🧭 Club Trip #4: Chamonix 🗺️🥐

UCL Hiking Club is proud to bring to you TWO club trips this summer 2026!! We're going all-out this summer to host TWO trips after exams that you can get involved in:

You can register your interest for both trips, or just choose one. Applicants for each trip will first be screened for hiking experience, and then entered into a random lottery for selection. Stay on this page to read about the Chamonix trip, or go to this page to read about the Romania trip.

1/5 - AT A GLANCE

2/5 - ABOUT THE TRIP

For our first Summer trip, we are taking you to the charming Chamonix for five nights, giving us four full days to explore this mountainous escape from London. It’s the perfect chance to unwind and relax after the hectic year we’ve had, slow things down, and spend time outdoors in a truly unique landscape. During the day, we’ll split into groups and hike along a variety of routes across the area, before returning each evening to our warm, cosy apartments, games, and time to socialise. Overall, the trip will include two travel days, four days full of fun, and five evenings of relaxation and good company.

Chamonix is nestled next to Mont Blanc, in the heart of the French alps. With snowtipped caps all year round, you can make your winter wonderland dream come true… in June! Whilst it is the birthplace of the first winter Olympics, it's also renowned for its plethora of hiking routes. Bored? Why not take a wander into the bustling town, have a gander at its lake or simply kick your boots off and take in the view. Whatever your preference, join us for this next adventure!

3/5 - HOSTEL, FOOD, & TRAVEL

ACCOMODATION (HOLIDAY APARTMENTS)

Address: Résidence Pierre & Vacances La Rivière, 187 Prom. Marie Paradis, 74400 Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France

For all five nights of the trip, we’ll be staying at Résidence Pierre & Vacances La Rivière, located in the heart of Chamonix in France. The accommodation sits at the base of Mont Blanc, surrounded by mountains and forests, making it an ideal base for a summer hiking residential.

We have exclusively hired 4 mini holiday apartments for our stay, meaning we have these apartments to ourselves. From here, we have direct access to the hiking routes we’ll be covering, including national trails, steep rocky ascents, and many mountain views - so there’s no need for daily travel to reach the start of our walks.

The cost of the accommodation is fully included in your SU event ticket purchase.

Type of Accommodation

The accommodation is purpose-built holiday apartments, designed for groups stays.

• We will reserve a mix of single-gender and mixed-gender rooms, depending on preferences.
• You’ll be able to indicate your room preference after being selected for the trip.
• Beds are a mix of double beds (which will be shared) and bunk beds. 

Facilities & Amenities

The accommodation is fully equipped for our stay, and it includes:

• Heated bedrooms and communal areas
• Hot showers and indoor bathrooms
• Free Wi-Fi (note: signal may be patchy in some areas)
• A private self-catering kitchenette.

Sleeping Arrangements & What to Bring

Spots on this trip are very limited, and as such double beds will have to be shared with another person from the group. All single beds available are bunk beds. We will do our best to help everyone find an arrangement that they are comfortable with. Everyone can choose their own roommates and there will be a "room sign-up" sheet shared with the group via group chat far in advance of the trip. 

Please note that if you are unhappy with sharing a bed, this lowers the number of beds available to accommodate you, and therefore you may be less likely to get a spot on the trip. Unfortunately this is the only way we can maximise the number of spots available whilst keeping prices affordable for everyone.

• Towels are not provided, so please bring your own.
• You should also bring your own toiletries and any personal items you’ll need for the trip.

Please see the full kit list for more details.

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

The official meeting point is in Chamonix, rather than London. The recommended way to travel is by flight and then bus/train from Geneva/Lyon. The total cost may be £100-200, depending on mode of transport and fluctuations in prices.

Once you have a confirmed place on the trip, you’ll be added to a trip group chat, and we strongly encourage everyone to coordinate and travel together where possible. This is a great way to meet people before the trip properly begins.

We will share more advice and recommendations for travel with everyone once they are selected, but we are happy to answer any questions you might have before this!

TRAVEL INSURANCE

As this trip is taking place internationally, Students' Union UCL requires all attendees to have their own personal travel insurance in order to attend this club trip. 

Individual policies vary, but you should have travel insurance that covers unexpected medical costs and/or mountain rescue costs for the country you are travelling to. The UCL SU insurance does not cover overseas trips. If you are selected, the club may request to see proof of your travel insurance in order to allow you on the trip.

The club will send out guidance on possible insurance providers to everyone that is successfully chosen.

FOOD & COOKING

This is a self-catered residential. All food will need to be purchased individually or with your flatmates, and meals will be prepared, cooked, and cleaned up individually.

• There are lots of supermarkets and local shops nearby to purchase groceries.
• Each flat will have it's own kitchenette for cooking..
• Each flat will do their own cooking and cleaning during the trip.

The cost of groceries and food is not included in the SU event ticket purchase. In order to minimise costs, all trip members will be able to coordinate their own food plan to their preferences. You may choose to buy groceries and cook for yourself daily, or you may also visit the local restaurants (but these may be expensive).

