I was working for Mont Blanc Guides this week on their 6 day ascent program. We started the week walking to the Alpbert premier hut in great weather. We woke to wind and rain, after a few hours wait the weather improved enough to allow us to climb a windy Petite Fourche before returning to the hut. Tuesday dawned wet and windy but cleared enough to allow us time for an Ecole du Glace before heading for the valley. Wednesday we headed to the Tete Rousse hut ready for Mont Blanc. We woke at 1am to clouds which had cleared by 4, we left the hut at 5am climbing in just over 2 hrs to the Gouter refuge. On the way up the Dome du Gouter the cloud rolled in but luckily we broke through this as we crested the Dome leaving perfect sunshine and crisp snow all the way to the summit. The cloud had cleared for the descent, we were quickly down at the Gouter hut for a drink before the final 2 hrs to the Tete Rousse for a 12 hr round trip. Friday was wet and misserable so we headed to the valley on the first train.
I was climbing with John and Fiona Fells this week, we met in Chamonix with a plan to try and climb Mont Blanc after a period of acclimatisation. The weather had put down a lot of snow in the mountains so we had to think about where we could climb that would minimise avalanche risk and not mean to much wading in fresh snow. We decided to go the Dix hut above Arolla we walked in very Scottish misty conditions but woke to a perfect alpine day. We climbed La Luette in great conditions and didn't see a single person all day before getting back to the hut for one of their famous Rosti's. The next day we climbed Mont Blanc de Cheillon in very snowy conditons the summit snow crest was superb feeling very airy and requiring good footwork from the summit there was great views in every direction.
We spent the night in Arolla then drove through to Grindelwald and took the Jungfraujoch railway to the Monschjoch hut, the hut was wonderfully quiet with only 2 other people staying the night, we climbed the Monch the next morning in great conditions though the new snow made the final ridge a bit exciting. After a day off in Chamonix we headed up to the Gouter hut, the ridge to the hut is in great condition with crampons on from below the Tete Rousse hut. On Sunday morning we left the Gouter hut at 3.30am and were standing on top of Western Europe at 8am in very cold windy conditions. The descent was quick and easy on great snow being back at the train by 1430.
I was working for Mont Blanc Guides for the last three days of my summer season. The clients booked on a 6 day Mont Blanc week with 3 days acclimatisation then have 3 days for the ascent. I met the team in Les Houches on Wed morning, we headed up to the Tete Rousse hut where we had the best dinner I have had there, Tarteflette. We left the hut at 5am on Thursday climbing to the now closed Gouter hut in the dark where we put on more clothes before heading up the Dome du Gouter, we met a couple of teams coming down who had failed to summit due to the cold. By starting later the day was warming as we climbed, by the time we reached the summit at 1330 the wind had dropped and we sat on the summit for 30mins which is the first time I have managed to do that. The descent went steadily putting us back at the Tete Rousse in time for dinner. We finished the week and my guiding season with a gentle walk to the valley on friday morning.
I was climbing with Barry and Martin this week on our second attempt on Mont Blanc. The boys had acclimatised themselves so we headed to the Tete Rousse hut on Saturday. We made good time to the Gouter hut but the weather got steadily worse above and by the time we reached the Vallot the wind was too strong to continue and with a bad forecast for the next day we headed back for the valley. On Monday Italy was the place to be so we had a great days climbing at Machaby followed by ice cream in Courmayeur on the way home. We finished their trip with a speed traverse of the Crouchue making it back into the Flegere cable car as the heavens opened.