time using KimKim, but it won’t be our last. Thomas was excellent and was in top of everything throughout our trip. And the app he sent us was excellent. It even worked offline for all of our hikes through the mountains.
Highly recommend KimKim and Thomas.