UKC

I climbed Mont Blanc via the Gouter last year and am wanting to head back next year to try the Trois Monts Route.
Anyone who has done both know if its much of a step up in difficulty or distance?

Last year I did Tete Rousse to Tete Rousse (Roughly 12-13hrs).
Would the Cosmiques Hut and back be similar time scale/difficulty?

Cheers,
Ben

In reply to Ben_Climber:

Most of the Trois Monts route is a high altitude walk on glacier and snow slopes with some short steeper snow / ice sections. Usually the hardest bit is about 100 metres of the final slopes up to the shoulder on Mont Maudit - around easy Grade II UK winter grade, sometimes feels harder if very icy and easier if stepped snow. Often there is a fixed rope here. Sometimes, more likely later in the season, the ascent of Mt Blanc de Tacul can present an interesting bergschrund or two. So the route has some steeper snow / ice sections than the Gouter route, obviously has the 'fun' exit from the Midi which some folk find exposed and tricky in descent, and the snow slopes can feel more exposed.
The main extra is the potential seriousness of the route. The Tacul slopes can often have medium to high wind slab potential and there are also several seracs that could break away at any time. The approach slopes on Maudit also have this potential. Once passed Maudit the route continues to be high and exposed for a long way; but these slopes are easy. You need to feel comfortable that you can judge conditions right from the weather history, recent conditions and whilst on the go. Don't carry on with the route just because everyone else is, use your own judgement!
Most parties take 6-8 hours to the summit and a little less in return. Returning via the Gouter makes a lovely round trip. When conditions are good and you are fit and acclimatised this is a lovely route. Enjoy!

In reply to Ben_Climber:

I'll be interested in this thread as trois monts is what I want to do next time.
Except probably a descent of the gouter route personally

In reply to Mark Haward:
Excellent summary Mark!

The only thing I would add is that both Tacul face and Maudit face are South West facing (and about the same height and steepness), so get substantially more dangerous later in the day when the sun has been on them.

In reply to Mark Haward:

Thanks Mark.

Appreciate all the information and has cleared a few bits up for me!

In reply to Ben_Climber:

Some good advice in this thread. Once you are over the shoulder of Maudit, you are in quite remote ground - have a plan in mind for escaping should the weather crap out..

The pull up to MB summit from here seems to go on forever, but what a fantastic place.

In reply to drunken monkey:


Yes, I remember that endless drag after climbing the Brenva Spur, 1500 feet of interminable grind, despite having made a cup of tea on the Col de la Brenva, to the disgust of passing Frenchies.

In reply to drunken monkey:


In the event of bad weather, what are the good escape alternatives from that area (other than going forward, or back)?

In reply to Rob Parsons:
It MAY be possible to descend the Grand Mulets route, provided you can find the start of it in descent :

http://www.summitpost.org/grands-mulets-normal/162814

"the most reliable descent route in bad weather"

I have done this in bad weather, it is certainly not without its issues, not least finding the way on the upper part in poor visibility, or badly crevassed ground lower down. It does however take you to the lower station of the Midi cablecar, also you can safely lose height rapidly if the storm is only high up.

See the pictures of the route here :

http://www.chamonix.net/english/mountaineering/ski-mont-blanc
http://www.maison-jaune.com/images/mb_grands_mulets.jpg

So it is possible to find a way from the Col de la Brenva to the plateau leading to the Grand Mulets hut, given a bit of luck.

In reply to Ben_Climber:

Pleased to have helped. I've e mailed some photos and extra information for you.
The slopes are North West facing rather than South West but the comment about sun in the afternoon / evening softening the snow pack still holds. Snow slides, falling ice and wind slab can be triggered by people above you too so be aware. Seracs can go at any time and they change each season and during the season. The Guides Office (OHM) in town are extremely helpful and can give up to date information.
If the North West slope of Maudit is considered too risky the NE ridge to the summit of Maudit can be a safer alternative - depending on the cornices. After Maudit shoulder reached the only viable escape route other than return that I am aware of / have used is the Corridor Route that links to the Mulets route. Easy enough in good visibility, allows you to lose height fast but, as you would expect, usual suspects of seracs and crevasses on the descent and crevasses low down on the Mulets route often become very tricky or even impassable later in the season. However, the Corridor is a nightmare in poor visibility.

