Ascent of Mont Blanc on 2011-07-18| Others in Party: | Euan Whittaker
Nick Asher
| | Date: | Monday, July 18, 2011 | | Ascent Type: | Successful Summit Attained | | Peak: | Mont Blanc | | Location: | France/Italy | | Elevation: | 15781 ft / 4810 m |
Ascent Trip ReportExpertly guided by Euan Whittaker & Martin Moran as part of a fortnight in the Alps. As is generally recommended our climb followed ascents of several other 4,000 metre peaks in the previous week to aid fitness and acclimatisation.
It was a snatched ascent between snow storms via the Goûter route and success seemed improbable at many stages. The tramway to Nid d'Aigle wasn't running because of the bad weather so we had to walk all the way up from Bellevue in horizontal snow. We opted to stay at the Tête Rousse Hut in each direction as it's less crowded and more conducive to sleep than the Goûter Hut.
The usual early alpine start ensured that the Goûter Ridge was frozen and less prone to rockfall and after slow but steady progress, with brief respites from the exposure at the Goûter and Vallot Huts, we eventually reached the summit at about 10:30, where the temperature was minus 12 °C with wind speeds of up to 60 km/h (so wind-chill & spindrift a problem). Fantastic views, a true sense of being on top of the world and no other climbers on the peak! Co-summitted with Euan and Nick Asher, unfortunately our fellow climber Neil Norris was forced to turn back at the Vallot Hut with an asthma attack. |
On the summit of Mont Blanc (2011-07-18). Photo by Peter Stone.
Click here for larger-size photo. | | Summary Total Data | | Total Elevation Gain: | 9875 ft / 3009 m | | Total Elevation Loss: | 7999 ft / 2438 m | | Quality: | 10 (on a subjective 1-10 scale) | | Route Conditions: | Unmaintained Trail, Snow on Ground, Scramble, Exposed Scramble, Snow Climb, Glacier Climb | | Gear Used: | Ice Axe, Crampons, Rope, Guide, Hut Camp | | Ascent Statistics | | Gain on way in: | 9875 ft / 3009 m | | Route: | Goûter | | Start Trailhead: | Bellevue 5906 ft / 1800 m | | Descent Statistics | | Loss on way out: | 7999 ft / 2438 m | | Route: | Goûter | | End Trailhead: | Nid d'Aigle 7782 ft / 2371 m |
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