Hi all,
I've just tried to register so I could post this trip report but I am not getting the activation email so can't register.
Here goes:-
Left Aiguille Du Midi cable car station at 6pm on 5th August. cable car was extremely busy with up to a 4hr wait during the day. We reached the Cosmiques hut at 6:30pm. The snow ridge from the cable car station was showing signs of snow melt, a new route has been cut out of one side of the ridge.
Up at 1am on 6th August and we climbed Mont Blanc Du Tacul in 2.5hrs. The only route possible was up the left hand side of the snow slope. The snow slopes here were up to 50 degrees in places but well tracked. A ladder had dropped over the top crevasse resulting in a bit of a jump from the top rung over onto the ground above. This route came out onto the shoulder at around 4200m.
Mont Maudit was a lot steeper than I expected - the last 200m or so of ascent was 45-50 degree snow slopes. The crux step 60 degrees in places. IMPORTANT, the crux step fixed rope started 10m above the bottom of the step! The first pitch to the rock where a sling belay can be set up needs a 50m rope. There was a second pitch of around 25m from the rocks which can be top belayed by whoever seconds the first pitch. The top pitch had patches of ice on it.
The rest of the route to the summit was just a hard slog. Nothing significant to report here.
Our descent was via the Gouter route which was again 'closed' due to rockfall. In practise this means the new Gouter Hut was closed but the hut staff allowed us to sleep in the old hut for free, also making us dinner and breakfast for free! There is no toilet in the old Gouter Hut.
The descent of Aiguille Du Gouter rockface was simple enough. The only rocks we saw flying down the Grand Couloir were the ones sent down by the PGHM helicopter downdraft (ironic). There was no snow on the rock face or in the Couloir, though I am sure that crossing the Couloir in the afternoon would have been much more dangerous.
One final sting in the tail - due to the Grand Couloir closure the cog train down from the station at 4200m was not running. We had to walk down to Bellevue at 1800m to get back to the valley. Just follow the tracks down, the signed footpath takes you on an unnecessary diversion over 2 hills.
We did one acclimatisation day from the Aiguille Du Midi Cable car station to 4000m on Mont Blanc Du Tacul. In hindsight another one would have made the summit day easier but it's definitely doable with one day prior
Hope this helps anyone looking to summit by either of these 2 routes.
