How to climb Mt Blanc safely with Climate change.

Mark Alan Clarke Will 11.30hrs 29th May 2023

Background

For the last few summers it has been far too dangerous to climb Mt Blanc in the height of the summer because all the snow and ice that bonds the mountain in place has melted resulting  in increasing rock fall - sometimes apocalyptic in size.  This has regularly lead to the route having an "arrêté-municipal" slapped on it.  [French for closed.]

2022 -Last season was a case in point: - the Perma-frost melted too, making the rock-fall  even less predictable. As with all high altitude  mountaineering if its not freezing its not safe.  That is why we start early and try to finsih early , but with the freezing level being reguarly above 5000meters this was impossible.

A few years back, in an attempt to adapt to climate change, it was decided to open the key Tete Rousse and Gouter Huts much earlier in the season, when hopefully it would still be cold and there would still be enough snow to glue everything together and that the Gouter Couloir would still have lots of snow in it.

The theory was good and a few years back in 2019 I fully embarced this idea.  I booked the Gouter for the day it opened.  This was a mistake because I hadn't fully thought it through. It was going to be me breaking trail. It took  9 hours merely to get to the Tete Rousse Hut. [2-3 hours normally] Although we still eventually climbed Mt Blanc.

The Plan

Alan Irvine and I decided we would attempt Mt Blanc back in September 2022.  He was keen to ask his friend Clark Cambell along too.  In order to be as safe as possible and to maximise our chances of success we asked Will Harris, another Guide to join us.

The next challange - possibly the biggest challange, was getting our reservations in the Huts.  The day, the hour , the minute the  bookings opened  we were there .  That was in October 2022 for a reservation at the end of May 2023.

With the booking and deposit paid , it was just a question of hoping the date we had booked would coincide with a favourable weather forecast -a big  gamble...  the trip was a long time in the planning.  

On our first day together, the four of us drove through the Mt Blanc tunnel, and made our way to the Toriono Hut where we dumped our overnight stuff before heading out and climbing the traverse of the Aiguille du Marbree.

Climbers on traverse of Marbree

We spent the night in the Torino Hut inorder to bank some acclimatisation.  The next morning we had breakfast at 6.00hrs and were away for 6.45hrs.

We climbed the Aiguille Entreves which was in perfect conditions and because we had had an early start, we had the entire climb to ourselves.

Will & Clarke on traverse L'Entreves.

It was good to have twenty four hours above 3500 meters  which greatly aids acclimatisation. Yet it is equally important to get some decent rest, so we returned to Chamonix for a night in the valley.

Ascent

We were now ready to go .  What's more we the weather forecast was cooperative.  We left Chamonix at 8.00hrs and drove around to the beautiful village of Bionassay.  From there we followed the 4x4 track up to Bellevue where we dumped the Land Rover.  [There is no cable car or train working at this time of year. Without your own 4x4 the taxi ride is about 300euros.]

It wasn't long before we hit the snow.  Despite walking up  railway track it was nescessary to rope-up and use an ice axe because the route was banked out with steep snow and a slip would he been terminal.

At the Nid Aigle where the railway line finishes, we had a rest and figured out where the path through the snow went. Thankfully we were not first and there was a track in the snow.  It was however much steeper than without the snow and a lot of care was needed. The journey was spiced up by an aftrernoon hail storm too.  

A goat

afternoon hail storm.

Yet we arrived at the Tete Rousse Hut in great shape and in good time despite the extra challange of dealing with the transport logistics.

Sentry box .  No booking no way.

The next day was to be  our summit day.  We awoke at 3.00hrs and were away by 3.45hrs.  The conditions were perfect .  There was a track in, it was cold and the sky was clear.  We picked our way up to the Gouter Couloir by the light of our head torches.  Crossing the couloiur was without incident and we then navigated our way up the ridge which was entirely on snow with only a few rocks poking through.  It was far steeper than normal but it went fine.  

Crossing Gouter Couloir.

We briefly stopped at the Gouter Hut after about 2.30 hours of climbing.  We left all our superferlous kit and headed of up the Dome de Gouter.  This stretch is alway monotenous, but at this time of year we could at least climb it in daylight.

