UKC

Hello All, 

My friend and I are planning an ‘Adventure Triathlon’, paddling, cycling and then hiking. Our aim is from England to kayak across the English channel, cycle to the alps and then end with a mountain climb. 

However we are finding it very difficult to find the perfect mountain to climb. We are on a low budget so need it to be a mountain we can climb without a guide or equipment. We would still like it to be reasonably difficult, 6-8 hours of climbing, and preferably in the French alps so as not to cycle too far. 

Does anyone have any suggestions for this ?? 

If you want a 'real' challenge, why not try jumping the channel rather than kayaking across?

Not sure why the dislikes?  It's been attempted before.

youtube.com/watch?v=DJXzN6dBz5I&

Mont Ventoux is not high but it's considered a huge challenge by bike. 

Schilthorn? It's on the correct side of the alps, isn't technical and has cable car to get back down.

If you want to avoid taking equiptment then you are restricted to around 3000m in order to stay below the snow line. If you are fit enough to cyclce to the alps it's hard to imaging you'll find a 3000m peak that will take you 6-8hrs to climb. I guess someone might find you a relatively remote one with a lengthy walk-in.

EDIT: Link added...

https://gigigriffis.com/hiking-the-alps-to-the-top-of-schilthorn/

The Lagginhorn can almost be climbed in trainers some years. Swiss Alps though.

Just checking this is for real and you haven't been smoking something right? You must have a great support team and all the relevant permissions to cross the channel. 26 miles Dover to Calais is the shortest way across but it's quite far eh? But that's if you use one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world which is bit risky isn't it?

Lack of acclimatisation might make that a good idea in any case.

What permissions do you need to cross the Channel? Does it differ from when yachting?

You make it sound easy; it's quite honestly a daft and dangerous suggestion for an unacclimatised team with no suitable experience, especially the idea that a pair of trainers could "almost" be enough.

I guess it would come under the same regs as small crafts, a fee would need to be paid to the cross channel association, the kayak would need to be registered and a support boat would be needed.

I think all this is irrelevant anyway since I don't believe this is a serious thread? If the OP's budget is too tight to afford a guide up then mountain at the end of their saga they won't be able to afford a support team I would think. So will they strap the bike to the kayak and just risk getting hit by a ship? They don't give background on other challenges they have done to lead up to this so it's all just too far fetched imo. I hope I'm wrong.

Mont Buet.

It was tongue in cheek but I take your point. Mea Culpa.

France classifies different watercraft and the distance allowed offshore will vary by category. A yacht will be fine in the Channel but kayak or other small boat is 6 miles at most when registered. To exceed the limit you need written permission and a support boat. They have said they won’t give permission at all for novelty acts as it is a busy shipping lane. 

Struck me as bollocks. Hence my reply the the original post  

Bike to Dalwhinnie, kayak along Loch Ericht, climb Ben Alder, job's a good 'un. 

All has been planned, we are not just setting of from the beaches of England. We have a support boat that has legal rights to cross the shipping channels and will be transporting our bikes and gear across. We have both just got back from cycling from our home in England to Rome, which took us through the alps already. The reason we want it to be low cost is we are spending a fair amount of money on the support boat which is of course necessary but paying to hike a mountain is not. 

I’m not sure in comparison to Yachting but I know you need a saftey boat which has permission to cross the shipping channels

If you want a summit that's not snowy or technical but still has a "big peak" feel, had you thought about going to the Pyrenees rather than the Alps? The easier three-thousanders are no harder than Tryfan in technical terms, but you have the feeling of being on top of one of the biggest things around rather than looking across at the "real mountains" on the other side of the valley like you would in the alps. 

Otherwise Mont Buet is a decent shout. 

A third vote here for Le Buet; I did it up via Grenairon and back via Anterne in a day from Sixt when I was in good shape. 

Awesome! Sorry for doubting you.

If you're in good shape it's pretty easy to do in a day from Le Buet too. Roughly 21k and 1800m ascent. In summer there might be the odd snow patch but no need for crampons etc.

Excellent! That's a nice round. Anterne is simply spectacular - one of my favourites around there.

In reply to DaveHK:

The Buet's easy to do from the Buet? What?

I assume he means from Le Buet village to Le Buet summit, but Le Buet from Le Buet sounds better

le Mont Buet

yet another vote.

Not many peaks that "stand on their own" in the western Alps have non-technical summits. This one also has an unbeatable view of the higher peaks of the Mont Blanc massif.

There's an interesting cycling _traverse_ of its eastern base trailhead, between Martigny Switzerland and Sallanches France. By going up from Martigny thru Gorges du Trient to Finhaut (then optional cycling side trip to Lac d'Emosson (and optionally across the dam to the upper Lac). Then into France.

After climbing le Mont Buet on foot, can continue cycling across Col des Montets to Chamonix (and find quieter roads down to Sallanches) -- or return over Col de la Forclaz to spectacular descent of the main road to Martigny.

Or use train service from village of Le Buet (if understandably you feel that you've done enough cycling on your adventure).

Ken

The mountain is Mont Buet but the previous poster wrongly referred to it as Le Buet. Le Buet is the village it is often climbed from.

The locals don't refer to it as Mont Buet, I was told off for doing this.

Hadn't heard that, do they call it Le Buet? It's certainly Mont Buet on the maps.

Here's the route: https://ignrando.fr/fr/parcours/fiche/details/id/353293

It's a truly spectacular day out. Some confidence on steepish snow may be required on the final climb to the col between Pointe du Genevrier and the summit. Advice on the conditions on the ridge can be had at the Refuge du Grenairon.

There are B&Bs, small apartments and a small hotel in Sixt. 

Yeah, they'd definitely just call it 'Le Buet'.

Re 'Buet from the Buet', I see. I didn't know that village

It's probably the same as saying Mount Snowdon, I was a tad red-faced.

Yes indeedy.  I think it would be helpful if the OP could tell us when he plans to do this trip, as in my experience the Buet can hold big snowfields well through June.  Some of them on the SE flanks might be problematic for inexperienced folk with no equipment.  And the upper slopes could be distinctly confusing in cloud.   It's not entirely a big easy hill. 

I'll second this, I got caught out in a white out near the summit one July and had to spend an uncomfortable night half in my rucksack. It was better to stay put than try and find the summit shelter.