UKC

Anyone to know about the conditions on Monzino Hut - Eccles Bivy - Blanche de Peuterey - Grand Pilier d'Angle - Mont Blanc route? Brouillard glacier, Freney plato, bergschrund, etc.
Thanks in advance.

In reply to Beva:

try posting on monzino FB page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rifugio-Monzino/104501702916771

In reply to philipjardine:

Thanks for the idea. I did in the morning but no answer yet... Still hoping

In reply to Beva:
Here's a few bits of anecdote:

Met a Swiss guide and his mate in Cham last week who had just done the Innominata Ridge, and they reported it to be in decent condition. They reached the Eccles via the Punta Innominata because the glacier is too dangerous. They also mentioned that there'd been a team wanting to do one of the Freney Pillars but turned back because the approach was too dangerous.

It may also be significant that, although it's on the other side of the mountain, the Gouter route was open when they did the IR but that it has since been closed again owing to the condition of the Grand Couloir.

Several of us in our group had plans on the S side of MB, but the conditions deterred us...

In reply to Solaris:

Bad news. But thanks a lot for sharing, anyway. I need to work on plan B than. Where did you climb instead?

In reply to Beva:
We were on a club meet in Cham. Our objectives included Frendo, Kufner, Tournette Spur, traverse of G Jorasses, Brouillard but conditions ruled them all out. Some people did some routes on the S side of the valley (eg Moine; Cham Aiguilles) but I did lots of wonderful cragging in the Aigs Rouges. In the past I'd treated the area as a (post-) storm option, but the new Piola book shows just how much there is to do there. Used to hate gneiss but now I love it! (Oh, and there's some lovely running in the valley, too.)

In reply to Solaris:

Thank you for the suggestions, we'll see what we can do there. Cheers!

In reply to Beva:

Hi there, just done the Aiguille Blanche yesterday via the Monzino/Eccles route. The Brouillard glacier was passable but only just. The Blanche was in good condition (though the North Ridge seemed pretty tough for an AD + ). We were originally planning to continue up the Peuterey ridge over Mont Blanc but the bergschrund looked horrendous and the first section of the route up to the Grand Pilier d'Angle was loose and wet, so we waited for a few hours on the col de Peuterey until the temperature had dropped by the early evening then made our way back to the Eccles. We were a group of 2 guides and 2 strong clients who were ticking off their final 4000-er and we were glad there were four of us on the rope on the Brouillard Glacier. Hope this helps. Phil

In reply to Philiniqaluit:

Congratulations on getting your last 4000-ers. One of the people I was hoping to do it with this summer has it as his last, too. We've been a bit put off by the fact that everyone we know who's done it has had an epic, so it's nice to hear of a relatively untroubled ascent - even if you've made me jealous!

In reply to Philiniqaluit:

Well done!

After four attempts at things from the Eccles I have given up on that angle but good to know its possible even in dry? conditions.

In reply to Philiniqaluit:

and very useful write up with photos by one of your team on camp to camp. Its interesting that Marco Romellis's superb 4000 book gives the North face as the ascent route from the Fourche bivi. Every other mountain in the book gets the easiest ascent line described.

Thanks Phil!

http://www.camptocamp.org/outings/664019/en/aiguille-blanche-de-peuterey-no...

Liz's final (major) 4000er, I still have one to go....

In reply to Philiniqaluit:

Good effort, well done.

Many congratulations on the 4000'anders. Hope to join you in that soon.