Bionassay with its knife edge ridge.

The route skirts around the top of the Dome du Gouter before heading gently down again before steepening up to arrive at the Vallot emrgency refuge 4300 meters.

From hear its about 2 hours to the summit.  No matter how many times you climb Mt Blanc this section is always hard work.  Plus conditions have changed. No longer is it just a tough but uniform ridge.  No . A large crevasse has formed creating a steep wall.  Last year as the summer heated up this wall became steeper and icier by the week. The result was it was difficult and serious- making it difficult and dangerous to guide with more than one client.  Hence all the more reason to elect to tackle it on a ratio of 1;1.

almost at the summit.

As it transpired this section went well, but you never really know until you are there.    After  which it was just a hard slog to the summit aided with pocket full of "Gummy Bears", notoriuos for making kids go bonkers but less well known as the "best" energy shot known to human kind.

Clarke and Will were  a head of us and they waited for us on the summit.  Hand shakes, hugs and probably some tears behind the sun glasses was the result of many years of trieing.  As a guide there is no better job in the world when you can help deliver momments like this.

The realisation its done.

Descent

The return was by excatly the same route albeit a lot faster.  We had a good long pause at the Vallot Refuge then continued down to the Gouter Hut where we orderd a splendid omelette washed down with Artisanal Mont Blanc beer [what else?]

Our time in the Gouter Hut was not with out incident;  Firstly there was the guy who turned up with very severe category 2 frostbite.  I was surprised because it had not been particarly cold, but having the wrong boots that are not dry, too tight and not built for high altitude were probably key factors.  He was flown out by the PGHM fourtunately to Sallanches Hopsital which is considered the world center for frostbite treatment.

Next was dinner followed immediatly by bed.  All was fine until someone a woke me with a particularly loud obnoxious alarm.  Or so I thought.  It turned out to be the fire alarm.  Never a good sound, but at 3816 meters in a building with no opening windows and being constructed with far too much wood was of concern.  However very soon afterwards there was a shout  from the hut guardian saying everything was under control.  I drifted back to sleep, but was interested to learn the incident had reached the national  news outlets.

https://www.lemessager.fr/60964/article/2023-05-31/mont-blanc-le-refuge-du-gouter-echappe-de-peu-un-incendie

Feeling somewhat groggy we fell out of our bunks at around 5.00hrs, skipped breakfast and started our descent to the Tete Rousse Hut where we stopped for breakfast.  In the snowy conditions we had, we should have been able to make a fast descent by "bum-sliding."  Yet the reality was entirely different.  The top of the snow was too icy which would have meant bum-sliding to a certain accident or worse.  But the snow had a crust on it which wouldn't support our weight and so every step meant sinking in up to our knees or often waist. So just when you thought it was all over , in fact it was not.

Anyway eventually we made it back to the railway line and then  the Land Rover, tired but happy.

Clearing the track which will now open on 17th June.

April ski touring .

April is considered a good time to embark on high mountain hut to hut tours.  The idea of disappearing into the mountains and staying in them for several days, is for many people the major delight of ski-mountaineering.

Indeed as Mountain Guides this is one of the trips we are in the most demand for.

Yet for everything to align and make this possible is also one of the biggest headaches Guide's can face.

For example planning a trip which takes in a Friday and or Saturday night is fraught because the Huts are inevitably fully booked.  What's more, many of the Huts now demand a deposit when making the booking.  There is little flexibility in case of bad weather especially if you are a big group.

But it is what it is , and here is an example of how Bill, Greg and I "extruded" five days skiing out of what was a rather mixed forecast.

Our plan was to head to the Bernese Oberland.  As Mike Tyson is credited with saying most of his opponents had a fight plan until they were hit in the face.  Our first punch was the avalanche forecast.  

Just where we wanted to go was about as dangerous as it could be: Catergory 4/5.Red   Instead we delayed a day and went skiing at Les Grands Montets and climbed over onto the Argentiere glacier and headed up to the Aiguille du Grand Montets-what was five years ago a functioning cable car station. It was a wonderful day.

