Toyohashi Alpine Club
Mountaineering in Europe
Mont Blanc (4807m)
France
22nd/ 23rd August, 2000
Party: Iain Williams, Adrian Engelbrecht
Report by Iain Williams
I can’t say that climbing Mt Blanc was the highest priority for me on this summer’s trip to Chamonix, certainly not on the normal routes. My partner for the trip, Adrian (hailing from South Africa) and myself had been eyeing the Brenva ridge in the guidebook but we lacked the determination to see our original plan through so ended up deciding to opt for an easier ascent from the Gouter hut and a descent across Maudit and Mt Blanc du Tacul back to the Midi cable car.
Mt Blanc was to be our last climb of the trip, in the previous ten days we had plodded up the Aiguille du Tour, enjoyed the airy delights of the Aiguille de Rochefort via the Rochefort ridge and skedaddled along the Midi - Plan traverse. By the time Mont Blanc appeared on our to do list we felt well acclimatised and pretty fit, despite trying to shake off head colds.
The trip started at the Chamonix bus station where we caught a bus down to Les Houches followed by a cable car up to Bellevue. We arrived there at 1:45 and expected to get the 2:15 train but were told it was full and that the 3:15 train would probably be full as well. Things didn’t look too good, visions of arriving at the Gouter hut at 10pm with only a few hours rest before setting off for the summit went through my mind. In the end we got on the 14:15 train and reached Nid d’Aigle in good time.
Once off the train we got going for real. We had reckoned on taking six hours to get to the hut and set off at a good pace. The trail was well defined and climbed at a nice gradient up across shattered rocky terrain. We passed many folks, day hikers and climbers as they headed down to the train. A cool wind kept us refreshed and the sky was pretty clear. Way up above I could make out a hut and presumed it was the Tete Rousse and not the Gouter. Soon after we happily came across the Tete Rousse hut. We didn’t stop and continued on the rock across to the left and then plodded across a snowfield, more rocky terrain followed and then it was time to cross the Grand Couloir.
The Grand Couloir has a bad name due to the loose stuff, which comes down from above due to natural and human erosion. A steel cable crosses it and it is a good idea to clip into it. When we got there, there wasn’t much snow around, certainly didn’t look like the photos I’d seen in books. The cable was also a bit on the high side so we decided to quickly scramble across which we did without incident. After this point the route became a lot more fun. The gradient got steeper and the route turned into more of a scramble than a hike. There was still a bit of fresh snow lying around from the storm of the previous night but it didn’t add any difficulty. We climbed steadily being careful not to knock any loose rock into the couloir on our left. It was also now much colder, Adrian stopped to put on his jacket. I continued in my t-shirt as the hut wasn’t too far off. The last 100m or so leading up to the hut has some fixed cables on the rock. Here, several large parties were clipping in and moving very slowly. We quickly scrambled passed them and soon found ourselves on the balcony in front of the hut. It had taken us four hours to get there. Still wearing my t shirt I didn’t hang about and quickly headed inside, feeling a little on the chilled side.
Inside everyone was seated and tucking into the evening meal. I enquired about staying for the night and was politely informed that the establishment was full and that we would have to stay some place else. We headed back outside and prepared dinner out the back of the hut next to a high wall of snow. An hour later we were back in the empty dining room and were told we could kip on the floor but had to be up and out of the way for breakfast at two. We sat by a window drinking tea and watched the sun disappear, thinking that the next time we would see it we should be on the summit.
We also got chatting with another English bloke, Jonathan, who was on his own. I offered him a place on our rope, which he took up. Just after nine we took our places under the tables for our attempt at rest. Some foam mats had been handed out to make life a bit more comfortable, I just had my gore tex bivvy bag for sleeping in and was reasonably warm. Soon after, some eastern European climbers wandered in and began cooking in a small room next to the dining room (we didn’t realise it existed when we cooked earlier outside). They chatted and ate while the rest of the room tried to sleep. I was on the verge of a heavy dose of hut rage but managed to resort to verbal outbursts only, plus shining my head torch into their eyes later when they were sorting out their sleeping arrangements.
