Route Climbed: Contamine-Negri Date Climbed: 31 mars 2002
Its a350m route on the left of the Contamine-Grisolle with a short 65-70 degrees pitch. At the top of the Triangle, we followed the normal route to the summit.
Route Climbed: gabarrou/albinioni Date Climbed: apr 88
this is a neo classic. a steep, narrow gully for half a dozen pitches, with fixed rap anchors so you can descend to your skis when the climbing turns trivial towards the top. before reaching the superb technical pitches you have to negotiate a 1500' rather steep snow gully. combined with an afternoon ski descend of vallee blanche you have a great day in the mountains.
It was a beautiful, calm day on the Col du Midi but the summit ridge of Tocul was like a day I'd imagine in the Himalaya... the rope drawn taut in a sideways arc between us by fierce winds. The party behind us turned back due to the cold. Alberto tried to freeze his %$!! off but failed. I'm glad Marco was leading because there was so much spindrift blowing at the base of the summit block that i couldn't see anything despite there not being a cloud in the sky! What a great time! The God of Winds let off on the blasts for a few minutes of our stay on the summit. Great stuff. Pictures of me and Alberto with Maudit behind... classic. From the base of Cosmiques we could still see the white plume streaming off the summit against a deep blue sky...
Route Climbed: "normal glacier" Date Climbed: 13 September 2002
I signed up for the 5 day course with the Chamonix Mountain Guides Company. While poised for the launch for Mont Blanc in the Cosmiques Hut, we were weathered out by strong winds and fresh snow on the morning of 12 September. So on our last day (Friday, the 13th) we went for Mont Blanc Du Tacul as a substitute. My French guide, Fred, got me there and back, safe and sound. Two classmates from Great Britain, Julia and Steve, led by their Italian guide, Alberto, made the trip with me. We had awesome visibility, and the weather was very kind to us.
Route Climbed: Normal route from Aiguille du Midi Date Climbed: July 2000
I climbed over the shoulder of this mountain on the way to the summit of Mt. Blanc in 1999 and always regretted not taking the diversion to the summit then. Went back and climbed it in 2000 It is quite a busy peak but fun nevertheless. A picturesque rocky summit.
Route Climbed: Normal route Date Climbed: July 27, 2002
The first mountain after Aiguille du Midi on Ivano's and my way to reach our bivouac place on Col de la Brenva for our opening of a new route (Eperon Gousseault) on Mont Maudit the next day.
Route Climbed: NW-flank (normal route) Date Climbed: 16 July 1990
We (my father and two brothers of mine) only reached height 3.670, more or less. We passed the first crack on the NW face. We didn't go with the idea of reaching the summit, only to familiarize with crampons, piolets and rope. Start at Aiguille du Midi, bright day. I remember an helicopter bringing aid a belay below, near Col du Midi and the impressive S cliff of Aiguille du Midi.
Route Climbed: Gervasutti pilar Date Climbed: July 1983
I climbed this route with a chap named "Guy", met in a bar in Cham the evening before the climb.
We did it in a one-day climb, (like bsauer) from Chamonix with first cable to Aig du Midi, then climb to the summit and descent to the refuge des Cosmiques.
We arrived late at night and could not find the hut. We had to bivouac without equipment on the Cosmiques ridge. The next morning, we discovered the hut less than 50 yards from our bivouac place.
Route Climbed: Contamine-Grisolle Date Climbed: Feb/2/2001
The Contamine-Grisolle is a classic ice climbing couloir of the Tacul northface (triangle). It ends below the summit. It was very cold. Because of the coldness, I turned around alone while my both companions were continuing the route. Afterwards, I went to the Eastside of the Mt. Blanc du Tacul just in order to have a nice look at it. I recognized too late, that the weather was getting worse. Nevertheless, I still reached the Abri Simond Bivouac Hut in the fog although I could not see more then a dark shadow of the end of the Aig. du Midi. My two companions got lost in the fog and the snowstorm on the Géant Glacier. They were also surprised by the sudden weather change like myself and other people and could not return anymore to the Abri Simond. They already wanted to make an unplanned bivouac on the Géant-Glacier (at -30°C and without sleeping-bags etc. .....). After a few hours, they made another attempt - and recognized that they were very close to the Abri Simond Bivouac Hut: just on the S-side of the rock on which the Ref. Cosmiques is located, i.e. a few meters away from the Abri Simond Bivouac, although they thought they were near the E-ridge of the Aig. du Midi .... we have never heard anything anymore about 2 french people who climbed the Chérècouloir that day and were surprised by the weather change as well. They at least did not return to the Abri Simond Bivouac Hut. We did not know whether they also got lost on the Géant Glacier, whether they reached the Aig. du Midi or what happened to them. We also could not inform anybody because we did not have any handy and were being stuck in snow storm in the Abri-Simond-Bivouac Hut.