Argentiere Glacier

At this time of year, fortunately the conditions stabilise quickly and so we headed to the Oberland.  We drove to Visp and left the car in the station car park.  We then took  a series of trains to Grindlewald.

Visp railway station

At Grindlewald we bought a sweet for 95chf and got a free ticket to the top of the Jungfraujoch.  

Exspensive Sweety

The journey used to be by the most expensive train ride in the world.  Now part of it is by the most expensive cable car in the world- which takes you in front of the North Face of the Eiger.   The Swiss work the senses so thoroughly that you barely notice the efficiency with which they are simultaneously working your wallet.

Despite spending nearly a 100 million CHF on this new cable car- its not actually possible to take a photo of the face without it being blocked out by the cables of the opposite cable car.

North Face of the Eiger.

Once at the top we followed the labaryth of tunnels which lead to the glacier.

It takes just less than an hour to get to the Monchjoch Hut.  This is now a much better place to stay since the previous Hut Keeper was moved on.  He was a world class git like no other.

Even better the new team have special " Mountain Guide Beer" for a late afternoon aperitif .

The next morning we were up at about 6.00hrs and were greeted by a beautiful sunrise.

Sun rise from the Monchjoch Hut window.

Our goal for the day was to traverse to the Hollandiahutte via the Louwitor col. We left the Monchjoch Hut at about 7.15 and skied back towards the Jungfraujoch before turning right, skiing down somemore , before skirting around the base of the Jungfrau and heading upwards.

The Jungfrau with the Spinx in the foreground.

Bill & Greg heading up with the south face of the Monch in the background.

We arrived at the col Louwitor 3658m and then decided to climb the peak slightly above it called the Louwihorn 3778m.  The only issue was there was a bit of mist swerling about which limited the views.

Nevertheless as we made the long descent of the Kranzberg glacier we soon dropped back below the clouds and enjoyed satisfactory views.  

The ski down was fine, not great because the cold wind had not allowed the snow to soften up.  

We stopped at the junction of the Grosser Aletschorn glacier for a sandwich  and to stick our skins on again for the climb up to the Hollandiahutte 3245m.

Its just possible to see the Hollandiahutte sticking out of the side of the ridge on the right.

The Hollandiahutte is siutated in a wonderful position and the welcome was warm from the new team who had only this season taken on the franchise.  Beer was good, food was good.

The only water has to be melted from snow.

The problem the next day that the weather was no longer good.  Inevitably we had to consider our options... Initially we had a forecast with one bad day, followed by a good day.  This was followed by a new forecast which suggested we had a couple of bad days.  Therefore the descision was made to bail.  

We skied down the long valley to Fafleralp.  The snow was difficult and the visibility was unhelpful.  Despite, this we made good time and avoided any drama.  From Fafleralp we found enough snow to wiggle our way down to the large village of Blatten.

Conviently the Post Bus was waiting for us.

It was just a short train ride back to Visp, from where we drove back to Chamonix.

The weather the next day in Chamonix was slightly better than forcast and so we headed up the Aiguille du Midi.  It was slow to open because of the fresh snow.  There were ominously few people in the cable car with skis.  Yet when we got to the top there was just enough visibility to give it a go.  We found knee deep fluffy powder and we had the place to ourselves.

Bill Millsbelow the Salle Mangér Vallée Blanche.

La Terreur du Chien Fou

 "The Terror of the Mad Dog" is a wonderful name for a climb.  It is one of the original routes of Orpiere and is the classic climb of the area.  I first climbed it with Jane, my wife, when the area was still being developed- some 30 years ago...

Quiqillon West Face which dominates the village.

I have to say this time around it felt a lot harder.  I'm convinced some of the key holds had vanished- or maybe it had something to do with my doubling in age.

The reason Charles Sherwood and I found ouseleves down in Provience was one of "alpine pragmatism. " Charles and I had had a date in the diary for some ski mountaineering.  Yet as our week approached the weather in the alps was looking rubbish.  This was confirmed by a series of devastating headline grabbing avalanches which further underscored that skiing mountaineering was not a good option.

We had left the alps in a mixture of rain and sleet which followed us all the way past Grenoble and started to sew seeds of doubt about whether we would find any dry rock.