The hours passed slowly and we didn’t really sleep. At 1am my alarm went off and I suggested to Adrian that we wait 15 mins more. We were then up and getting ready (plus made sure the beam from my headtorch found the faces of our eastern European friends). In the lobby of the hut I ate an orange, some muesli bars and a bit of chocolate. I didn’t feel too bad considering the lack of sleep and the time of day. We got kitted up before the crowd built up and left the hut just before 2am.
Outside it was cold and windy. We were the first out of the hut, I lead with Adrian at the rear. The route was well worn and started at a very gentle gradient and slowly got steeper as we headed up onto the Dome du Gouter. The sky was fairly clear and behind us we could see the lights of Chamonix twinkling. Amazingly there were no head torches in front of us. The wind felt pretty strong and cold as we plodded on through our dark and colourless environment. As we neared the Dome du Gouter I lost the trail. The previous night’s snow had covered the established trail. I chose our own route and we worked up the snowy slopes of the Dome in a series of switchbacks. It was hard work and many times I’d slip back in the fresh snow. Several times I tried unsuccessfully to pass the lead to Adrian. Below and behind us we could see many head torches following.
Descending the other side of the Dome was nice on the legs but not on the mind. Once on the flat terrain of the col we took a quick break whilst I put on a fleece. That was the first time ever, I’ve stopped en route to add a layer. I was really feeling the cold, way more than ever before. I think it was a combination of fatigue and still having a bit of a cold. I regretted not bringing my woolly hat and thicker gloves. We plodded on and started ascending again, this time more steeply and in a well worn groove in the snow. I was surprised how steep it was, not difficult, but steeper than I’d expected. We were on the Bosses ridge. Way over to our left the sun was nearing the horizon. We plodded onwards and upwards stopping now and again for a few swigs of water. The sunrise was superb, I think the best I’ve seen in the Alps. The rich orange glow of the sky above a huge panorama of alpine peaks and valleys made for a stunning sight. As we slowly started to feel the coming warmth the valleys down below remained in haze and darkness. We passed over the Grandes and Petites Bosses thinking each one would be the summit. The summit was not far off and we soon carefully rose over the exposed summit ridge. Again there was a well worn groove in the snow. To our left and right the rounded slopes fell away steeply, easy terrain but not the place to practice self arrest techniques.
At last the summit appeared before us, with the Grand Combin and the Zermatt giants way off in the background. Two parties who had passed us lower on the Bosses ridge were also on top. It was quite a spot. The whole of the high Alps were bathing in the glow of the early morning sun and we were standing on top of Europe. Looking down and around I found it hard to agree with Whymper and his thought that the views from the summit of Mt Blanc were not so good as there was nothing to look up to. I was very impressed with everything I could see. The usual handshakes and summit photos followed. It had taken us 5 hrs 15mins, a bit slow but the crowds were still behind us. The wind was still on the fresh side so we decided to descend a way before breakfasting. Jonathan wasn’t keen to join us on our descent and said he would retrace his steps back to the Gouter hut. We told him to be careful, wished him luck and then started our descent down the rounded slope to the col de la Brenva with the low early morning sun on our faces.
Towards the bottom of the slope we stopped near a rocky outcrop and took a break. We weren’t very sheltered, the wind kept whipping up and blowing spindrift into our faces in short sharp gusts but the snacks and water went down well. Folk who had set out from the Cosmiques hut started to pass us heading for the summit. We didn’t envy them having to slog it a few hundred metres up the slope we’d just descended (little did we fully realise what lay ahead for us). Way across the north west face we could just make out people heading up the Bosses ridge.