In reply to Mark Haward:


Well dang me, you are quite right! Certainly catch the afternoon sun though, to very bad effect sometimes.


Which makes one wonder about the comment that it is a good escape route, given that it is most likely to be used in bad weather/visibility. Of course in practice it may be the ONLY escape route when beyond Maudit summit.

In reply to Simon4:

They were north east facing the last time I looked. Thats one of the reasons both those slopes avalanche so frequently - they get loaded by prevailing south westerly winds

In reply to Simon4:


As I recall, Luca Signorelli highlighted Col de la Brenva as a trap, and the Corridor route as inadvisable as an escape route except in dire emergency.

In reply to MG:


Which is a bit ironic, as in a dire emergency, it is likely to be at its hardest to follow.

Rather like the suggestion that the ultimate emergency escape from the upper plateau of the Freney glacier or the Col de Peuterey is via the "very difficult and hard to navigate" Rochers Gruber, i.e. you should only try to go down them when conditions are at their most unfavorable.

In reply to Simon4:
Yes. Although I can see in both cases the only movement possible might be to follow those routes. In which case, what is there to lose? Worked for Bonnatti, if not his mates!

In reply to Simon4:

I have used it as an escape route. I could see un forecasted bad weather arriving and judged I had a couple of hours before the weather arrived. Therefore it was the fastest option to lose height. However, I wouldn't use it if the bad weather was imminent, visibility was poor.

In reply to MG:

Yes, one of the great Alpine tragic sagas.

In fact an Italian guide who gave me a lift to the Courmayeur cable car station after we climbed the Aiguille Blanche suggested ("suggested" is putting it mildly!), that we should have gone down that way, rather than via the Col Eccles, despite the fact that visibility was disappearing (the storm set in rather later that night).

But we did not "do a Bonatti", but got to the Eccles bivi hut, and the Monzino next day.

In reply to Simon4:

Did he specify which one of you should have been ear-marked for dying in this attempt

In reply to MG:

Well it was only me thumbing a lift, so he didn't have much chance.

It was amazing how much he managed to say in voluble, but not terribly accurate French, in 10, 15 mins tops. We had climbed the mountain the wrong way, descended the wrong way (the mountain itself seemed to be acceptable!), 2 weeks ago he had given a lift to 2 Austrians who had just climbed a very hard route on the Grandes Jorasses .... etc, etc, etc.

But he did give me a lift direct to the carpark, in fact almost to the car, when the very last thing I felt like doing was walking from Courmayeur for 7 kms, so it was no time to look a gift horse in the mouth - "Si signor, gracie, gracie!".

In reply to Ben_Climber:


Ben, I'm hoping to have a go at the Trois Monts Route. Are you looking for a climbing partner?

Broon

In reply to Simon4:

South West facing ? North West surely....

In reply to Avalanche Academy:

Do keep up!

Someone already corrected the statement to North West, which seems to be right looking at google maps, someone else claimed North East (which is not right).

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Chamonix,+France/@45.8537219,6.8780319,...

The point is that they both get strong afternoon sun and get very soft and dangerous in then. Apart from the seracs, which as everyone knows, can be dangerous at any time, hence several recent major tragedies. In my view, it is one of the most dangerous "Voie Normale"s in the Alps, despite its very considerable traffic. And yes, I have used it many times, as we all have, but we all get complacent about it as it FEELS so safe and travelled.

In reply to Simon4:

Simon i think wind not sun is the main factor.

In reply to philipjardine:

Well I don't, but no-one seems to doubt that they both have a very similar aspect and character, and are both a lot more dangerous than they look or feel like.

In reply to Simon4:


Yes, snow melting and brew kit is almost never excess weight on a long alpine route, even if it doesn't comply with today's express legere orthodoxy.

In reply to Robert Durran:
Well my partner would certainly never have got up Mont Blanc without some tea made there.

And he did very much want to get up it, after the Brenva spur.

Made a cup of tea on the Pointe Whymper as well, also on Mont Blanc summit itself once. Then we had just met 2 Czechs, who said in gutteral voices "Vood you like some Scottish whisky?"

So we said "go on, twist our arms. Would you like some tea?". They were amazed to find that it was fresh and hot.

These proceedings were watched with fascinated disgust by elegant French summiters. And possibly with a concealed twinge of envy as well.