Mont Blanc from Chamonix

Mont Blanc, at 4807m is the highest point in the Alps and Western Europe and is undoubtedly a beautiful mountain. With its permanent snow cover, it dominates the Chamonix valley. Straddling the Franco Italian border, it is a peak that is a magnet to all climbers that go to the French Alps. At this stage, I have been lucky enough to have visited the Chamonix valley on six occasions and three times I have attempted to climb this mountain. Each time, the weather, which can be very temperamental, was against us. In 2001 three of us got to the Tete Rousse Hut (3107m) but we had to descend when high winds and early snow (in September) obliterated all the trails and guides refused to bring anyone up for over a week. I was back in Chamonix in 2003 and again in 2008 when we had a”Trekkers” trip. On that occasion a group of us climbed to the Forestiere des Rognes Hut (2768m) which may be a record height for a Club walk by the Trekkers? That trip, I must admit, reawakened my interest so when one of my American friends, Ron, suggested last year that we should give it another go, he was pushing an open door!

Older and we hope a little wiser, this time we planned in greater detail that other occasions and I personally joined the Gym to strengthen the legs and lose a little (sic) weight from around the midriff. We also went on an advanced winter skills course in Scotland’s Glencoe area last March when we hopefully improved our crampon and mixed climbing skills. We spend two very enjoyable days on Buachaille Etive Mor on that occasion which was the subject of a previous article in the “Trekker”. So it was that I met my friend Ron in Geneva airport on Sat 27 June having flown in from Dublin and New York respectively. We had originally hoped to have a party of four but due to other commitments, we had two dropouts leaving only Ron and myself.

We spend two days walking in the Chamonix valley to acclimatise and we climbed to the Albert Premier Hut (2702m) and did the showcase walk of the “Grand Balcon Nord” route to the Mere de Glace which a lot of the Club will remember from the 2008 trip. To maximise the chances of success on this occasion we have engaged a Guide from the “Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix”. To anyone contemplating an attempt on Mont Blanc, this is highly recommended as apart from knowledge of the Mountain, Serge certainly improved our climbing techniques and exposed us to situations and locations that we could not have even thought of attempting on our own. We hired him for five days, three days for preparation and acclimatisation and two days for the summit attempt itself.

Day 1. We climbed the Petite Aiguille Vert (3512m) above Argentiere which certainly in parts is a rock climb and we were grateful for the fact that we were roped up to an expert. The exposure on occasions was “interesting”. On the same day we climbed down into the Argentiere Glacier where we practiced Ice climbing and Crevasse rescue. After a long day of 10 hours we were grateful to get back to Chamonix that night!

Day 2 saw us, after an 8 am start, climbing in the Aiguilles Rouges. We ascended Aiguille Crochues (2840m) and found this to be an exciting and enjoyable Grade2 scramble. Day 3. This, we both agreed was the “piece de resistance”. Here we took the cable car to Aiguille de Midi and trekked down into the Vallee Blanche. We then climbed back up to the cable car station via the “Cosmiques Ridge”. This was “Mixed” climbing, in crampons, with sections of snow and ice followed by sections on rock. Negotiating the latter sections with crampons needed practice. The entire ridge was certainly enjoyable, but parts of it were a definite rock climb. As a hillwalker at heart, there were several occasion where I was definitely outside my comfort zone. An abseil down a gully to a narrow ledge followed by an ascent of a 10m smooth rock pitch over a 300m drop was an experience that I won’t easily forget!

Day 4. Starting at 0800, we took the cable car from La Houches and then the Cog railway to Le Nid d’Aigle (2372m). Then the really hard work began. The first stage to the Tete Rousse Hut is a climb on a relatively easy graded path and takes about two hours. At the hut the permanent snow begins so its crampons and helmets on and we rope up. After a short break the most hazardous part of the climb has to be negotiated, the infamous “Grand Couloir”. This is a traverse across a steep snow slope. It is not technically difficult but is very exposed and is an area where you have to watch your step. The really dangerous aspect of the area is that it is subject to constant rock fall and there are regular fatalities where climbers are hit and fall. There is a sheer drop down to the Bionnassay Glacier. In 2001, during our last visit an Irish climber was killed on this traverse. We managed to cross safely but it took a while for the heart rate to return to normal. From here to the Gouter Hut (3817m) is a steep rocky scramble. Icy in places, it is hard work with an ice axe essential. We finally arrived for a late lunch pretty well exhausted after a total climb of about 1500m from Nid d’Aigle. The Gouter Hut was very crowded and there was very little else to do apart from an evening meal and prepare the gear for a 02.30 start for the peak.

Day 5 started at 0200 with the chaos of the hallway of the hut as upwards of 100 climbers tried to don boots, crampons, and gaiters and pack gear all by the light of head torches. How somebody didn’t lose an eye or get stabbed by an ice axe is more by luck than anything else. It was with some relief that we fled the mayhem and climbed the short distance to the ridge above the hut and started the trek for the top. The section from the Gouter to the Dome de Gouter is a long steep snow plod. It was a matter of head down and trudge upwards for what seemed forever. The only light is your head torch although every so often one would look up and see the rather beautiful spectacle of the lights of those that had left before us snaking up the mountain ahead. Another beautiful sight was the lights of the Chamonix Valley twinkling 4000m below. A level section and a short climb took us to the Vallot Hut where we had a break in the lee of what is only an emergency shelter.

At this stage dawn was breaking, so visibility was better and we could see the Bosses ridge rising ahead. From here to the summit is a series of steep sections and in places we had to cross some narrow exposed knife edges. There is pretty much a sheer drop into Italy on the right and France on the left. I could see why Serge was accessing how susceptible we were to vertigo during the preparation days. These sections were short however and another hour of climbing finally saw us with a final snow ridge to climb to the summit. (4807m). We arrived at 0645.

At the summit, the ridge broadens somewhat and there is enough room to stand around, enjoy the view and take photographs. The views were amazing but all too soon the cold reminded us that we had to descend. Heading down the ridge needed care in places as we had to pass a lot of people that were still climbing up. Given the narrowness of the ridge, the best procedure in a case like this is to give way to those ascending, step carefully off the track and let them pass. After a half hour or so the traffic jams eased and we made better time.

We arrived back to the Gouter Hut at 0930 and had a late breakfast. Despite the enormous amount of calories that we had burned, neither of us was very hungry but we did appreciate the rest and the hot coffee. The descent to the Tete Rousse hut was difficult enough as due to the early hour, there was still a lot of ice on the rock which make some sections pretty slippery.

We had the second heart stopping traverse of the Grand Couloir though this was in fact easier than the previous day as the sun had not yet started to melt the ice and rock fall was less of a problem. We continued on without taking the short detour to the Tete Rousse and only stopped to take off crampons and helmets. We also dispensed with the rope and we were able to make better time. After a further two hours of jarring descent, it was a grateful group that caught the train at Nig d’Aigle for home.