UKC

Help with acclimatizing Mont Blanc

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D777M 08 Jul 2016

Hello!

I'm new to UKC and looking for some help coming up with a plan for acclimatizing for Mont Blanc for the beginning of August.

I'm new to climbing and will be climbing with a guide. I plan to meet up with him the day before our journey up and have been given the assignment to acclimatize before meeting with him. So I will be acclimatizing solo. I have reached out to the guide for suggestions but he is busy in his climbing season and communicating through email has been tough. Also I have been scourering the threads and searching the Internet for help. But I haven't Found a good resource to help yet. Seems planning the guys and logistics is pretty complicated for my simple little mind. So I thought I would toss the question around here!

I live at sea level, will be at 1500 meters for a few days prior to traveling out, then will have 4 days prior to our hike up to the Tete Rousse hut.

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Does that sound like enough to time to acclimate?

-Jettison
 David Rose 08 Jul 2016
In reply to Jettison:

You could take the cable car to the Midi and spend a couple of nights at the Cosmiques Hut (3,600 m) though be aware that the route to the hut involves a very exposed icy arete requiring crampons and then a crevassed, snow-covered glacier - much better to do this with someone, roped.
 Doug 08 Jul 2016
In reply to Jettison:


> Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Does that sound like enough to time to acclimate?

Wouldn't be for me but its very variable. Before I'd even think of trying Mt Blanc I'd want to have climbed a couple of summits above 3 000m and ideally something around 4 000 first. Will you be on your own for your 4 days ?

 alasdair19 08 Jul 2016
In reply to Jettison:

if you travel through to Italy (bus from cham ) you can get the lift up to the torino hut which is accessed direct from the monte bianco skyway.

it's a touch lower than the midi 3600 or so but somewhere to sleep is much more accessible.

without glacier skills and a partner there's not too much to do high up safely. you could also climb mont buet on your first day to start the process.
D777M 08 Jul 2016
In reply to Doug:
Thanks for the message!
I've done a couple 4000m climbs in the past couple months. I felt fatigued on the first and a little nauseous on the second. The first I spent one night at 2500m and the second at 3500. Did pretty good.
The second I only spent one night at 3000m and woke up feeling a bit crappy but after getting some air moving I felt a lot better.
I'm worried about acclimatizing with Blanc as I have never been that high.
Yes I will be on my own for the first 4 days. So I wonder if Cosmiques wil be too risky on my own.

 jagster 08 Jul 2016
In reply to Jettison:

I'm climbing mont blanc in august too. I'm using an altitude machine that I've rented from a company in London. You could try that? However I'm not going to rely solely on this. I've planned some acclimatising days before hand.
 Simon4 09 Jul 2016
In reply to Jettison:
Mostly good advice, though I am not at all sure about the high-altitude machine, many people seem to regard these as fake as the phoney bomb detectors.

I would say that diamox IS useful for acclimitisation, including making sleeping at altitude much better and more refreshing and has few significant downsides. But natural acclimitisation is clearly significantly better.

If you briefly go through the Mont Blanc tunnel to the Aosta valley then up into the well-known (mostly in Winter to British climbers) Cogne side valley, you can walk to many high bivouac huts, such as the Gratton bivouac :

http://www.camptocamp.org/huts/136609/fr/bivouac-gratton

at 3200m. Be aware it is a huge grind from the valley, 1700 vertical metres, you should start pretty early, ideally before 7 am to get out of the steep sided lower valley before the full sun hits. Carry plenty of water for the walk-up, water is not found till fairly high and when it is, you need to think about animal droppings, including above the snow line as the ibex go very high

From the Gratton you can walk up the Punta Rossa to 3630m :

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punta_Rossa_della_Grivola

(don't be fooled by the snowy picture, that is a Winter view to make it look more impressive, it is never more than an exposed walk).

There are also many other high bivouacs that require nothing more than a robust walk around Aosta, many of them are very high and have quite physical walk-ins. There are normally few or no people to be found in them.
Post edited at 05:51
 VinnyW 09 Jul 2016
In reply to Jettison:

Hi
Check out this article here on UKclimbing
http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=8353
have fun
 Pero 09 Jul 2016
In reply to Jettison:

> I've done a couple 4000m climbs in the past couple months. I felt fatigued on the first and a little nauseous on the second. The first I spent one night at 2500m and the second at 3500. Did pretty good.

> The second I only spent one night at 3000m and woke up feeling a bit crappy but after getting some air moving I felt a lot better.

> I'm worried about acclimatizing with Blanc as I have never been that high.

> Yes I will be on my own for the first 4 days. So I wonder if Cosmiques wil be too risky on my own.

It's not just acclimatisation but, ideally, rest as well. Personally, I'd just rest and eat the day before starting up MB. From what you say, I think you will feel pretty grotty on MB. With enough determination you will probably get up it, but it might not be a pleasurable experience.

