Company Des Guides Of Chamonix — Attraction in Bonneville

THIS COMPANY IS TERRIBLE. DO NOT BOOK WITH THEM. Would give 0 stars if I could.

My husband and I only had 1 day to spend in Chamonix and decided to book the Vallee Blanche tour. Our guide Christian was the most unprofessional tour guide we have ever encountered and ruined the experience for us completely. I am not the type of person to leave reviews, even for the worst experiences, but feel the need to share this experience based on how dreadful of a day it was. He would not let us take breaks during our ski tour. Based on prior reviews, it sounded like most tour groups spent 5-6 hours going down Vallee Blanche. Christian FORCED us to go down in 2-3 hours because he wanted to go home. We did not have time to enjoy the views of Vallee Blanche. Every time we asked for a break, he would say how unsafe it was to stop, even though there were other tour groups who had stopped in those same locations for much longer. He made comments such as "if you weren't such a bad skier, we could stop over there and eat lunch." (for reference, I can ski double blacks no problem). When I laid down for one second, he immediately yelled at me to "GET UP!!!!! We have to keep going." He made derogatory comments towards me as a female. When we finally took one minute to eat our packed lunch, he even took our food for himself. He was on his cell phone the entire time, both texting and making calls. He also would ski to other tour groups to talk with them rather than actually being our tour guide. I cried the entire time, and he was still behaving in such a malicious and rude way. He failed to communicate and failed on his only job in being our tour guide. I would NOT recommend this experience to anyone.

When I reached out to the company by email, the president of the company responded and took Christian's side and said it was on us for not expressing our needs, which is ridiculous because we tried and our tour guide failed to listen. There are multiple reviews for this same issue with this same tour guide, but the president of the company is still taking his side because he “talked to him and that’s not the story” and does not believe us. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND...

The five day Tour du Mont Blanc was one of the most memorable trips I’ve taken, and of the last 100 trips I’ve done worldwide, my favorite. It never felt like just a hike – it was a thoughtfully composed experience that distilled the TMB into its very best: breathtaking views, heartwarming group bonds, and incredible picnic spreads, brought to life through the Compagnie’s exceptional guides.

Our guide, Jean-Michel Poupart, orchestrated a journey that allowed us to experience the mountains at their fullest. He kept a group ranging from first-time hikers to ultramarathoners perfectly in rhythm, fostering trust and camaraderie through his leadership and care. His immense knowledge of the massif – its trails, flora, history, geology, and climate – turned the landscape into a living story and led us to stunning hidden places. Every rest stop felt chosen with care, and our lunch picnics of fresh alpine ingredients - though simple in form - carried flavors that reminded me of the balance and sophistication of some Michelin tasting menus. What stood out just as much as his knowledge were his attunement – he made us feel safe, at ease, and genuinely looked after. It all felt effortless, though it clearly required remarkable mastery.

The Compagnie has a storied history as the world’s oldest and most respected guiding institution, and it shows. Jean-Michel embodied that tradition throughout the trek. Everyone I asked in our group said there wasn’t a single person they wouldn’t recommend this experience to, and I agree. I would travel from San Francisco to Chamonix just to join another outing led by them, and I’d recommend everyone I know to do the same. There’s nothing in the...

Fantastic mountain guide Martial Dessay, highly recommended! But also we like the whole service the organization provided, we could highlight Cindy B for the assistance and friendly, inspiring attitude. First of all we were advised which day to take for the run, and it is was real Blue Bird day. Another thing is the stuff of its partner shop for renting equipment was very very supportive and friendly. Finally it is just very convenient to buy both the guide service and also ski passes in one place, so the guide was already with the tickets for us.

Martial wrote us in advance, also with patience answered all the questions by phone. He was in time at agreed place. I like his style of leadership - friendly but also very serious when it is about safety. Martial carefully explained all moments, was full of energy, and also shared lots of stories about Chamonix Mountain Life and Guides, but also information about different types of what to do in Chamonix mountain. Names of mountains, tips how to ride the clacier and many many other info. Very easy going person, clever, real professional, I consider myself as rather experienced snowboarder but from the very beginning of ride I started to consider Martial as our Leader not by title, but by behavior. Going to return back to Chamonix, going to meet Martial again in another...