Trip Reports

Mont Blanc Summit 3 July 2019

Jordan and Adrian - Aiguille Marbrees
Trip Report

Written by Leader Jamie Holding, July 2019

Mont Blanc Take Two

A second week in Chamonix saw me team up with Adrian and Jordan, for a Mont Blanc Summit week. Aside from climbing Mont Blanc to celebrate a significant birthday, these two lifelong friends were keen to share a mountain experience. 

Adrian brought his passion for big mountains, with past success on Kilimanjaro, Elbrus and Denali. Jordan came with enthusiasm to learn and plenty of training laps on Box Hill, all 224m of it.

After a traverse of the Petit Flambeau, from the Torino refuge, I guessed the boys could cope with a traverse of the Aiguille Entreves, graded AD. They did but their eyeballs were on stalks! We followed this up with the Aiguille Marbrees, giving us fifty hours of acclimatisation above 3300m. At least I could promise them that the scramble to the Gouter refuge would be a comparative breeze.

Our Mont Blanc ascent began with a leisurely two hour stroll to the Tete Rousse refuge, Jordan just managing to remain patient whilst Adrian and I rambled on about Alaskan adventures. We were soon joined by Slovenian Mountain Guide Klemen, with Alan and Rob, fresh from a week in Arolla, under Andy Owen's guidance.

Summit day dawned fine and we were all away before 5am. The scramble to the Gouter flowed easily and, after a brief break at the Gouter refuge 3817m, we set off crampon clad for the summit, Adrian in his element.

At the emergency Vallot refuge 4362m we enjoyed (?) a brief break to add a layer before embarking on the rather breezy Bosses ridge. For both teams training and acclimatisation proved adequate and we all topped out in blue skies, just after 11am. Good conditions continued for our descent to the Gouter refuge and an early start from here, this morning, saw us all safely across the Grand Couloir, Chamonix bound.

Well done boys, "da iawn"!

Jamie

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