We descended around the rocks and plodded towards the final steep and icy section on to the col de la Brenva. There, we passed more weary folks heading up. It was also a bit steeper than I was expecting so ended up turning over and slowly front pointing my way down. Again it wasn’t much fun, getting blasted with icy spindrift. Down on the flat terrain of the col we looked up at the summit of Mt Maudit, which was desperately close. Feeling on the fatigued side I was relieved when Adrian agreed to leave the summit and skirt round the side and push on with the descent. We slowly started ascending and traversing the south west side of Maudit. The exposure came back and we carefully made our way across the face onto the north west ridge.
On the narrow snow crested ridge we got a view down the steep snow slopes of the northern side. There was a fixed rope in place at the top of the slope. We used the anchor point to set up our own abseil. Once at the bottom there was still 25m or so to go before reaching easier terrain. There was also a long way to fall if you slipped on that 25m so I requested we set up an abseil off the end of the fixed rope. I clipped in whilst Adrian started his descent, he was soon followed by a polite Italian guide and his two clients who we let ab down our rope. At the bottom of the fixed rope we were then joined by a not so polite French guide and his client. We got held up waiting for both parties to pass, the guides didn’t say a word to each other, which I found a little strange. The French guide then shot off and up leaving his client anchored next to us. Before he reached the top he’d run out of rope and started pulling on his anchored client. She in turn got very worried. With my limited French we sorted her out and told her to follow him. Her technique left a lot to be desired and she was very nervous, not the best display of guiding I’ve ever seen!
After our short abseil we roped up again and descended down the steep face in the ever-softening snow. My legs were really starting to feel it but at least the terrain was pretty safe. The sun was also high in the clear sky knocking out a lot of heat that would have been very welcome eight hours earlier. Once down on the next col we took a good break. We were both pretty whacked and didn’t relish the idea of climbing up on to Mont Blanc du Tacul. Eventually we mustered up some determination and set off once again.
On the crest of the ridge we looked across to our right and the summit of Mont Blanc du Tacul, again very close but our sights were now firmly fixed on the Midi cable car station which was still a depressingly long way off. One more long descent and ascent was all that stood between us. We plodded down a well worn route on Tacul. In some places some beautiful and threatening snow bulges loomed over head. Near the bottom we crossed some large crevasses and then had an attempt at glissading the final section in the soft snow, without success.
The 1.5 km across the col du midi was wonderfully flat. We still moved slowly. Eventually we reached the base of the slope that would take us up to the cable car station. We sat down again and took a long break. It was very warm and still. Above us the gondolas would roll in and out of the midi station, making the only noise, against the dark blue sky. Before we set off again Adrian suggested we ration ourselves to 5 breaks before we topped out. If we’d done that we’d never have made it by nightfall. We slowly plodded up the slope and somehow made it up on to the main ridge where we’d been a few days before on our Midi - Plan traverse. As the ridge got steeper and narrower our minds quickly focused on the job at hand and we carefully and deliberately ascended. Looking up I could see faces peering from the tunnel in the rock. As we neared them I tried to look fresh and in control with my belly in, chest out and keen look on my face. Once in the mouth of the tunnel the relief of no more ascending set in. To our amazement we had made it up the last 300m, in both our minds, by far the toughest part of the whole route.
The ride down was pure luxury and we were soon breathing the warm and moist air of Chamonix. The trip had been a great success and had been way more satisfying than I’d expected. I’d experienced a similar feeling after climbing Fuji for the first time. I’d resigned myself to having a miserable time on both mountains, which I’d regarded as having mundane ascent routes. Both times I walked away with great memories of very satisfying trips. Having said that, I don’t wish to climb Mt Blanc by either of the routes that we were on again. Next time it has to be something more challenging, i.e. something on the Italian side. In a way I’m also quite glad we didn’t summit on Maudit and Tacul, both mountains have fine routes which would make excellent summit days. Summitting the two peaks on the way back from Mt Blanc wouldn’t really be doing them justice. Mt Blanc was also our last climb of the trip. We made some plans to do the Aiguille Verte and then changed them to the easier Aiguille du Chardonnet, but in the end the beer and relaxed pace of life in Chamonix won us over.
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