UKC

Hello all, first post so hope I'm in the right place. I'm looking to do Mont Blanc at the end of the summer (around 29th Aug - 5th Sept) via Gouter Hut route. I'm exploring the various options (paying for the whole week's 'experience'/hiring a guide for a couple days/going it alone) and I would be keen to partner up with someone who fancies giving it a shot on our own as my normal walking/climbing partner is currently recovering from (non-related it should be said) major surgery.
I'm also keen to hear from anyone who has experience of doing it themselves or has found a guide out there at a reasonable price.
As far as my experience goes I've done plenty of full winter Munros with crampons/axe but never been roped up in the real world and have pretty limited indoor climbing experience.
Any interest/comments much appreciated!
Gav

In reply to achillespilot:

There are quite a variety of skills required to ascend Mont Blanc via the Gouter route. Yes, you can hire a guide to take you and therefore not have to worry too much, join someone more experienced / skilled than you or choose to tackle it with someone of similar experience levels having fun developing the skills and knowledge along the way.
There are plenty of articles, video clips and books that will help. Here is an excellent article by Charlie Boscoe:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=5784

I also recommend Bruce Goodlad's book 'Alpine Mountaineering'

You will need to be fit, acclimatised, the route in reasonable condition and a good stable forecast. The route is mostly walking and scrambling in the lower section and snow / glacier walking for the upper section. There is a narrow ridge section and lots of loose rock around in the lower section which often gets knocked off by less careful people. At the least you would need to be able to move roped together on glacial terrain and know / have practiced how to perform crevasse rescue as well as having good crampon and axe skills.
In Chamonix forecasts are excellent, available in English and in pictures (!) and route information can be obtained from the friendly Office de Haute Montagne in town.

In reply to Mark Haward:


Yes, they normally say "demain mauvais temps et vent fort, en deux ou trois jours, beau temps et chaude".

The trouble is, the beau temps is ALWAYS in deux ou trois jours.

In reply to Simon4:

So true!
If weather poor I normally head to Italian side or Switzerland for a few days and, if all else fails, head for sunny Finale.

In reply to Mark Haward:

I was tempted to sarcastically put "the forecasts are excellent, unfortunately the weather is normally nothing like as good".

In reply to achillespilot:

The way the problems are compounding about the Gouter hut you,ve no chance of getting in Aug/Sept without a guide. Barmy French trying to stop all but French guides doing Gouter route.
Try starting from Cosmiques and dong traverse but might be too much for your level of experience
Racing snakes do full traverse from first Midi frique !

In reply to rocksol:

You can stay at the Tete Rousse hut. Disadvantage is a longer summit day, advantages include crossing the couloir when rockfall is minimised.

In reply to Mark Haward:


I wouldn't fancy this. The pull up to the Goiter is tough.

In reply to Dave the Rave:

We did it a couple of years ago from the Tete Rousse. We camped on the glacier outside the hut and went in for dinner. It was pretty scary watching the rocks come down the couloir in the afternoon, but nice and quiet when we crossed over at about 12:30 that night. It is a long day, but is a decent option if you haven't got a guide/hut space.

In reply to Mark Haward:

I quite forgot that option and in fact I've done it from there many years ago

In reply to achillespilot:

I didn't climb this ,but hope you will share your story after experienced.

In reply to achillespilot:
Three of us did it some years ago by taking the tram way up to the Eagles Nest terminus around 8am in the morning from the valley train sation, walked up past the Tete Rousse hut, up the Gouter ridge and camped out above the Gouter hut, in a Quasar tent. Set off 2 am next morning , summitted around 8 am, back to Gouter for lunch and then back down the ridge to the tramway for around 4pm, and back down to the valley and back in Cham around 7pm. Disadvantages: amount of kit inc. mats to sleep on the snow, light sleeping bags, stove to brew up, food. If you intend using the tramway back down later in the day, make sure you have a booked ticket, otherwise you risk all the late trams being full and being stranded at the eagles nest staion.

In reply to ianghogg:

It varies from week to week but in the last couple of years there have been occasions when French police (or some branch of) stationed near the Tete Rousse have been turning back people who did not have a hut booking at the Gouter and also anyone with camping equipment. The camping situation near the Gouter has got quite disgusting due to some folks not being discrete / thoughtful in their behaviour.

Thanks everyone for your comments! I've actually got a booking at Gouter for 2nd September, was just 30 EU deposit so I thought might as well! Flights booked for 29th Aug-5th Sept... Not booked a course yet but thinking of going with Mont Blanc Guides.

In reply to achillespilot:

I did this route in 2012 with a group of mates, as my first big alpine route. I would love to go back an repeat it this summer, if at all possible. When do you need to know by and if you're staying at the Gouter, where will your climbing partner sleep (assuming it's all booked-up by now)?

The Bossons (summit) ridge is narrow and exposed, I strongly advise plenty of practice moving roped-up on a short rope with your partner beforehand.

If you want to go solo, be aware of the crevasse risk and walking off ice cliffs in bad weather. Perhaps someone with more knowledge of the crevasse risks up there can weigh in on this?

In reply to achillespilot:
Flight 29th Aug, hut 2nd. That gives you no time to aclimatise, i tried it with very little acclimatisation 3/4 days after arriving and only doing 1 high route and had to turn back about 1 hour after leaving the gouter hut. Both myself and my very fit younger son felt awefull. The only reason we tried it without acclimatising first was the weather forcast said 2/3 days of good weather the turning bad so we had no choice but to give it a go. Do not underestimate the altertude and its effects on you.

In reply to achillespilot:

'I've actually got a booking at Gouter for 2nd September, was just 30 EU deposit'

I remember having a booking at the Gouter when I did it, didn't stop them denying all knowledge of me when I called to confirm it 3 days before. I strongly suspect our places had been taken by french guides and clients. Obviously the system has changed since then if they have taken a deposit from you. So hopefully you won't have our experience.

My son and I did it from the Tete Rousse and back down to valley in a day, a very long day, but it can be done!

I was not impressed by the behaviour of many of the guides, and would never do a 'tourist' route again!

Hope you have a good trip.

In reply to achillespilot: I'm
Looking to do the Matterhorn around September 6-8th , have summitted Mont Blanc before but wouldn't mind it again. I know the particular route you wish to take and the huts/timings kit needed

In reply to achillespilot:

Let me know if need a guide.. I will have one staying here on Les houches on the 6th.

Pk

In reply to achillespilot:

Hi!

My name is Rodrigo, I live in Spain, and I'm interested in partnering up with you if you haven't found someone.
My main experience is in rock climbing and I have some experience in alpinism. I have done some routes in the Pyrenees and in Sierra Nevada (Veleta).

I wold be interested in hiring a guide to summit the Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa or the Grand Paradiso.
Please let me know if you are interested, my e-mail is rzeron@hotmail.com or you can send me a whatsapp +34 617 678 660

Rodrigo