Mon Blanc 23 april '07

So, did they work, and how were they? Show everyone proof that your ride was a success (or even a complete failure)!

Moderators: Head Monkey, kelvin, bigKam, skidesmond, chrismp

Post Reply
Idris
Posts: 382
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2005 3:34 pm
Location: Chamonix, France
Contact:

Mon Blanc 23 april '07

Post by Idris »

Xpost from TGR - putting it here because its the first real test of Martin's board (build writeup soon) and My Bro's sort of count because its me who built them, abeit in PMGears double wide factory/garage. The board and skis performed fautlessly

We skied the 3 Mont Blanc (Traverse) route up (red) and down (yellow) the North Face.

Image

In the heat of the mid afternoon we caught the last bin up the Midi. We hung
out at the view point until things were being locked for the night and they asked us to leave. 5 minutes of steep glacial refrozen sun fried crap and we
were at the Cosmiques refuge.

Image

The Cosmiques hut is a nice modern refuge. But expensive, it’s a private hut rather than an alpine club one. Nice views at dusk though.

Image

Up at 3am out the door by 4. We skied across to the Col du Midi by head
torch (lamp). As soon as we ran out of glide we switched to crampons. No
pint in skinning when the ground is rock hard and it’s all steeply uphill. About
200m up the Tacul we had to do a short section of 60 degree ice. Not
normally a problem. But unroped in the dark and most of the group with one lightweight axe each causes the jangling of a few nerves.

Image

A pre dawn look back at the Midi. Up the shoulder of the Tacul we pause for a snack. We are doing well, its only 6am. Ahead of us is the north face of
Mont Maudit.

Image

We don skis and slither over to the Col Maudit, changing back to crampons to climb again. As we climb the face dawn breaks around us.

Image

Lots of climbing under seracs.

Image

The last 50m up the Col du Mont Maudit is a steep ice scramble only
unnerving due to the 3000m of exposure. All the bits of fixed rope and rubbish here is testament to warn nerves.

Image

Doesn’t seem to have bothered Martin though (no this isn’t photochopped it
just looks that way). A steep but not so airy traverse takes us to the Col de
la Brenva.

Image

We sit down and try and eat a bit, but we are all feeling the affects of the altitude from here we can see the top. I remark that we are 2/3s of the way up in climbing (altitude and distance) but less than half way up in terms of effort – I didn’t know how true that was at the time!


Image

7 hours after leaving the refuge we stagger onto the summit. We’ve made it.
And unlike almost everyone else who has taken a similar amount of time we are on freeride gear. My Dynafits being the only light weight concession.
Martin is even riding a board we built my apartment. Looking around we see
skinny skis, cut down drilled out boots. And home built Dynafit heal units.
Quite a lot of folks are wearing lycra. But the altitude has tired them out all the same.

Image

From L to R, Karl, Karin, Martin, Me and Magnus. One Welshman and 4
Swedes. We are lucky enough to be on the summit on what has to be one of
the clearest days of the year.

Image

You can se from Lyon in the west to beyond the Matterhorn and Monta Rosa in the east. From beyond the Jura in north to Monte Viso south.

We head of from the summit straight down the north face.

Image

It’s reasonably steep at the top. The snow is chopped windblown.

Image

It’s a challenge to ski in some places

Image

And a bump field in others.

Image

Quite a lot of negotiating seracs on the way down.

Image
Eventually we join the voie normal as it comes up from the Refuge du Grand
Mulets to the Dome du Goûter.

Image

From here down most of us are feeling a little better. We have lost a lot of altitude.

Image

It is just a case of following the rest of the world on the route down. Bumped up serac debris isn’t so nice to ride though.

Image

When the snow softens up we stop for a breather.

Image

Down to the glacier du Bossons, where we have to rope up to fight our way through the jumbled blocks. It’s only a precaution but there are plenty of signs of failed snow bridges.
Across the other side we join the ski out from the Rond and the Cosmiques.
It’s a slushy traverse over to the old mid station

Image

The first time in the whole route we get to leave our mark in the snow. It is
just deep rotten corn. But at speed its nice. It’s just rather tough on tired legs. We are all glad of freeride gear here.

Image

We run out of snow just shy of the old lower station. Some half an hours stager down through the woods to the Mont Blanc Tunnel entrance. 12 hours after leaving the hut we are down. 1500 m of climbing and 3400m of decent
Image
burny
Posts: 50
Joined: Wed Jun 07, 2006 12:25 am
Location: Bavaria

Post by burny »

yesss ... I'm really jealous now, i didnt make it once to cham this season. this season mostly was crap anyhow, well the next cant be as bad as this one has been so far, and I had some powder as well. But compared to my usual 50+ days I only had 30 this season, thats not enough!

thanks a lot for the tr.
billl
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:25 pm

woaaa

Post by billl »

man what a beautiful day!!!
I'm from Les Contamines, France originally (now live in Vancouver BC) and I really must thank you for these pix, made me homesick and very envious. Well done!
Buuk
Posts: 150
Joined: Wed Apr 26, 2006 2:49 am
Location: The Netherlands

Post by Buuk »

Very nice story!
I also love the French Alps :)
Make things as simple as possible, but not too simple
User avatar
RoboGeek
Posts: 239
Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:08 pm
Location: Middle of a cornfield...

Post by RoboGeek »

pretty awesome!



btw.. fixed one of your img tags for you
I used to be a lifeguard, but some blue kid got me fired.
hafte
Posts: 204
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 11:40 am

Post by hafte »

Beautiful mountains!! That looks like some awesome terrain. I’m jealous. Wish our snow would last that far into spring.

I like the snow board in the pictures. I’m hoping to make something similar for next season. I sure would not have wanted to be on a snowboard in those snow conditions though.

Hafte
Post Reply