Climbing Mont Blanc
to come across a team working on securing the cliffs above the tracks. They informed us in no uncertain terms that there was no way we were passing this way under these dangerous works. “Demi-tour, demi-tour” came the shout, meaning turn round and go back up! Another 30 minutes later we were back at Nid d’Aigle looking very sorry for ourselves and picking up the alternative path. These last two and a half hours of hiking felt like a kind of mental torture. The 5 of us had been on the mountain for well over 12 hours having barely slept the night before. The path just seemed to go on and on. At around 8pm it got fully dark as we climbed up into the forest. Head torches came out again as we picked our way through the roots and rocks. Eventually, at 9pm, in a near zombie like state, we arrived back at the van. Eduardo and Jonatan had originally planned to descend on the Bellevue cable car which closed at 5pm so they were pleased we had taken the decision to drive up, as were we! 45 minutes later we were in Chamonix, dropping the two of them off at their hotel and stocking up on burgers and chips for our drive back home. Finally, at half past midnight, some 22 hours after our day started, we rolled into Bourg St. Maurice and the welcome solace of our own beds to sleep the sleep of the dead.
Bellevue to Refuge du Gouter 2000m ascent (10 hours for us) Refuge du Gouter to Mont Blanc summit - 1000m ascent (5.5 hours) Mont Blanc to Refuge du Gouter 1000m descent (3.5 hours) Refuge du Gouter to Bellevue 2000m descent (7 hours) Climbing Mont Blanc definitely isn’t for anyone. Its bloody hard work as we found out. The best way to do it would be with a guide. They know the route inside out. They can read the weather and make the right decisions. They are responsible for your safety and will make sure you get back without incident. Don’t rush it. We originally planned to attempt the whole thing in two days. Elite trail runner Kilian Jornet ran to the summit and back in less than 5 hours in 2013 (by a different route) but obviously he is a freak of nature! If we did it again I’d aim for four days. Perhaps day 1 up to the Tete Rousse, day 2 up to the Gouter, summit day 3 and back to the Gouter, descent to the valley on day 4. This would give loads more time to adjust to the altitude, prevent you from getting excessively fatigued and overall be much safer. Train well before hand particularly at high altitude. Aim to tackle at least 2 peaks over 3500m.
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Tramway du Mont Blanc - 31.50 euros return - open mid-June until early September and through the winter Telecabine de Bellevue (Les Houches) - 18 euros return - open mid-June until late September and through the winter Nearest accessible parking to Gouter route - Bionassy (45.868337, 6.761251) St Gervais Mairie Minimum Equipment Requirements • Hat, glacier sunglasses, goggles, sunscreen • Mountaineering helmet • Headlamp • 2 pairs of gloves (1 light, 1 warm) • Gaiters • Clothes for mountaineering (warm socks, gore-tex trousers and coat, fleece or down jacket) • Mountaineering shoes with crampons • Harness and crevasse rescue kit • Rope • Ice axe and walking poles • GPS or compass and altimeter
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