We hauled back down the glacier and headed into Chamonix to find out more about the route. The High Mountain Office (OHM) is a good source of info. We asked about conditions on the route for the next day and the women behind the counter said it would be a perfect day and the route is in great shape but we were too late to get to the Grand Mulet hut to spend the night (as most parties do). I hesitated for a moment and then explained that we planned to do it quickly from the mid station of the gondola. I hesitated because in the US – say at Mt. Rainier – explaining to a ranger that you want to do something of this size in one push usually leads to a safety lecture. The OHM woman just said, ‘oh – so you guys are fast!?’ and then gave us all the details on the minutiae of the route and we were on our way.
Even at 4000m both Lars Erik and I felt quite strong. Only as we approached the summit at 4800m did we start to slow slightly to breathe hard. Neither of us had headaches or upset stomaches and were quite surprised at how well we were fairing. The final ridge to the summit was uneventful but exciting at the same time. It’s not terribly exposed and quite wide so the going was easy but the views off either side were spectacular. We arrived at the summit and took our time eating, taking photos, and getting ready to ski down. The wind even subsided a bit and we were able to enjoy our time on the top. Lots of tracks led down the North Face so we followed the trail and headed down among seracs and over big crevasses. There were a few slots that required little jumps but for the most part it was easy skiing in boot top powder. We blew passed the hut and made our way back onto the lower Bossons Glacier. In the morning, crossing the Bossons was easy on firm frozen snow. Now with the sun shining strong, the surface was soft and we were wary of some of the more sketchy bridges. We made quick time however and got back to the Midi mid-station with about 6.5hrs on our watch and plenty of time for a drink at the snack shack before catching a ride back to town.
In hindsight, the day was much less strenuous than we expected and took much less time than we planned. We both regretted slightly not doing the most pure ascent and hiking from the valley but that would have been more logistically challenging and would have taken a lot out of us just a week before Mezzalama.
- 6.5hrs Duration
- 2837m Ascent
- 24.8km Distance
- Dynafit PDG Skis & Boots
- Ambit 2 HRM/GPS
- CAMP Nanotech Axe, Race 290 Crampons & Racing Harness
- Hammer Nutrition Hammer Bar X2, Huckleberry Hammer Gel X4 & Hammer HEED
- 20m Rope and Crevasse Rescue Kit
- Avalanche Gear
- Climbing along the Gouter ridge with the big mouth crevasse visible from Chamonix above us.
- Passing by the mouth crevasse.
- Looking across at the Midi. Paul and I skied the right hand couloir from the Cosmiques Hut a few days earlier.
- Almost at the summit of Mt. Blanc following the sidewalk sized ridge.
- Looking back up the North Face at our tracks (and those of a few others) off the summit of Mt. Blanc.
- Mt. Blanc Route Map
- Mt. Blanc Altitude Profile