Yet: we arrived in an area which was in severe drought.  Orpiere had not had any rain since January.  Crisis measures had been employed and the only reason our hotel was open was because it had its own source. [Well]

After our triumph on the Mad Dog we headed for Buis Les Baronies following the impressive D65 over the Col de Perty.  A road sign calls it "route remarkable". It was and it was deserted it was only a pity we hadn't brought the Lamborghini.

We stayed in the picturesque  but somewhat quirky Hotel Les Arcades- Le Lion D'or.  We were given a suit with a living room and two bedrooms.  Its difficult to describe,but the toilet led straight into the living room as if it was a feature of the living room rather than part of the bathroom. 

Our plan was to climb on the Rocher Saint Julien.  

St Julian crags seen from the village.

Our goal was the route called "La Gastronome."  All was going well until I got to the first belay.  Then the wind hit.  Not only was it unconfortably cold, but we couldnt hear each other.  What's more because the descent was eventually  going to be via rappel , the prospect of dealing with ropes being blown vertically up in the air and wrapped around all number of bushes and trees suggested an immediate escape.

We re located to the magnificent crag called Baume Rousse. It is described as a place where "no climber could fail to have at least one day here."

We had two days here.  It was brilliant.

Mad Dog enjoying a beer after the Mad Dog .

Footnote

The planning for these types of trips has been made easier with the use of the Rockfax App.  This allows you to have all the guide books on your phone.  It is highly recommended.

La Vallee Blanche via the Comb Noir: As good as it gets.

 

Mt Blanc Blanc du Tacul with Geant glacier in the foreground.

Easter Saturday was the day to be in the Vallee Blanche.  Liam Abby Holly and Gavin were lucky enough to hit perfect conditions.  Clearly as a Guide living in Chamonix I have skied the Vallee Blanche many many times , but non better than today.

Dent du Geant.

The best and worse skiing of the season condensed into a week.

 

John Young enjoying one of our many quiet untracked runs of the week.

This week saw some of the best powder skiing I have experinced in years. But it was also interspersed with some truly grotty weather where it rained higher than any where it was feasible to ski. It was bewildering to experince such dramatic changes in the weather in literally a blink of an eye.

On our first day, as I picked John Young up from his hotel - it was sleeting, [the previous day Grands Montets had closed down while I was skiing there.] The day had "forboding" written all over it.

Yet we headed to Grands Montets - the lifts started to open , the sun came out and there was 50 cm of light fluffy un tracked  powder everywhere.

The quality of the skiing was exceptional and there was hardly anyone about.  What had threatned to be an inauspicious day turned out to be truely exceptional one.  The sort of day you could go through a whole life time of ski holidays and never enjoy.

The next day we headed to Le Tour.  This time not only was the snow sublime , but there was a cloudless sky.  The skiing was "other -worldly."  lunch was good too : At the Alpage de Balme.  In the afternoon we skied off the back of Le Tour, briefly using the skins in order to access yet more untracked powder down through the widely spaced trees of Les Jeurs.

Then ugh; the weather changed.  Although we could still see, the temperature shot up and it instantly ruined all the wonderful snow we had skied the day before.  We made the most of it while skiing on the piste around La Flegere and Le Brevent while watching incrediously at other groups trying to go touring and taking huge risks with large wet soggy cornices.

A big cornice?

Still we got some good sking.

Thursday the weather was challanging, especially if you were in a resort that didn't tip the 2500meters  mark.  John and I headed to Les Grands Montets, We then took the Bochard liftto 2780 meters   We exited the lift to be greeted with light fluffy snow.  We then decided to go even higher.  Due to the continuing no lift saga we stuck our skins on and headed up to the Col du Rachase. There were quite a few other paties with the same idea .  We made it to the col very quickly and decided to continue even higher-but we soon had further weather challanges.  The first was zero visibility and the next was the worrying fizzing sound of static around the hood of my jacket which all of a sudden develpoed into flashes of lightening followed by loud claps of thunder.

Zero Vis!

