UKC

Hi all, 

I’m looking for advice/opinions on a goal I’m going for. I intend on climbing Mont Blanc, solo and unguided. As I’m only 16, I’ll be 17 when (if) I actually do it, it’s a pretty damn big challenge. I know Mont Blanc is no hike, even for experienced climbers. I am aware of all the dangers of soloing it (Grand Couloir,  crevasses, weather etc). I will be going up the “classic” route: Goûter Route. 

I do have previous alpine experience, in the alps, and I’ve climbed two 4000m peaks already. I’ve also climbed a few in Norway and Africa too, in winter. And obviously plenty in the UK. I’m not saying I’m fully trained for this climb, not one bit, so if anyone has any training advice for this, yes please!

 Is this a crazy, stupid idea that I shouldn't do? Or an amazing goal to aim for? Should I bother climbing it solo, which increases the risks, or would climbing with a partner just be the - all round - better option?

Also, any advice on actually climbing Mont Blanc, either solo or not, would be greatly appreciated.  

Strange. Two others have asked this already this morning. Never rains but it pours.

If you're going to do any route solo, you need to be confident you can do it. If you're asking people online if you can do it, you probably aren't.

Training:

http://www.jcmt.org.uk/courses/

Conville alpine course is often suggested and highly thought of

min age is 18 though- 

“in order that participants have the maturity to make the necessary judgements required.”

what’s the rush? One of your other threads has already established your won’t be the youngest, by a considerable margin. If your goal is to become a competent alpinist and enjoy many seasons of alpine climbing, rather than just bagging a trophy peak by its easiest way up, then conville looks like a good route to go down. 

You ask whether "[it is an] amazing goal to aim for"  which suggests that other people's approval is important to you.  That's ok.....nothing wrong with that. But if that is the case, I think there are many, many things you could do which would impress people more, and could even be cheaper and more enjoyable!

For example, if you told me that - at 17 - you had done the GR20 in Corsica, alone and backpacking, that would be impressive. It would show fitness, determination over a sustained period (9-12 days), ability to think and act independently......etc. In contrast, solo'ing Mont Blanc by choice just makes me think, why?

just wondering how you'd do it solo and guided?

Registered yesterday- no other posts, no bio or list...

hummm

Ambitions of becoming a professional ''adventurer' / motivational speaker?

Yeah? I haven’t figured out how to do all that stuff yet. But whether or not I have a “bio” is pretty irrelevant. Thanks for the advice...

But whether or not I have a “bio” is pretty irrelevant.

no, it is entirely relevant. You are already aware of this, or you wouldn’t have bothered mentioning your trips to the alps and Norway. 

You’ve asked people a number of questions, but these can only be meaningfully answered with a clear understanding of what your experience is, and in particular what your experience of decision making in potentially hazardous situations is. For example, being towed up the lagginhorn on the end of a guide’s rope is very different to, say, being part of a team that climbed the weisshorn and taking an active part in the decision making on the route. We don’t know which of these is a more accurate summary of your experience, but clearly the second would be much more relevant to being able to solo MB than the first.

ive been towed up a 4000er by a guide, and I’m fully aware of the risks of the great couloir; but I also know at my current level of experience, soloing MB would be a bad idea.

anyway, the more info you give, the more useful the replies you will get. did you look at the conville course link? If it’s all about the climbs and not the kudos, what about doing that?

Bluntly you are coming over very oddly. Three essentially identical posts on a new account, a name change almost immediately, and no real engagement with replies. Given this, the only sensible advice is "don't".