Mont Blanc Special

This course page should be read in conjunction with an explanation of ISM's Mont Blanc Policy.

As the highest summit in the Alps, Mont Blanc (4807m) is a worthy goal for mountaineers of all levels. On this course we aim to achieve one of the classic routes of the peak, having first acclimatised on another high alpine peak and practised all the skills required for a safe and enjoyable ascent of Mont Blanc itself.

On Mont Blanc the route we choose could be the traverse from the Cosmiques hut, the Gouter Ridge, or the classic route from Italy via the Gonella hut. We will take the most suitable route according to conditions, the weather and the needs of the group.

At the start of the week we head up to the mountain hut beneath our acclimatisation peak. A perfect objective is the Gran Paradiso (4061m), an important summit in its own right being the highest entirely within Italy. If any course participants have already climbed Gran Paradiso then either Mt Velan (3731m) or Mt Blanc de Cheilon (3869m) are excellent alternatives.

We then go on to attempt Mont Blanc by one of its classic routes. Options include the ‘three Mont Blancs’ traverse over Mont Blanc du Tacul and Mont Maudit, the normal route from Italy or the very popular Goûter Ridge from France. We will choose the safest and surest route according to conditions on the mountain and the weather forecast. A guiding ratio of 2:1 throughout the week gives us the flexibility to adapt the course to individual needs and to give specific training as appropriate.

By climbing with the same guide all week, having a choice of routes on Mont Blanc and the flexibility to choose our summit day according to the weather, we give you the best possible chance of success on Mont Blanc, and a great week of alpine climbing in the process.

Who the course will suit

This course is aimed at participants with previous mountain experience and general mountaineering skills, such as scrambling on rocky terrain in ascent and descent. Prior experience of ropework and ice axe & crampons is beneficial, however this is also covered within the course.

You need to have a high level of general fitness, such as that gained from regular climbing, regular hill walking with a rucksack or strenuous aerobic exercise focused on legs and lungs. Do prepare yourself well with regular aerobic exercise and please don’t underestimate the effort involved; climbing any 4000m peak is physically demanding and Mt Blanc is closer to 5000m!

Brief outline of a typical course programme - in this example we climb from the Cosmiques hut and day 5 (Wednesday) is the best weather day.

Day 1. Meeting with the guides and course briefing at the Grand Chalet hotel, Leysin, 7.00pm.
Day 2. Equipment check, travel to Valsavarenche and walk up to the Chabod hut. Technical session on alpine ropework and ice axe and crampon skills.
Day 3. Ascent of the Gran Paradiso and either return to the Chabod hut or continue to the valley.
Day 4. Take Aiguille du Midi cablecar then traverse to the Cosmiques hut, which can be reached via an interesting ridge climb.
Day 5. Pre dawn start to climb Mt. Banc (4807m) via the ‘Three Blancs’ route. Return to the Cosmiques hut.
Day 6. Mountain day from the Cosmiques hut, flexible in case this is the best day for a summit attempt.
Day 7. Climb the Cosmiques ridge back to the Aiguille Du Midi. Descend to Chamonix and return to Leysin.
Day 8. Breakfast and departure.

Typical Course Programme - in this example climbing Mt Blanc via the Goûter Ridge

This is very much a sample program of the course as several different acclimatisation peaks and climbs are possible. We will also adapt the program to make use of the best weather for our ascent of Mt Blanc.

Saturday evening.

The course starts with participants and guides meeting at 7.00pm at Le Grand Chalet hotel in Leysin. This is the chance for the guides to give you a thorough briefing of the details of the course, sort out any particular personal equipment requirements and for you to ask any questions that you may have!

Sunday.

After breakfast, we start by checking equipment and issuing any items needed by course participants. We travel by minibus across the picturesque Grand St. Bernard col into Italy, then up the more remote Val Savarenche to our starting point for the ascent of the Gran Paradiso. We generally have a picnic lunch here and then climb up steeply on the well-made walking track to the comfortable and very friendly Chabod hut, set beneath the spectacular north face of the Gran Paradiso. The ascent to the hut takes around 3 hours and involves a height gain of about 1000m. Once we are settled in we will have a training session on the use of the technical climbing equipment (crampons, harness, etc) and look at basic climbing knots and rope work. The Chabod hut is very well regarded by the guides, and Titania, the hut guardian, invariably prepares a hearty Italian meal of minestrone, pasta, meat and veg – just what is needed for the day ahead!