Route Climbed: Contamine Mazeaud Date Climbed: Jan/31/2001
The Contamine Mazeaud is a classic ice climbing couloir of the Tacul northface (triangle). It ends below the summit. It was very cold. Some persons of our group got severe frostbites of the 2nd degree. We abseiled down through the Chèrécouloir (normal descent of the triangle).
Route Climbed: Cervasutti Pillar Date Climbed: Summer 1985
in one day from Chamonix via cable car and Aig. du Midi...climbing Cervasutti Pillar...hiking back to Torino hut for the night...was a long but wonderful day...climbing took approx. 8 hours...highly recommended climb
Route Climbed: NW flank standard route Date Climbed: July 2001
One of the easiest 4000m alpine peaks to bag, considering the cable car hauls you to 3800m and the main hazard is passing the hordes of guided clients vomitting up their breakfast.
See the photo of the rock step at the summit to see what you can expect if you're going to do this route at the height of the summer season. It pays to start early and to move fast.
Route Climbed: Chèrécouloir Date Climbed: Jan/30/2001
The Chèrécouloir is a classic ice climbing couloir of the Tacul northface (triangle). It ends below the summit. It was very cold. Many persons of our group got severe frostbites of the 2nd degree. We abseiled down through the same couloir.
tomclimb - Dec 29, 2002 3:15 am
Route Climbed: Contamine-Negri Date Climbed: 31 mars 2002Its a350m route on the left of the Contamine-Grisolle with a short 65-70 degrees pitch. At the top of the Triangle, we followed the normal route to the summit.
TodoVertical - Dec 4, 2002 12:12 pm
Route Climbed: Normal Date Climbed: Aug. 1997Mario and I climbed Mt. Tacul the day before climbing Mt. Blanc. It was an easy climb on a beutiful day.
kullaberg - Nov 28, 2002 10:55 am
Route Climbed: gabarrou/albinioni Date Climbed: apr 88this is a neo classic. a steep, narrow gully for half a dozen pitches, with fixed rap anchors so you can descend to your skis when the climbing turns trivial towards the top. before reaching the superb technical pitches you have to negotiate a 1500' rather steep snow gully. combined with an afternoon ski descend of vallee blanche you have a great day in the mountains.
Samuli Mansikka - Nov 3, 2002 12:24 pm
Route Climbed: Triangle/North face Date Climbed: June 2002Summitted as the first summit during the "Three Mont Blanc" in june. A very enjoyable climb!
climbit - Oct 18, 2002 4:57 pm
Route Climbed: Normal Date Climbed: 15-Sep-2002It was a beautiful, calm day on the Col du Midi but the summit ridge of Tocul was like a day I'd imagine in the Himalaya... the rope drawn taut in a sideways arc between us by fierce winds. The party behind us turned back due to the cold. Alberto tried to freeze his %$!! off but failed. I'm glad Marco was leading because there was so much spindrift blowing at the base of the summit block that i couldn't see anything despite there not being a cloud in the sky! What a great time! The God of Winds let off on the blasts for a few minutes of our stay on the summit. Great stuff. Pictures of me and Alberto with Maudit behind... classic. From the base of Cosmiques we could still see the white plume streaming off the summit against a deep blue sky...
Chucky - Sep 14, 2002 5:56 am
Route Climbed: "normal glacier" Date Climbed: 13 September 2002I signed up for the 5 day course with the Chamonix Mountain Guides Company. While poised for the launch for Mont Blanc in the Cosmiques Hut, we were weathered out by strong winds and fresh snow on the morning of 12 September. So on our last day (Friday, the 13th) we went for Mont Blanc Du Tacul as a substitute. My French guide, Fred, got me there and back, safe and sound. Two classmates from Great Britain, Julia and Steve, led by their Italian guide, Alberto, made the trip with me. We had awesome visibility, and the weather was very kind to us.
Chamonix Man - Aug 10, 2002 8:24 am
Route Climbed: Normal route from Aiguille du Midi Date Climbed: July 2000I climbed over the shoulder of this mountain on the way to the summit of Mt. Blanc in 1999 and always regretted not taking the diversion to the summit then. Went back and climbed it in 2000 It is quite a busy peak but fun nevertheless. A picturesque rocky summit.
Rahel Maria Liu - Aug 4, 2002 7:47 am
Route Climbed: Normal route Date Climbed: July 27, 2002The first mountain after Aiguille du Midi on Ivano's and my way to reach our bivouac place on Col de la Brenva for our opening of a new route (Eperon Gousseault) on Mont Maudit the next day.