Ideal preperation would be, say, 2 days to do the Aiguille du Tour from the Albert Premier Hut. Then, perhaps, 2 days to do MB du Tacul from the Cosmiques. Then a day's complete rest. That's five days and two glaciated peaks, where you'll need a guide or partner.

As others have said, if you're on your own and only have four days, you can't really acclimatise for MB. So, you'll have to suffer for your art, as it were.
graham F 10 Jul 2016
In reply to Jettison:

That should be plenty of time to acclimatise, even on your own, assuming you're already fit enough for MB.
Day 1: walk up to Albert Premier hut (no glacier) Sleep there
Day 2: Hang around at the hut for a while, walk down, get the Midi lift and the link over to Torino in the afternoon, sleep there
Day 3: Hang around at the hut for a morning, get the lift down
Day 4: rest for a day before going to Tete Rousse?
Also, plenty of non-glacier hiking in the Aiguilles Rouges. Going straight to Torino hut or Cosmiques is likely to result in a headache and sleepless night at best. Whilst more time would be better, a couple of night sleeping high, plus the time at the Midi (3800) should be enough. It's important to eat and drink well too - don't get over-tired or de-hydrated.
Having said that, if you're planning to go Tete Rousse to the summit and all the way back down (ie no second night at TR) you're in for an early start and a long day!

1
 Pero 10 Jul 2016
It's interesting how, perhaps, different people acclimatise in different ways. From my own experience, I would prefer not to sleep at the Torino hut: harder to eat and sleep there. I would prefer to do some activity - like a few hours walking around at 3,000m, then descent to the valley for the night. This is the old "climb high, sleep low" mantra.

The times I've tried just sleeping high it doesn't seem to have worked as well.

Also, perhaps I'm being a bit over-cautious, but MB is over 4,800m. I've been to 8000m and generally can go straight to 4000m without problem, but I'm not sure I would do MB without having climbed at 4,000m first. It just feels a bit risky. In fact, I'm sure I wouldn't. Things can start to happen at nearly 5000m that don't at 4000m.

I don't want to put anyone off, but (thinking about it) I wouldn't do MB without another 4000er first.

Is that too cautious?
 Rick Graham 10 Jul 2016
In reply to Pero:

>
> Is that too cautious?

Probably not.

FWIW I climbed MB four years after my first 4000er. But I had done the Moine, Peigne, Courtes, Dru and had had a night at Col Moore and one at the old Trident hut in the fortnight before I did MB ( without too much trouble, but a very good headache )
Climbs to 3400, 3200, 3800 and 3750 or thereabouts
3 nights at 3500 or thereabouts.
 Robert Durran 10 Jul 2016
In reply to Pero:

No, not cautious enough for someone who does not know how they acclimatise.
altirando 11 Jul 2016
In reply to Jettison:
Do not think I would like to go straight up to 4800m without finding out how my body reacts to high altitudes. So perhaps something like the Gran Paradiso first, no need for a guide. Or a week in Saas Fee.
 Simon4 11 Jul 2016
In reply to altirando:
I agree with you in principle, but the OP has emphasised his own inexperience and that he will be solo before he joins his guide.

The voie normalle on the Gran Paradiso is not remotely technical, but much of it is up a glacier that may have crevasses. The risk is not high, but it IS present. That was the reason that I suggested that he might consider the Punta Rossi, as he can walk all the way, though it is not as high as the GP of course.

There is also a considerable difference between just 4000m and the nearly 5000m of Mont Blanc, though clearly going to just 4000m is a lot better than, er, not doing so.
Post edited at 11:16
D777M 14 Jul 2016
In reply to graham F:

Thanks everyone for the posts! This is really helpful. I loved the article linked. It was great. I've just taken a couple days to really digest what is being said and to become familiar with the suggested itineraries.
It seems that ideally I should try to get above 4000m a couple days before attempting Blanc. Is there a way for a solo beginner to do that out there?
Also it looks like I can start the acclimating process at home. Any suggested 4 day acclimating itineraries if immediately before coming I:
Day -14 sleep at 1200m
Day -13 climb to 2600m and sleep back down 1200m
Day -12 climb to and sleep at 2400m
Day -11 climb to 3500m, sleep at 1200m
Day -10 & -9 (working) sleeping at 1500m
Day -8 drive to 4200m and hang out at 3800 before driving back down
Day -7 back home to sea level
Day -6/-5 fly to Geneva

Graham- I like that itinerary you have. I wonder with those days beforehand should I be more aggressive for days -4 through day 0? Day 0 being the day we climb to Tete Rousse.

If getting up higher would make a big difference is there a one day climb with a guide that you would recommend to get me up pretty high but also not wear me out before the climb?!? I wouldn't mind just doing a few extra days with guide but Don't want my wife to chop off my balls!!!

Thanks again for all the thoughtful responses. It really does help a lot!

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