A totally wild couple of days on Mont Blanc.
Fresh snow and super high winds were forecast, but maybe we could sneak up….
Tons of snow on the approach to the Gouter hut, more reminiscent of early June rather than August. It was a pleasure to cross the Grand Couloir in those conditions. Not a stone moving and plenty of well plastered snow anchoring everything in. It seemed like the wind had blasted most of the fresh snow off the upper mountain, but the wind was still pretty savage even getting to the Gouter refuge.
We got up at 2am for early breakfast and set off. It was total chaos on the first ridge a few meters from the hut, with people getting pushed about by the wind, which felt like it was 100kph or more. We did 5 minutes and then turned around. It felt like the chances of getting blown off the ridge were too high. We could try again in the daylight a few hours later and see if the wind had died down.
A few teams pushed on and many turned around.
Attempt number two at 6am went a little better. Daylight helped, and the wind was marginally better. We got past the Dome du Gouter and to the Vallot hut where it was windy and cold again. We could see teams high on the mountain obviously coming off the summit, and also could see the plumes of snow getting smashed off the Bosses arête and the summit ridge.
Erik and I were already discussing options and after a few minutes outside the hut we went inside to have a break from the wind and refuel for our journey down the mountain. Inside it was the normal scene with people trying to work out what to do and shivering from the ice box interior of the emergency shelter. We had already made up our minds.
Time to turn tail again and live to climb another day. A top adventure nonetheless.
Heading up towards the Gouter refuge in very snowy conditions for August. So much snow!
Climbing the long slope towards the Dome du Gouter. Goggles and warm layers on. You can just see the Gouter hut on the ridge on the right hand side of the image.
Crossing the shoulder of the Dome du Gouter and down towards the Vallot hut in the background. You can see the wind whipping up the snow in the foreground.
A day of rock climbing at Brevant was a well deserved “active rest day” after a Mont Blanc blasting.
A busy day on the Brevant crags.
