UKC

I,ve heard seracs on Mont Blanc Du Tacul are bad at the moment and not many people are going this way. Anyone got a first hand take on this please?

In reply to rocksol:

They're always bad. just move out early and move fast.

In reply to rocksol:

Was there 10 days ago and the guides said not many parties had attempted the trois mont route that season so far. Whilst up on the col I saw a fair few bits fall down various parts of the face, to be honest it just looks a bit too dangerous currently.

In reply to higherclimbingwales:

I dont think they are always bad and seracs can fall at any time as several of my friends over the years have found to their cost!

In reply to rocksol:

The Three Monts route has hardly been climbed all summer. I have been high on the Blanc on the Gouter route three times this summer, and there was no track coming over from Maudit on any of these occasions. It has been very stormy, and the the avalanche risk on the Tacul and Maudit slopes has been high. It certainly is at the moment, with plenty of new snow up high in the past week on strong winds. Last saturday, a small serac release on the upper right side of the Tacul face triggered a large windslab, several football fields-worth, with a crown wall that looked to be possibly 2m high, visible from miles away. To boot, the slope has had a large crevasse splitting the whole slope about a third of the way all summer as an obstacle.

I'd avoid the Tacul slope at the moment!

In reply to gav p:


It is worth pointing out that the Maudit slope is almost equally dangerous, virtually identical aspect and steepness, and the site of a very serious accident last year.

In reply to rocksol:
A bump on this (and slight highjack).

Planning doing the 'Royal Traverse' (Miage-Bionnassay-Blanc plus continuation of Midi Traverse) which would involve descent (col de la Brenva, Mont Maudit and Mont Blanc du Tacul) at the end of a long day from Durier hut (Bionnassay-col de Dome-Blanc).

Obviously this puts the descent late(r) in the day, so was after accurate/current info on the state of this. I'm aware it's 'always dodgy' but if it is particular so then might adjust timings and bivi above Maudit/Tacul serac area to descend at an earlier (better) time.

Cheers

Rob

PS have obviously e-mailed OHM as well.

In reply to gav p:



What he said! Looked awful for the weeks we were there ( a couple of weeks ago), and I believe there has been a lot more snow.

In reply to JohnnyW:

Ok - shame, back to the drawing board...(?)

In reply to rocksol:

So, just for info... Just heard from the OHM who recommended definitely not using the Trois Monts route (for descent, in our case) - due to risk of wind slabs. They said they didn't know "when teams would use it again".