UKC

Planning to climb Mont Blanc in late July and have a couple of novice questions about acclimatisation. We have basic winter skills, but earned in Scotland so never designed an acclimatisation programme before, and are of good fitness. We have five days before our Gouter hut booking. Based on our skill level we'll be sticking to easier routes, but would like to work in skills training alongside acclimatisation program (I know Mont Blanc is technically easy, but we'd like to use the opportunity to improve our skills for other objectives). Planning on staying in Argentiere when in the valley.

1) How important is it to sleep high? If we were to stay the Argentiere hut or Albert prem, then come back down to the valley for one or two nights - is that going to undo the acclimatisation we've done? Does it have to get progressively higher without breaks?

2) On a budget so would prefer to avoid paying for expensive huts where possible. If we were to stay at one of the above huts then do a route at the Aiguille du midi, but then come straight back down from that - is that going to be of any use at all, or would we need to do an Aiguille du Midi route then head for the Cosmiques hut for it to be of any use?

3) Having trouble finding suitable objectives in the 4000 - 4500m range

4) I was aware the Gouter hut needed to be booked well in advance - how about other huts? Can I just leave them till the last minute?

In reply to jk90128:
It's a very good idea to have at least one night - two are better - at a high hut such as the Torino or Cosmiques huts; they are both well above 3000m.

Assuming there is good weather for the five days before your stay in the Gouter hut, and you have the requisite glacier/rescue skills, why not go to one of these huts and do a route, spend a second night there, do another route and then descend.

If you haven't been to the Alps before and travelled on glaciers then you could go up the Mer de Glace, spend a night in the Requin hut (which is at a similar altitude to the Albert Premier and Argentiere huts) and then continue from there to the Torino or the Cosmiques hut for another night. You could do a route from this hut before descending by telepherique. You would have had three days of valuable practice at travelling in awe inspiring glacier mountains - but practice crevasse rescue beforehand. You would also have gained altitude more sedately (sensibly?), and cheaply, than going up by telepherique.

Most people would book a hut a day or so in advance or even 'at the last minute'.

In reply to pdone:


Yes, I've never understood the reluctance of folk to booking huts. It's common courtesy and they're just as easy (and just as important) to un-book if you can't go. Hut's/gardien's phone numbers are just a google away.
Note, this was just a general observation and not at all directed at the OP.

In reply to jk90128:
It's partly genetic so you really can't tell without previous personal experience. However generally spending days and nights up high will pay dividends. Best to 'work high, sleep low' the first couple of days. That could a glacial wander or short easy rock route off the Midi lift. I'm not great at acclimatising quickly but find that if I get up high for a day it doesn't tend to hit me too badly (especially if there isn't much uphill walking involved), as long as I get down the same day. Having to spend an unplanned night up high when not acclimatised is miserable, even if you're staying in a hut.

Once you've had a day or two up high, you can stay in a hut overnight and do a route the following day. For example you can stay at the Cosmiques and do the Tacul - it's not particularly technical but at 4,200m it's great for acclimatising. You can do one of the mixed routes on the Triangle and go to the summit of the Tacul but you'd need to be fast to do that in a day, so you'd want to be cruising Scottish IV for that. Or you could stay at the Torino and do something like the Tour Ronde normal route (not as high but more technical than the Tacul) or the Dent de Geant (a cool summit and bang on 4k). Better still, head across to Italy and do the Gran Paradiso (just under 4,100 and fairly easy by the normal route) or over to the Valais and do one of a multitude of 4,000m peaks there.

I don't think sleeping at the Argentiere or Albert Premier hut would be enough to do MB comfortably, at least it wouldn't be for me. You'd be far better off sleeping at the Cosmiques or Torino as they're both around 3,500 and/or doing a 4k peak.

Good luck!