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Mont Blanc - Goûter Hut overbooked - need advice

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 Matej 15 Apr 2022

Hi everyone!

So we finished our plans to climb Mont Blanc but then checking the availability of Gouter Hut we found out it is completely overbooked until 2023 (we wanted to book it for middle of June this year). They recommended us to call them 10 days before our climb starts to check if there are any free slots of people who could possibly drop their booking. Do you think there is a chance some groups will drop their booking or from your own experience does it happen often?

I need your advice or recommendation, do you think we should simply wait or to think of a different way than through Gouter Route or simply book it for 2023 already? We wanted to spend a night there to attack the summit early morning next day but now the only option we are left with is to go straight to the peak from Tete which is not the ideal one.

Best Regards

Matej

Post edited at 13:09
 ianstevens 15 Apr 2022
In reply to Matej:

Stay at the Tete Rousse instead? You can also book to camp there IIRC. Longer summit day but you also get to cross the grand couloir when it’s less of a shooting range. It’s a pretty conventional way of going up MB.

Post edited at 13:50
 LakesWinter 15 Apr 2022
In reply to Matej:

If you are going in June you could probably try the Aiguilles Grises route from Italy via I think the Gonella hut. It's the Italian normal route

 Martin Haworth 15 Apr 2022
In reply to Matej: There are often cancellations, stick with your plan.

OP Matej 26 Apr 2022
In reply to Martin Haworth:

Thanks for the advice! I will go by this way to try to book it just days before our climb.

OP Matej 26 Apr 2022
In reply to ianstevens:

also solution but that elevation difference in just one day must be overwhelming. Let's see!

OP Matej 26 Apr 2022
In reply to LakesWinter:

Thanks for the suggestion. I will check this route as well as an option!

 ianstevens 26 Apr 2022
In reply to Matej:

It’s honestly fine. Loads of people do it. I did it off the back of drinking wine and playing cards in the rain all week. 

1
 CantClimbTom 27 Apr 2022
In reply to Matej:

Stay at Tete rouse, cross the grand coulouir before 10:00am (this detail is important, you will understand after you've been there) stay at the Gouter as well (ask on the door they may have space/cancellation) or discretely and I mean *discretely* bivvy but have no evidence of sleeping/bivvying during daylight. Depending on weather... 02:30 breakfast and be packed up and walking 03:00 for summit you want to be early as crowd management on the Bosse ridge is a big problem so early again is your friend, 03:00 start isn't actually as early as it sounds and others will be ahead of you (good as you can follow the line of head torches)

Oh and make sure you can walk in crampons without tripping or ripping your ankles. Ice axe arrest essential and learn to move together on a rope.

I recommend descending down the Grands mulet route not back down the way you came, it's a nicer walk down better views less crowded. There may be some *hopefully* obvious crevasse so make sure you are roped. Again lots of other people so route finding is largely follow the crowds (obviously have the skills to do everything if you were the only people on the mountain, in case of weather). In bad weather descending Gouter may be best emergency route off

 enjoy!!

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 montyjohn 27 Apr 2022
In reply to Matej:

Another option is the Trois Monts route (my plan for this year). There's almost always availability in the Cosmique hut.

Cable car to Aguille du Midi, 1 hour walk to the hut so a very easy first day.

Camping is apparently also "tolerated" near the hut. I hear people leave their tents up all day, not sue how reliable this is however.

In reply to Matej:

I usually go from the Tete Rousse to the summit, then back to stay in the gouter hut is the way I usually do it. TR to the summit and back to town is a much bigger day, and means crossing the grand couloir later in the day.

I would seriously think twice about descending the Grand Mulets route, the serac and crevasse danger can be significant. I would want excellent up to date conditions info before considering that option. 


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