Dear John, apologises for the delay but just about up to speed with the joys of office work. Thank you for a fantastic week and for a safe ascent (and descent) of Mont Blanc. I think I even got used to staying in the huts by the end (its all a frame of mind). The guides you employed were brilliant characters who all added to the enjoyment of the event. Accommodation at Skiers lodge was luxury after the huts! Best wishes to you and Claire, with kind regards Clive.

Hi John, amazing how time rushes past - just realised it's over 2 weeks since I got home and I'd been meaning to get in touch. Really just wanted to say thank you for a fantastic holiday. I really enjoyed both the 'training' and the Mont Blanc climb (perhaps despite appearances!) and thought the guides and also the logistics were great - the chalet is a beautiful base for the trip and the training route seemed to work really well. Your insight and knowledge about altitude sickness was really helpful and I will always remember you telling me to just keep breathing! Anyway, it looks like you've got a great setup and I really enjoyed it - as I know all the family did. Best wishes, Clare.

Dear John, thank you for a brilliant week. Your professionalism, organisation and enthusiasm all made for an unforgettable experience. It really showed how much time and effort you have put in to getting the Mont Blanc trip right - from the accommodation in Les Houches, the shop you recommended for boot hire and the guides you use through to the effectiveness of the training and acclimatisation days and the timing of the summit attempt to avoid the crowds and get a better night's rest. Whilst I, like many, was interested in climbing Mont Blanc, the peaks we climbed on the first few days were also really rewarding as well as being fantastic training. And on Mont Blanc itself I very much appreciated all your encouragement and support in helping me reach the summit. The spectacular views from the top are something I will never forget. I would unreservedly recommend Mont Blanc Guides to anyone who is thinking of climbing Mont Blanc. Please do feel free to use any of the above in advertising. All the best and good luck for the rest of the season. Cheers, Mark.

Hey there! Enda and I hope that you all made it to your various destinations safely and that you are missing us as much as we're missing you! There's always a little flatness after a week like the last one and it's a bit strange being back home. We've been keeping up the tradition of watching the Olympics and have discovered that our TV is a rather small one after the luxury of the Skiers Lodge! I keep thinking back to the discussion of our highlights on Friday and smiling to myself - it was a top week! I thoroughly enjoyed Friday evening too and thought it was a fitting end to the journey. I think that 19 pints of Hoegarden; 7 pints of Stella, 4 bottles of vin blanc and 2 bottles of vin rouge might have gone some way to helping - well deserved! Simon - we can't thank you enough for your leadership; you and the other guides made the week run so smoothly and made it such an unforgettable experience for all of us. Please forward this email to Mark if possible as I am sure a few of us would like to include him in our photo sharing. Anyway, I am currently climbing the equivalent of Mont Blanc in washing so had better go. Take care all, big hugs! Sharon x.

John, we may not have been able to climb Mont Blanc last week but I had a fantastic time. Really impressed with the organisation, professionalism and the friendliness of the guides. Although the weather thwarted us it was great how John, Oli and Lionel quickly created an alternative programme - completing the Cosmiques Arete felt as good as climbing Mont Blanc. Thanks for a really memorable week .... yes I'll be back. Best regards Eric.

Hello John, I was on last weeks trip, and just wanted to drop a line saying thank you for organising such a great week. The guides were brilliant, in particular John and Lionel who I seemed to link up with most. I felt 'safe' all week, and managed to do many things that my confidence would usually stop me attempting. A job really well done, very professional, and great fun. Hope to return next year, and get to the top, it's the only photo tht is missing!

Thanks again John, all the best, Paul (Brown). PS One big complaint though. Can you ask Andrew to organise cups that you can get your fingers/thumbs into so you can hold your coffee without burning your fingers!! :)

Due to an unusually large amount of snowfall we were unable to attempt Mont Blanc. The snow conditions were very treacherous (especially the Grand Couloir) and so after discussions with the guides we were given the option to climb up to the Tete Rousse hut and have a closer look at the conditions or to use the day to do find some alternative activities.The guides were really helpful in advising us to make a rational decision about the climb and, although we were very disappointed not to have the chance to give Mt Blanc a proper attempt, we felt we were given very good advice on the pros and cons of the options and also a very clear analysis of the safety aspects of the route. John was very good in rearranging our schedule to make the most of the remaining four days we had. He was able to book as all in to the Vittorio Emanuele hut on Gran Paradiso (the highest mountain in Italy at 4,061m) and we had two superb days climbing that peak (and if anyone thinks it isn't a challenge we met Kenton Cool doing the same thing with his clients!). The G.P. is a super climb and the vertical ascent is comparable with Mt Blanc as you start from around 1,900m. The final ridge (see photo) is pretty spectacular and the views form the top are great - looking across to the Matterhorn and back to Mt Blanc itself. The other highlight of the week was spending Friday climbing the Arete des Cosmiques (which leads up to the cable car station on the Aiguille du Midi). This was snow covered rock and more technical than Gran Paradiso and gave us a first insight into developing some more climbing skills. So, while we did fail in our main aim of climbing Mont Blanc due to the weather, the week was a great success and we all came away feeling we had probably had a more varied and rewarding week in many ways. The diversity of the activities that John and the guides were able to arrange at such late notice was superb. Oh....and we need to go back and do Mt Blanc at some point!

Hi John, please pass on our sincere thanks to Matthieu, Simon and Dave for being such excellent guides throughout a fantastic week. We were well looked after, treated with real professionalism and had a great time despite conditions being too dangerous to attempt Mt Blanc. I think it was Chris Bonnington who said that the difference between those who get to the top of Everest (eventually!) and those who don't is that those who succede do so because they know when to turn round. For anyone questioning whether or not to do Mont Blanc in dodgy conditions I would urge you to leave behind your ambition for one mountain and listen to the guides. They know what they're talking about and wouldn't have this conversation with you unless it were necessary. Gran Paradiso is not Mont Blanc but the views were awesome. As for me I'd rather a week of Cosmiques ridge stuff any day over plodding up a snow field so if the chance comes grab it with both hands; you can always come back another year for the big one. Thanks again for a great week which we will recommend to others. Perhaps we'll be back next year?! Regards, Tim.

John, Just to say a big thank you for your leadership and instruction during our week in Chamonix , and especially for our climb up Mont Blanc . It was all round an exhilarating experience with some lows and many highs, all the time with one aim in mind - and we all made it! I hope that SA John has fully recovered after his arduous descent - a tribute to his strength and will power that he got back to the hut whilst feeling so ill. I thought the set up of the training, your instruction and coaching throughout, and your handling of the difficulties up the mountain were all excellent and a reflection of your own rigorous training and deep experience. So, thank you, and I will certainly recommend others who wish to climb to go with Mont Blanc Guides! All the best (you have probably been back up there again already!). God bless, Peter.

John, Just a short note to say thanks for the great trip we had last week. I know from talking to the boys that we really enjoyed the time and patience shown by you and the rest of your guides. I'm definitely going to be recommending you to a few other people so I look forward to receiving some commission! On a personal note, I'd like to take the opportunity to single out Rick for the patience he showed in getting myself and Espen up and down when we were both feeling pretty shattered. Cheers, Sanj.