The descision to turn-tail wasn't difficult.  We "felt" our way back to the col and fiddled our way into the comb de la Rachasse.  The cliffs on our right gave us good definition, which allowed us to do real justice to the untracked powder, which in turn gave us a brilliant descent all the way to a late lunch at the Chalet Lognon.

Friday was a right off.  Awful weather which shut all the lifts .  Nothing else to add.

HOWEVER Saturday was another story. The forecast for Italy was considerably colder and it was snowing  hard.  We headed to Courmayeur.  We arrived to find the car park empty.  This was because the lift was closed.  But then it openend - seemingly just for John & I.   We had the whole resort to our selves, with 20 cm of fresh untouched snow everywhere.  Inevitably as the sun came out and the resort started to fully open there were more people- but we were quite "well skied" by then.  We refuelled on Pizza at the famous Maison Veille - before continuing with more powder skiing .  A great way to finish the week.

Courmayeur powder.

A full set of the weeks photos can be found here https://www.flickr.com/photos/114992191@N02/albums/72177720307229069. 

Stand out Mellow Day Ski Tour

Looking from Summit of the Bec Ronde.

 Charlie Mike  joined me for a second time this season.  This time they were joined by their friend Di .We had a couple of days ski touring. One at La Flegere where we found  some good spring snow above Lac Blanc plus we found ourselves skiing through some unique terrain with marvellous back drops:

Mt Blanc in the background.

Yet, then a second day which was exceptionally good- Charlie said it was one of the best ever.

It started by driving to Switzerland- to a village called Liddes which is on the main road to the St Bernard tunnel.  Liddes is the unlikely capital of the world Cow Fighting championships. A pecuilar and unfathaomable  passion of this part of the alps "Les Bataille des Reins."

Yet tragically this only takes place in the late summer.  Instead we were there because Liddes has its own "ski resort."  The lift system can be used to catapult you on your ski tour by depositing you on a ridge line which gives the most jaw-dropping views in every direction.  

Nevertheless when we arrived the depart wasn't somwhat inauspicious...

Where's the snow?

Yet a mellow ride on  an  old chair-lift followed by an equally old T -Bar  put us at the top of the resort.

Our goal was the Bec Ronde- about an hour and halfs mellow skin from the top lift.

Bec Ronde seen from the top drag lift.

Di arriving at the summit with the back drop of Lac Leman in the far background

Lunch was taken on the summit, with hardly a breath of wind.

After which we enjoyed some exceptional skiing back towards the lift system.

We stopped for a beer and soaked up the view , before surviving the chair lift back to the car park.

The Bec Ronde is a really fanatstic day tour.

Good Conditions in La Thuile

Lago d'Arpy.

 The call came through with the question:  " If we can carve out  two days to ski together where would be an unusual -yet great place to ski?"

The above paragraph needs context - The question was coming from someone who lives in Geneva who has skied a lot. 

"Lets try La Thuile" I suggested .

" Okay lets do it."  came the reply.

Mark Daniels & his friend Till Aull  picked me up in Chamonix and we drove through the Mt Blanc tunnel and arrived at the Chalet Hotel Eden in La Thuile.  

The weather was cloudy and mixed, it was straining to snow but this fizzled out.  The next morning the trees were dusted with snow. As we ascended in  the cable car we could see that there had been some fresh snow.

Yet bizzarely as we got higher there was no fresh snow .  Just inpenitrable fog. It was not looking good.  We skied about and manoeuvred ourseleves into what I hoped would be a good off-piste run.  It was horrible: The skiing was excatly like skiing on a corrugated tin roof that stretched for eternity, made more challenging by seeing absoultley nothing.

We needed a change of aspect and a change of altitude .  We headed for the lower north facing slopes where we found blissful snow.  A couple of laps through the trees was followed by a fabulous descent down to the Maison de La Neige hotel for  lunch.

After which we repeated the same descent - agian it was fabulous.  

A second night was spent at the hotel.  The next day was beautiful.  Instead of skiing in the resort we elecetd to go ski touring and headed to Arpy.  Our goal was to climb Punte Crocce - the classic ski tour of the area.

The ski tour leaves from the road head by a cross country ski area and winds its way up through a forest to the beautiful lake Arpy

From where the route climbs to the summit of Punte Crocce .

