UKC

I've started planning my Tour of Mont Blanc trip and am looking at doing a few extras on the side, get a least one 3000m top bagged.
Can't find my Alps guide books at the moment, it's been so long since I used them!
Has anyone been up the ridge from the Col de Balme to Pointe des Grands? (up above Vallorcine)
It looks doable looking at Google Earth, if it comes in at Facile I'll have a go, but more than PD- I'll probably give it a miss.
Cheers

In reply to Lusk:
Definitely an F, my dog's done it. Fun scrambling in places, dangerously fragile rock in others, smashing views at the top.

With very little extra kit or imagination but a little more time and enthusiasm, you can go all the way along the ridge with some easy downscrambling and more wobbly rocks, to a plateau north of the Aiguille du Tour and an incredible view of the same, before progress is stopped by cliffs and glaciers. Reverse the route back down, which might well take almost as much time as the way up.

Although you are *technically* on a glacier for some of this route (30m for Pointe des Grandes, 300m for the higher peak), you don't really need any glacier gear, but granny spikes might be handy at some times of the year.

(edit: In my opinion it'd definitely be worth a detour, either take a full extra day for the longer route, or run up the shorter route in an afternoon after a planned short day, stashing bags at the Col and sprinting up with trainers and a Snickers.)

In reply to Pete Houghton:

Ah, that's good to hear, thank you Pete. If you see me in Chamonix (Ill be the tall, dirty, ugly bastard), collar me and I'll get you a beer or two.

Tempting as it might seem, going further up ...

Next question, do they sell booze in the Chalet?

In reply to Lusk:
I've never used the Chalet de Balme but I can only assume so, every other refuge in a similar situation does. Make a round-trip of it by descending to the Albert Premier and traversing back to the col instead of reversing the ridge, and they have (I think) three different draught beers on tap.

In reply to Pete Houghton:

Thought as much but it's best to make sure.


Good idea! I'm quite tempted by the Pointe d'Orny from the Col des Ecandies, it's only a short hop along the edge of the glacier ...

In reply to Lusk:

Aye, that's on my list for a similar day out, but I've not yet had the chance. I suspect it's a similar standard of glacier... fairly manageable...

In reply to Lusk:

When are you thinking of doing the TMB?

In reply to mypyrex:

Last few days of July into August 2018.
Found another definite 3000m to bag, http://www.summitpost.org/pointe-lechaud/152354 , definitely doable from the Col de la Seigne ... unless I get spooked, of course! Same applies to Ps d Gs.
All depends on how fit I can get by then, I've got some big days planned, easily done poring over maps and guidebooks for too long!
I'll take it as it comes when (if) I'm there.

In reply to Lusk:


Hmmm, a thought had occurred to me but...

...I'm a bit of a slow young fart