Climbing Mont Blanc

In September 2002 I headed off with three friends to Chamonix to climb Mont Blanc. We discussed amongst ourselves as to whether we should hire a guide for the climb. Eventually we decided not to and, for us, I believe it was definitely the correct decision. The Gouter route presents little technical difficulty and is largely a physical challenge. It was certainly more satisfying to complete the climb independently and there was no time on the climb when we were wishing we had a guide. Our experience consisted of a week-long winter mountaineering course in Scotland, a week in Chamonix the previous year plus various summer hill walking/scrambling.

We spent the early part of the week re-familiarise ourselves with alpine skills and acclimatisation with walks up the Mer de Glace and around the Talefre glacier. Note that we went the first week in September and whilst we had the benefit of the climbs being a little quieter than in the peak months of July/August we found there were several cable cars that stopped running on 31 August and this did limit where we could easily go. Later in the week we climbed Mont Blanc du Tacul (4248m) starting from the Cosmiques hut. Tacul is very nice enjoyable one-day climb with great views, and is an ideal warm-up for Mont Blanc itself.

Despite leaving it late (a few weeks before leaving for Chamonix) we had managed to book space in the Gouter hut for the Sunday night, which was the final night of trip. Fortunately we were also lucky with the weather so on Sunday morning we drove along the valley to Les Houches to catch the cable car and tramway (TMB). Note that the ticket you buy at Les Houches is only for the cable car – you have to buy a separate ticket for the TMB, and this should be done immediately to ensure getting on the train as it is packed with tourists who have caught it from the bottom.

From the Nid d’Aigle station (the final stop) we headed up the track that winds up towards the Tete Rousse hut. There had been very little snow during the winter and was not until just before the hut that we reached the snow line. Soon after passing the hut we reached the edge of the infamous Grand Couloir. Unlike all the pictures we had seen the almost the whole couloir was devoid of snow and the steel safety cable was metres in the air. There turned out to be minimal stone fall in the couloir and the crossing was pleasantly anti-climatic. We then began the rocky scramble up the cliff to the Gouter hut. I have read widely varying accounts of this section – some people really enjoyed it while others really disliked it. I did like the lower sections but found the upper sections niggling. There were many short patches of compacted snow or ice that were not long enough to really justify putting on crampons but were sometimes a little tricky. In the end I must have put on and taken off my crampons at least three times, and I also made prudent use of the fixed steel cables near the top section. It was a nice feeling to reach the hut.

The hut was very full (although apparently less busy than the Friday and Saturday nights before). When the warden only read out three bunk spaces for us I naively said, “mais, nous somme quatres” the reply was “we are very full tonight”. So after eating dinner, we enjoyed the fantastic sunset from the hut balcony, prepared our kit for the following day and went to bed. In such overcrowded dormitories proper sleep is near impossible for most. Some, however, snored annoyingly loudly. The normal wake-up call at the Gouter is 2 a.m. At around 1 a.m. one of my friends asked (completely needlessly) “are you awake?”. We decided it was pointless lying awake waiting for 2 a.m. and so quietly the three of us (one friend suffering from the altitude deciding to stay at the hut) made our preparations. A little after 2 a.m. we were on our way up onto the ridge (past a handful of tents) and heading southwards.

We were amongst the very first people to leave the hut and after 45 minutes we could look back on the line of flickering head torches emerging onto ridge. Fairly soon we were onto the slopes of the Dome du Gouter and the going became much harder, both from the increase in gradient but also having to break trail in the snow. Navigation on the featureless slopes of the Dome should have been straightforward following a compass bearing. However in the darkness had managed to veer too far south-westwards. In the end this diversion probably only cost us 20 minutes or so, but it was amusing to spot our tracks when returning later in daylight. Over the top of the Dome and a welcome short decent to the Col du Dme. We were no much more exposed to the strengthening north-easterly wind. Past the Vallot hut make a careful mental note of its location (and also wondering where the doors to the hut are – found out later that apparently you enter the hut from underneath the floor…).

Immediately after the hut the gradient steepens significantly on reached the start of the Bosses ridge, and also the altitude starts becoming much more noticeable. Progress begins to be 5-10 steps, short rest, 5-10 steps, short rest…Dawn starts breaking and begin to take notice of the developing views on Italy to the right hand side and France to the left. The ridge is exposed on both sides and is fairly narrow in places, but not as bad as I was expecting from some accounts (certainly far more comfortable than the ridge out of the ice tunnel from the Aiguille de Midi cable car). The ascent of the ridge steadily becomes more and more tiring and soon am left longing for the summit. Eventually go past a rocky outcrop (at the time remember reading there was some significance to these rocks but can’t place exactly what…). A few hundred metres past ‘la Tournette’ rocks the summit arrives. Despite being forewarned still surprised at the anti-climax of reaching it. Not quite sure why – the views are very good and it is a satisfying feeling. On stopping the cold, the wind, the lack of sleep, the altitude and the effects of the previous 4½ hours exertion seem to catch up rapidly. Spend no more than 5-6 minutes at the summit taking a few photos and eating some food before heading back.

Descend the Bosses ridge very rapidly, at times almost jogging down, only slowing to pass the endless stream of people still labouring up (our early start now strongly vindicated). Stop for a proper rest near the Vallot hut out of the wind. Then back down the Dome du Gouter and to the hut. The descent of the rocky cliff down from the Gouter hut is slightly more niggling annoying than the ascent. Huge variations in speed of descent – some people happily bounding down without crampons not using any of the fixed cables, whilst others inched down slowly being short-roped by their guide. Reach the southern edge of the Grand Coulouir. Despite being much earlier in the day than yesterday there is now significant stone/rock fall in the couloir. Manage to cross uneventfully during a short lull. A couple of people behind us have a much less comfortable crossing having to duck swiftly a couple of times. Then a large fist sized rock rolls down the couloir and then bounces abruptly almost perpendicular to the couloir coming very close to us. Quickly decide no to linger at the edge of the couloir any longer. Brisk plod down the track to the TMB. Enjoy an hour or so sun bathing before the next tram arrives. Tram and cable car down to the car in Les Houches, quick change and then up the motorway to Geneva airport. Back at Heathrow at 9.30 p.m. just under 15 hours after being on the summit of western Europe’s highest mountain. A slightly surreal feeling.
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Selected Mont Blanc links:

British Mountaineering Council – excellent factsheet on Mont Blanc
www.thebmc.co.uk
Good general description of the Mont Blanc routes
www.terragalleria.com/mountain/info/chamonix/mb-easy.html
A diary of some novice climbers being guided to the summit
www.guidinglight.org.uk/chamdiary.html
A description of a couple’s guided ascent (several good photographs)
www.pardoes.com/climbing/blanc.htm
A good general information page about Mont Blanc, including some useful maps
lynx.uio.no/jon/mbmap.html