Monday.

We leave the hut before dawn to start our ascent of Gran Paradiso. The route starts as a good track, which quickly becomes less distinct as we cross the moraine slopes onto the glacier. It will be light by the time we reach the glacier, and we stop here for a brief training session with crampons and ice axe before roping up to continue our climb. The ice slopes on this ascent are not unduly steep, but are quite continuous. We do take regular rest stops as we go! There is also quite a crevassed section as we get higher and the guides will be paying particular attention here to ensure that the whole team is using the proper technique with the rope. Finally, we cross the bergschrund to climb a short steeper slope onto the summit ridge. The ridge is quite short and is an easy scramble over rocks, but is exposed! In no time, we reach the Madonna on the summit and can take in the fantastic panorama of mountains all around us – not least an excellent view of Mt Blanc to our north. We descend via the same route and return to the warm welcome and hearty cooking of the Chabod hut.

Tuesday.

After breakfast at 7am we walk back down to the Valsavarenche, a very pleasant time to be walking down. It is cool in the morning and this is the time when we are likely to see some of the fauna the Paradiso range is famous for, especially chamois and ibex. We drive along the Val d'Aosta to the Mont Blanc Tunnel and cross through into France, arriving in Chamonix by early afternoon. Now we can relax and have a look around Chamonix, in order to be well rested for the demanding days to come. Chamonix has the best concentration of mountaineering equipment shops in the world and this is an opportunity for the guides to help you with any final equipment needs or changes. We stay at the comfortable Hotel La Chaumiere, run by a very friendly couple, Maria and Mario. The hotel is ideally situated on the outskirts of Chamonix near the cliff of Les Gaillands.

Wednesday.

Early in the morning we take the short cable car ride connecting to the cog railway that takes us up to the Nid d’Aigle (2370m) - our starting point for the Mt Blanc climb. A good track takes us up in a few hours to the new Tête Rousse hut at 3167m. It is possible to stay here, but normally we prefer to carry on to the Goûter hut further up. We rope up to cross a small glacier and then traverse the notorious Grand Couloir. This section can be exposed to possible stone fall from above, and your guide will rest and brief you before hurrying everyone across to the safety of the rocks on the far side. For a properly prepared team the actual crossing takes only a minute or so, and in good conditions there is little stonefall risk. From here, a long but enjoyable section of rock scrambling up the crest of the spur leads to the Goûter hut at 3800m. The final section up to the hut has some fixed cables to use as a handhold and for security. The whole ascent from Nid d'Aigle takes about 6 hours and we do try to get to the hut as early as possible so that you have time to recuperate before our start tomorrow in the early hours.

Thursday.

The Goûter hut is notoriously busy and your guide will make sure that everyone is properly prepared to make a prompt get away in the morning. The wake up call is normally at 2.00am, and after a hasty breakfast we rope up and start out from the hut. The entire ascent is now on snow and ice and we will have crampons on the whole way. A short horizontal ridge takes us on to the broad and easy slopes of the Dôme de Goûter (4304m). From the top of the Dôme we descend slightly and then quickly reach the emergency shelter of the Vallot hut at 4362m. Above this it is almost always very cold and you will often need all the extra warm clothing your guide will have persuaded you to bring! From here, a steeper ascent takes us us to the icy domes of Les Bosses at 4547m and then to the gradually narrowing summit ridge. Normally we reach the summit soon after daybreak and of course the obligatory photographs and celebration! Generally it is too cold to want to stay long, so we soon start our descent back to the Gouter hut. After a break here, we carry on down the rocks and back across the Grand Couloir to the Tête Rousse hut. If time and energy permit, we may continue down to the valley, but we often plan to stay at the Tete Rousse to give a more relaxed descent.

Friday.

We have the Friday as a contingency day in case of poor weather earlier in the week or in case we are still getting down from the Tête Rousse or Goûter huts! However if we have made it down to Chamonix the previous evening we organise a rock climbing session at one of the local crags, normally the friendly and popular Les Gaillands. In the afternoon, we travel back across the Col de Forclaz to our hotel in Leysin. All the ISM courses meet back here on Friday and there is generally quite a get together at the Yeti bar in the evening, with the week’s adventures being recounted and future plans being hatched!

Saturday morning.

Breakfast at the hotel is included before departure.

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