From the summit we skied back pretty much the same way, stopped at the bar where we had left the car, then travelled back to Chamonix .

Inspirational skiers.

 

Mt Collon and the Arolla valley.

I have known Peter Folkman for well over thirty years. In fact he was one of my first ever clients when I became a Guide.  We have enjoyed some incredible journeys together and he is the only client I have actually climbed Mt Blanc twice with.  Each time on skis.

This time he was back with his very good friend Robert Pattullo.  Our plan this time was to go on a road trip and return to some of the western alps esoteric ski areas.

We warmed up by skiing off the back of Le Tour and heading over the border and down  into Switzerland.  

As ever we were always on a set up of good off piste skis with a touring bindings.  This allowed Robert to experince his first ski tour.  Despite having enjoyed a life time of off-piste skiing , he had left it to his 80th year to take up this part of the sport.

Robert at the top of his 1st ski tour.

Looking towards the Valais up the Rhone Valley.

After we finished skiing we set off and drove around to Arolla- Now Arolla[ in my opinion] could well be a contender for the best ski resort in the world:

1    It is not easy to get to - therefore few people.

2    The village is at 2000meters- so has reliable snow. 

3    By a quirk it has the highest tree line in the alps - beautiful "Arolla Pine" trees  which not only add to the majesty but also provide wonderful tree skiing which on bad weather powder days mean you can see where your going.

4    Next it has a perfect ski area which fundamentally has two main Poma lifts [nothing so advanced as a chair lift] Yet critically the second Poma lift spits you out at 3000 meters, where there are manicured pistes where  if you see another person you say hello to them.  Yet for our purposes the drag puts you in a position to ski vast areas of off piste skiing. Plus its the starting point for day tours.

5    Added to which there is the most wonderful hotel from which to base your self.  The Kurhaus .  This is one is  in Swiss Historic Hotels group.  It is perfect. As you walk in you are greeted by a big log fire and afternoon tea . What's more the food is marvellous.

So everything was set up well the plan was going well - but as the saying goes; the first casuality of the war is the plan.  Peter turned up at breakfast with full blown lurgy - which in this day and age could be a variety of ailments...

Suddenly all the all the adavantages of Arolla being so remote, became its big problem.  The main one being the nearest doctor was several hundred meters lower down the valley.    Yet Switzerland is not Brexit-Britain [with all its promises of a reinvigated NHS.]  Instead we turned up at the surgery, where we were greeted by a delightful nurse who offered Robert & I a coffee while Peter was seen immediately.  

Twenty minutes later, complete with results of a comprehensive blood test   Peter was told that death wasn't yet iminent, and he had good old fashioned Flu. He was packed off with a bag full of medcines and told to go back to bed.  

Meanwhile Robert and I went to explore the vast ski area which Arolla has to offer.

Looking towards the Arolla metropolis. 

By the time we returned from skiing Peter's health had dramatically improved.  Yet the weather forecast was the contraire: we were looking at a situation where so much snow was predicted  that there was a reasonable chance we would get stuck in Arolla- snow bound.

So in the morning  we returned to Chamonix.

The next day there was too much snow and the resort was shut.  Fortunately there is the Mt Blanc tunnel which allowed us to visit  "another parallel universe" of blue skies and untracked powder- We ended up in La Thuile.

This was to be our stand out day

La Thuile at its very best.

.

Peter feeling better.

Yet we were not the only ones to be taking advantage of this wonderful resort - albeit eveyone else was skiing on the piste .  We did hit an enormous queue .

As good as any reason to ski with a Guide.

Which could have been a disaster - but being able to use the Mountain Professionals priority lane made me popular with Peter and Robert - but undoubtedly less so with hundreds of others.

On our final day Chamonix was still closed - so we returned through the Mt Blanc tunnel , this time to Courmayeur - although my intial smugness of escaping Chamonix's bad weather backfired because Courmayeur too was experiencing very high winds which limited what lifts were open.  We skied as much as we could but had to content ourselves with Cappuccino stops and eventually an excellent lunch.

Peter & Robert : Very determined characters.