Hi there,

Four of us are doing the Tour Du Mont Blanc on mountain bikes in July. It is a pretty well-trodden route, as I understand but when I was asked by a mountain bike instructor what emergency precautions we were taking I drew a blank.

Some of us have first aid experience but I intend to take a course. Has anyone got furthermore advice on equipment (safety and comms) that would be helpful or resources to go to that might share this information? What kind of information might be useful – emergency numbers etc?

Advice gratefully received from anyone with experience.

Cheers

Stick Echo112 app on your phones and register with them. Push button call-out for the emergency services in that part of the world giving you position to the operator automatically.
Know how to read a map and use a compass competently in case the electronics fail.

Emergency foil sleeping bag if you plan to use huts for normal overnight. A standard down lightweight bag will only go so far under the stars in bad weather.

Hope you have a great time.

Be prepared for some serious bike carrying – my screen saver is the Croix de Col de Bonhomme after 10 hours riding of which 3-4 were carrying, at altitude over big boulder fields!.

We were very lucky with the weather, so ensure you are prepared for a night on the mountain, and have sufficient emergency spares for mech hangers, chains etc to get you somewhere closer to civilisation.

First aid I guess is all the usual stuff – but pack a few more bandages for heel sores from the hike a bike stuff..

A bonus of this time of year is that more of the refuges will be open than in mid sept.

Having said that – the scenery is amazing and it’s an epic trip 🙂