Mont Blanc in November

I like it when it's quite and only few people are around. That's when I feel most comfortable.

So finally I was able to take two days off work in a row. This used to happen only every once in a while and those "weekends" were to be used wisely.

They were.

The weather forecast was perfect, the lifts all closed and my motivation high. The alarm went off at 04.00 in the morning. I grabbed my readily packed rucksack, ran to the car and hauled west on the Autobahn.

Reaching the Bellevue area

I reached Les Houches at 09.30 am. Parked, went to the grocery store to get a slice of cold pizza. It was cold but not freezing, I started along the hiking trail that I limped down during the TDS trail race. Reaching the Bellevue train station of the Tramway de Mont Blanc I followed its tracks. This is like a highway, gradual incline, no switchbacks. Reached Nid d'Aigle at 11.30 am where I caught up to an athlete carrying ultra light paragliding equipment. He asked me for some TP and rushed off in a hurry. After reaching the first snowfields at Col de Rogne I started up towards Tete Rousse. Reached the Tete Rousse hut at 13.30 and switched Adidas Terrex for mountaineering boots and donned softshell trousers and helmet. At this time the paraglider just crossed the Grand Couloir. Startet up towards the couloir and crossed. It was quite, lots of snow, stream of molten water dividing the couloir and flushing underneath the packed snow and ice. Gotta jump it! Climbing the Grand Couloir wearing sun glasses and t-shirt, lots of sun screen, lot of soft snow.

Gouter Refuges, Grand Couloir and up front the ridge leading up to Tete Rousse

Reached the old Gouter hut at 15.30 and started to notice the air getting thinner. So did the frenchman whom I caught up with, and so we entered the winter annex after a short conversation. His friend was already further up and moving a little faster; they were able to park their SUV all the way up at the Bellevue station.

The other frenchman returned to the Gouter hut just in time when the sun was setting, meanwhile the paraglider started his descent at Dome de Gouter towards Cham valley.

We shared supper and had a good laugh when in the darkness two more french mountaineers climbed the couloir and reached the refuge.

The next day we got up late at 07.00, which is alright if you can move fast and are not in a hurry. I started off after a cup of tea and a granola bar. Frenchmen told me to go ahead, they will be moving at a more comfortable pace.

The Mont Blanc casting its shadow over France as the sun rises

So I did and reached the Dome du Gouter at maybe 08.30, Refuge Vallot at 09.00.

The Aiguille de Bionassay is a beauty

No break at the Refuge Vallot, the sun was out and crevasses were wide open. Sun, clear skies and I was climbing further up wearing a long sleeve shirt only. All the sun getting reflected off the snowy surface had me roll back the sleeves and put on more sun screen. Upon reaching the Refuge Vallot I donned a light Goretex active shell because of the wind. Zipper vents open. The snow was frozen pretty hard but wind filled all low spots with very fine powder and at times I would sink in to above the knees. Climbing the Aiguille des Bosses was a bit scetchy with my dull crampons. The cornice didn't seem trustworthy at all and moving along the flank it was required to hack steps into the ice. The Bosses ridge stopped abruptly because of a large serac that went all along the north face of the summit. I followed the serac just like the mountaineer did who traversed from the Aiguille de Bionassay towards the Dome de Gouter about an hour ahead of me reaching it.

Frenchman who traversed from the Aiguille de Bionassay reaching the Refuge Vallot

At one point the serac got lower and I was able to climb over it and climb towards the summit along the ridge coming from Mt Maudit.

Traversing the north face along the serac

The beautiful serac below the summit

The summit was empty, I donned warm gloves and a fleece jacket underneath the Goretex shell. Enjoyed the fresh thin air, sun, space. It was actually quite cold. One can see all the way to Italy, France, Savoie, Haute Savoie, Switzerland to the north and north-east. Rhone-Alpes is what the french region culminating in the Mt Blanc massiv used to be called.

A helicopter of the Compagnie de Mt Blanc was constantly circling around the mountain. Up towards the summit, above the Bosson glacier, towards the Mer de Glace and back up again.

On the way down I met the frenchmen again as they just scaled the serac, about 20 minutes until they would reach the summit. On the way down I could jump the serac. This time I risked descending directly along the cornice of the Bosses Ridge. Reached the plateau underneath the Refuge Vallot and it was getting warm again.

The Bosses Ridge

Back at the Refuge Gouter winter annex I retrieved the unused gear and starting descending the Grand Couloir. Is it over already? It's not over just yet, but the most beautiful part of the climb is.

So, climb down the Grand Couloir and cross it towards the Tete Rousse glacier. Met a slowenian team of mountaineers who spent the night at the Tete Rousse winter room acclimatizing. Crossed the snow field towards the ridge and met a group of frenchmen. The snow was really soft, letting me sink in above the knees almost to the waist. The Tete Rousse glacier suffered heavily from the warm and dry summer. Descended the ridge towards the Col de Rogne and switched back to track suit pants and running shoes. T-shirt, sun screen and so I continued towards Nid d'Aigle and Bellevue following the train tracks. I think the Tramway de Mt Blanc is the highest cogwheel train in France.

Back at the Col de Rogne

Got to Bellevue and hiked down towards Les Houches as the sun set and the Aiguille de Midi lit up in red and orange. The sun disappeared and the temperature dropped. I was back at the car at 17.00.

A quick wash-up with the left over molten snow and some deodorant plus a fresh shirt, fire up the Peugeot and head for town. Got some supper and headed back north towards Switzerland. Back home at 20.30, unpacked and lay out all the gear, took a shower and gorged on more food.

What do you do when you get two days off work?

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hansw - Mar 30, 2016 3:57 pm - Voted 10/10

Good read!

Your story makes me remember when I did the same climb 25 years ago. But it was a lot harder back then. Or possibly, I wasn’t as fit as you. :)
/Hans

rgg - Mar 31, 2016 9:58 am - Voted 10/10

Nice story

Fortunately I have more free time, so I don't have to hurry up and down in just two days. Besides, I'd have to train a whole lot more if I would ever want to do it this fast. But still nice to read about it.

A couple of suggestions: you can attach your pictures to this Trip Report, and you can select one as Primary Image.

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