MOUNTAIN BERSERKER
Mont Blanc 4809 m
Trois Monts route
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Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco at 4809 meters elevation above sea level is the highest mountain in the Alps and lies on the borders between France, Italy and Switzerland. It belongs to the Graian Alps and includes 28 peaks over 4000 meters of the famous UIAA list. Every year tens of thousands of mountaineers attempt to reach its summit. The two most common and ''easiest'' routes are the Gouter route (normal route) and the Trois Monts route. Both routes may be technically easy but are not to be underestimated as they have some objective dangers (rockfall, seracs, crevasses, weather changes and altitude).
Here I will describe the second most common route to Mont Blanc, the Trois Monts route. The route starts at the Aiguille du Midi, goes up the steep slopes of Mont Blanc du Tacul and Mont Maudit and culminates at the summit of Mont Blanc. It is graded PD and involves walking on steep glacial terrain with the objective danger of serac fall. Anyone attempting the route should have solid cramponing and self arrest technique as well as knowledge and gear for crevasse rescue.
To reach the starting point you have to either take the cable car from Chamonix to Aiguille du Midi (French side) or the cable car from Courmayeur to Pointe Helbronner and then to Aiguille du Midi (Italian side).There are also options for those who want to walk all the way from Chamonix or Courmayeur to the summit. Once you exit the Auguille du Midi station follow the narrow snow ridge that turns to the right towards Cosmiques hut and very carefully cross the 2 or 3 crevasses before the plateau. Once you arrive you have three options for sleeping: the Cosmiques hut, the bivouac near the hut and the basecamp below them. Allow at least one day for acclimatisation before summit day to increase your chances of avoiding altitude sickness. A good idea for acclimatisation is to climb Mont Blanc du Tacul and return the same way. On summit day it is important to start very early (1-2 am) when everything is frozen and more solid. Starting from the Cosmiques hut you descend to the right, heading south and pass by the Col du Midi basecamp.
The first 150 - 200 meters are on flat ground and as you start the ascent up the north face of Mont Blanc du Tacul the slope gets steeper, reaching 30 - 35 degrees. The route moves around crevasses and some seracs. Some of the crevasses are crossed by walking on narrow glacial bridges. Here, falling seracs and glacier movement can dramatically change the size and position of the crevasses along the route each year. This can lead to crevasses that require jumping across and even impassable ones that are bridged by metal ladders. After reaching the shoulder of Mont Blanc du Tacul (2 hours 30 minutes - 3 hours) on the right, you traverse the easy but steep slope leading to the Col Maudit (4030 m). After Col Maudit the route traverses to the right and rises on the steep north face of Mont Maudit up to the Col du Mont Maudit (5 hours). The last 20 meters before the col is the crux of the route, a 40-50° snow climb which can be protected by placing ice screws and slings on the rocks that lie in the middle of the pitch.
After that you continue south towards the col between Mont Blanc and Mont Maudit, Col de la Brenva (4303m) and the steep snow ridge named Mur de la Cote that leads to the final plateau of the route at about 4500 m. The rest is a seemingly endless snow slope leading to the summit of Mont Blanc (4809 m). The whole route takes 6 - 7 hours from hut to summit although this can vary greatly depending on climbers' fitness level and conditions.
The views from the top of the Alps are breathtaking; the vertical granite ''needles'' of the Mont Blanc massif stick out in the north while the ''horns'' of the Valais along with Monte Rosa dominate the east. The best options for the descent are either from the same route or the Gouter (easier and safer). If you return by the same route you have to consider that all the ice/snow bridges over crevasses and seracs you passed will not be as solid as early in the morning.