El Tigre Valderrama - Jun 16, 2002 8:26 am
Route Climbed: Standar Route via north face Date Climbed: July 2001Climbed with my wife Annica. We had a lot of fun. No problems on the climb and with the weather
Diego Sahagún - Apr 15, 2002 6:03 pm
Route Climbed: NW-flank (normal route) Date Climbed: 16 July 1990We (my father and two brothers of mine) only reached height 3.670, more or less. We passed the first crack on the NW face. We didn't go with the idea of reaching the summit, only to familiarize with crampons, piolets and rope. Start at Aiguille du Midi, bright day. I remember an helicopter bringing aid a belay below, near Col du Midi and the impressive S cliff of Aiguille du Midi.
bruno.carbonne - Apr 4, 2002 3:07 pm
Route Climbed: Gervasutti pilar Date Climbed: July 1983I climbed this route with a chap named "Guy", met in a bar in Cham the evening before the climb.
We did it in a one-day climb, (like bsauer) from Chamonix with first cable to Aig du Midi, then climb to the summit and descent to the refuge des Cosmiques.
We arrived late at night and could not find the hut. We had to bivouac without equipment on the Cosmiques ridge. The next morning, we discovered the hut less than 50 yards from our bivouac place.
Rahel Maria Liu - Jan 28, 2002 5:46 am
Route Climbed: Contamine-Grisolle Date Climbed: Feb/2/2001The Contamine-Grisolle is a classic ice climbing couloir of the Tacul northface (triangle). It ends below the summit. It was very cold. Because of the coldness, I turned around alone while my both companions were continuing the route. Afterwards, I went to the Eastside of the Mt. Blanc du Tacul just in order to have a nice look at it. I recognized too late, that the weather was getting worse. Nevertheless, I still reached the Abri Simond Bivouac Hut in the fog although I could not see more then a dark shadow of the end of the Aig. du Midi. My two companions got lost in the fog and the snowstorm on the Géant Glacier. They were also surprised by the sudden weather change like myself and other people and could not return anymore to the Abri Simond. They already wanted to make an unplanned bivouac on the Géant-Glacier (at -30°C and without sleeping-bags etc. .....). After a few hours, they made another attempt - and recognized that they were very close to the Abri Simond Bivouac Hut: just on the S-side of the rock on which the Ref. Cosmiques is located, i.e. a few meters away from the Abri Simond Bivouac, although they thought they were near the E-ridge of the Aig. du Midi .... we have never heard anything anymore about 2 french people who climbed the Chérècouloir that day and were surprised by the weather change as well. They at least did not return to the Abri Simond Bivouac Hut. We did not know whether they also got lost on the Géant Glacier, whether they reached the Aig. du Midi or what happened to them. We also could not inform anybody because we did not have any handy and were being stuck in snow storm in the Abri-Simond-Bivouac Hut.
Rahel Maria Liu - Jan 28, 2002 5:37 am
Route Climbed: Contamine Mazeaud Date Climbed: Jan/31/2001The Contamine Mazeaud is a classic ice climbing couloir of the Tacul northface (triangle). It ends below the summit. It was very cold. Some persons of our group got severe frostbites of the 2nd degree. We abseiled down through the Chèrécouloir (normal descent of the triangle).
Bernhard Sauer - Jan 25, 2002 7:18 am
Route Climbed: Cervasutti Pillar Date Climbed: Summer 1985in one day from Chamonix via cable car and Aig. du Midi...climbing Cervasutti Pillar...hiking back to Torino hut for the night...was a long but wonderful day...climbing took approx. 8 hours...highly recommended climb
dirkclaessen - Dec 30, 2001 2:05 am
Route Climbed: normal route Date Climbed: July 1991Very easy way up that is overcrowded in the season. Only interesting as part of a further ascent of Mont Blanc.
ben jammin - Dec 19, 2001 12:00 pm
Route Climbed: NW flank standard route Date Climbed: July 2001One of the easiest 4000m alpine peaks to bag, considering the cable car hauls you to 3800m and the main hazard is passing the hordes of guided clients vomitting up their breakfast.
See the photo of the rock step at the summit to see what you can expect if you're going to do this route at the height of the summer season. It pays to start early and to move fast.
Rahel Maria Liu - Dec 13, 2001 10:51 am
Route Climbed: Chèrécouloir Date Climbed: Jan/30/2001The Chèrécouloir is a classic ice climbing couloir of the Tacul northface (triangle). It ends below the summit. It was very cold. Many persons of our group got severe frostbites of the 2nd degree. We abseiled down through the same couloir.
schadik - Nov 23, 2001 1:54 am
Route Climbed: 3MB Traverse Date Climbed: 1991The first time I was on the MB we Did all three summits. Usually people contour the first two.