4/5 - TICKETS & SIGN-UPS

TICKET INFORMATION

Chamonix, France - £65

• There are 24 spots available for the Chamonix, France trip.
• Cost: £65.00
• Included in price:
  • 🏠 Hostel accommodation (all 5 nights)
  • 🗺️ Guided routes and trained walk leaders
• Not included in price:
  • 🚂 Transport to/from the hostel
  • 🚌Local buses/transport (if needed)
  • 🍽️ All food (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks). Food will be independently catered.
• This trip is designed to include both  🔵 moderate 🔵 and 🔴 challenging 🔴 routes. If you have not completed a hike at this difficulty before, this trip may not be suitable for you. Please see the grade difficulties above.
• Members will be asked to describe their hiking experience when signing up. Members with more experience will be prioritised for selection due to the advanced difficulty of the routes on this trip. Remaining spots will be allocated using a lottery (random selection), NOT first-come-first-serve!
• Note: we are not asking for extensive applications about your entire history of hiking or anything similar. We simply need to hear enough to know that you can confidently hike in challenging terrain and weather and that you will not be a danger to yourself or to others in the group due to inexperience. If you have been on lots of hikes with the club in the South East UK, you are most likely experienced enough to step things up and join this trip.
• You MUST have a £15 Explorer membership in order to be eligible for this lottery. You must get this before signing up for a spot!

Bușteni, Romania - £60

• There are 20 spots available for the Bușteni, Romania trip.
• Cost: £60.00
• Included in price:
  • 🏠 Hostel accommodation (all 5 nights)
  • 🗺️ Guided routes and trained walk leaders
  • 🍽️ 1 restaurant dinner (group trip on last evening).
• Not included in price:
  • 🚂 Transport to/from the hostel
  • 🚌Local buses/transport (if needed)
  • 🍽️ All other food (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks). Food will be independently catered.
• This trip is designed to include both  🔵 moderate 🔵 and 🔴 challenging 🔴 routes. If you have not completed a hike at this difficulty before, this trip may not be suitable for you. Please see the grade difficulties above.
• Members will be asked to describe their hiking experience when signing up. Members with more experience will be prioritised for selection due to the advanced difficulty of the routes on this trip. Remaining spots will be allocated using a lottery (random selection), NOT first-come-first-serve!
• Note: we are not asking for extensive applications about your entire history of hiking or anything similar. We simply need to hear enough to know that you can confidently hike in challenging terrain and weather and that you will not be a danger to yourself or to others in the group due to inexperience. If you have been on lots of hikes with the club in the South East UK, you are most likely experienced enough to step things up and join this trip.
• You MUST have a £15 Explorer membership in order to be eligible for this lottery. You must get this before signing up for a spot!

Both Trips:

HOW TO APPLY

• You can register your interest for one or both summer 2026 trips using this single form. The form will remain open until 12:00 (midday) on Friday 1st May.
• You may indicate your preference for which trip you would most like to attend. We will do our best to place you on your preferred trip, but if that trip is full, you may be allocated to your second-choice trip.
• Submitting the form does not guarantee a spot. Please see the details below for how places will be allocated.
• Registering your interest via the form is NOT confirmation of a spot on the trip. Please see below.
• Unfortunately, it is impossible to approximate your chances of getting a spot on one of our club trips, as this depends entirely on how many people register their interest. However, on our November trip to the Yorkshire Dales, there were ~150 people competing for 60 spots. Having said that, we are offering TWO trips this time!

Note: In the event that not all spots are initially filled (for either trip), the sign-up deadline will be extended and converted into first-come-first-serve (all eligibility criteria still apply).

HOW TO CONFIRM YOUR SPOT

• The results of the lottery selection will be released between Sat 2nd May and Fri 8th May.
• Everyone who signed up will receive an email. This email will either confirm that you were successful in getting a spot on the residential trip, or that you have been unsuccessful and automatically added to the waiting list.
• If you are added to the waiting list, please watch your emails carefully in the following few days, as many spots usually open up (due to people not buying their ticket on time). On previous trips, 1 in 3 of the final attendees were people who were initially on the waitlist.
• If you were successful in getting a spot on the residential trip, the email will contain a password and you will have 24 hours to purchase your ticket on this webpage. If you do not purchase your ticket in time, your place will be given away to someone on the waiting list. Please keep an eye out for this email.
• Once you have purchased your ticket, your spot on the trip is confirmed.

CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY

Once payment for a trip has been made, refunds are not guaranteed. Trip costs (including accommodation, transport, and bookings) are typically committed in advance, meaning we are often unable to recover costs after payment.

If you are no longer able to attend a trip, you must inform the club as soon as possible in writing to [email protected] and please clearly state "I wish to no longer attend this trip" in the email. This will be treated as a formal withdrawal from the trip.

If there is a waiting list, we will attempt to offer your place to another member up to 24 hours before departure. If a replacement is found and confirmed within this timeframe, we will issue a refund. If no replacement is found, we are unfortunately unable to offer a refund. The more advanced notice you provide us, the higher the likelihood of finding a replacement for your spot.

 If we are unable to find a replacement, you will still be considered withdrawn, and it may not be possible to re-join the trip at a later date. This is because we are required to confirm final attendee lists with the Students’ Union and external providers in advance, and last-minute changes cannot always be accommodated.

This policy applies to all trips and all members and is in place to ensure fairness, financial stability for the club, and the smooth running of trips for everyone involved.

5/5 - FAQS

What should I pack?

Please see this full kit list for details on what to pack.

Do I need hiking boots?

Yes. Hiking boots provide essential support for your feet, ankles, and legs on uneven terrain and help prevent serious accidents. This residential will have rocky and uneven terrain and therefore is only suitable for those with hiking boots.

For further questions, please ask these in our members-only WhatsApp chat, which can be accessed here. If your question is more sensitive, please email us at [email protected]. Please refrain from directly texting committee members without their prior consent.