UKC

Hi,

Looking to see what the forum's view is on a Mt Blanc summit for 2 fit people, both with solid UK winter mountain experience, for sourcing a guide. Is there a recommendation on when to go and for how to go about this? 

Thanks.

You may find these useful:

https://thebmc.co.uk/en/how-to-climb-mont-blanc

https://www.chamonix.net/english/mountaineering/climb-mont-blanc

You could also enquire through the Association of British Mountain Guides. A quick web search will reveal lots of companies who offer guided ascents which include pre skills and acclimatisation peaks. For example Jagged Globe, Icicle Mountaineering, I.S.M. , Alpine Guides and many more.

    An alternative may be to build your own climbing experience and skills, perhaps through a course or with friends / climbing club, so you can organise your own trip independently. You may be eligible for the subsidised Conville Course.

To find a BMG guide, try https://www.bmg.org.uk/activities/ 

If you have solid UK winter experience, why do you need a guide? 

Thanks Mark - this is really helpful.

Thanks SNC.

For the same reason I suppose anyone might need a guide. Cheers.

UK winter climbing and Mont Blanc are very different games

Some people hire a guide because they don't even know how to put on a pair of crampons! 

I know how to put crampons on. Does this mean I don't need a guide?

That's a common error of logic. 

Well, because it's now quite difficult to manage the logistics and rules without one if you want to stay in any of the sensible huts.

Mike Thomas, great guy, BMG based near Cham. 
 

https://www.mikethomasmountainguide.com/

The last time I climbed Mont Blanc was sometime in the 1980s. The Tete hut wasn't built, or at least looked like a garden shed. In those days, most people went up to the Gouter hut and stopped overnight, which helped acclimatisation. Having watched a few YouTube videos, it seems most guides start from the Tete hut and go all the way to the summit, ignoring the Gouter hut. Doesn't make the climb to the summit much harder because of the additional height gain?

Yes, it does make summit day much harder.  I think that the reasons are:

The Gouter Hut is crowded, has no running water and smells of poo.

You may sleep better at the Tete Rousse, due to its lower altitude.

It means you can cross the Grande Couloir whilst it is deep frozen and therefore safer.

The summit of MB is so high that you don't need to worry about mushy snow or weak snow bridges later in the day.

From looking at various guiding websites, I think they often ascend from the Tete Rousse and then just descend as far as the Gouter.  This means that if you don't make it to the summit, you can then get a second chance the next day.  It also then means that provided you have been successful on your ascent to the summit from the Tete Rousse, you can then descend from the Gouter straight down to the tramway and again cross the Grande Couloir whilst it is hopefully still frozen.

That makes sort of sense. Looking back at my diary I remember that the last time I climbed via the Tete Rouge it was at the end of June and the train wasn't running, so I had to walk up to the hut from the valley. Also, since the Grande Couloir looked quite dodgy, I climbed up the rocky ridge to the left (facing upwards) of the Grande Couloir. It's only about VDiff, so I am surprised more people don't climb up that way.

Thanks Wilkesley. I've got the 5 routes book on order. Will review all - cheers.

Thanks John. Some great gen in that.